Introduction

retirar means “to withdraw, to remove” in English, and it is a verb you will meet again and again once you start reading and speaking Spanish. It is used whenever you need to talk about the money from the bank — at home, at work, and in everyday conversation — which makes it a practical verb to learn early and to use confidently. This page gives you the complete conjugation of retirar in every tense and mood, with all six persons, plus the gerund and the past participle, example sentences, the mistakes learners make most often, a ten-question quiz and answers to the questions students ask about this verb. Every form below comes from VerbFlow's verified conjugation tables, so you can trust the accents and the irregular forms. retirar is a regular -ar verb, and the notes under each tense explain exactly where it follows the rules and where it breaks them. To hear it in a real sentence: “Yo retiro el dinero del banco todos los días.” — “I withdraw the money from the bank.” Work through the tables, read the notes, then test yourself with the quiz at the end of the page.

Quick facts
Infinitive retirar
English to withdraw, to remove
Verb type Regular -ar verb
Gerund retirando
Past participle retirado
Auxiliary verb haber

Full conjugation tables

Gerund: retirando · Past participle: retirado

Present Indicative

Person Form
yo retiro
tú retiras
él/ella/Ud. retira
nosotros/as retiramos
vosotros/as retiráis
ellos/ellas/Uds. retiran

The present tense describes habits, facts and what is happening now. For retirar, the yo form is retiro, as in “Yo retiro el dinero del banco.” — “I withdraw the money from the bank.”

Preterite

Person Form
yo retiré
tú retiraste
él/ella/Ud. retiró
nosotros/as retiramos
vosotros/as retirasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. retiraron

The preterite describes completed actions in the past — things that started and finished. For retirar, the yo form is retiré, as in “Yo retiré el dinero del banco.” — “I withdrew the money from the bank.”

Imperfect

Person Form
yo retiraba
tú retirabas
él/ella/Ud. retiraba
nosotros/as retirábamos
vosotros/as retirabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. retiraban

The imperfect describes the past as background: habits, descriptions and actions in progress. For retirar, the yo form is retiraba, as in “Yo retiraba el dinero del banco.” — “I used to withdraw the money from the bank.”

Future

Person Form
yo retiraré
tú retirarás
él/ella/Ud. retirará
nosotros/as retiraremos
vosotros/as retiraréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. retirarán

The future tense states what will happen. It is also used for predictions and promises. For retirar, the yo form is retiraré, as in “Yo retiraré el dinero del banco.” — “I will withdraw the money from the bank.”

Conditional

Person Form
yo retiraría
tú retirarías
él/ella/Ud. retiraría
nosotros/as retiraríamos
vosotros/as retiraríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. retirarían

The conditional expresses what would happen: wishes, polite requests and hypothetical results. For retirar, the yo form is retiraría, as in “Yo retiraría el dinero del banco.” — “I would withdraw the money from the bank.”

Present Perfect

Person Form
yo he retirado
tú has retirado
él/ella/Ud. ha retirado
nosotros/as hemos retirado
vosotros/as habéis retirado
ellos/ellas/Uds. han retirado

The present perfect connects the past with the present: something that has happened, often today or recently. For retirar, the yo form is he retirado, as in “Yo he retirado el dinero del banco.” — “I have withdrawn the money from the bank.”

Pluperfect

Person Form
yo había retirado
tú habías retirado
él/ella/Ud. había retirado
nosotros/as habíamos retirado
vosotros/as habíais retirado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habían retirado

The pluperfect describes an event that happened before another past event. For retirar, the yo form is había retirado, as in “Yo había retirado el dinero del banco.” — “I had withdrawn the money from the bank.”

Future Perfect

Person Form
yo habré retirado
tú habrás retirado
él/ella/Ud. habrá retirado
nosotros/as habremos retirado
vosotros/as habréis retirado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habrán retirado

The future perfect describes something that will already be finished by a future moment. For retirar, the yo form is habré retirado, as in “Yo habré retirado el dinero del banco.” — “I will have withdrawn the money from the bank.”

Conditional Perfect

Person Form
yo habría retirado
tú habrías retirado
él/ella/Ud. habría retirado
nosotros/as habríamos retirado
vosotros/as habríais retirado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habrían retirado

The conditional perfect describes what would have happened under different conditions. For retirar, the yo form is habría retirado, as in “Yo habría retirado el dinero del banco.” — “I would have withdrawn the money from the bank.”

Present Subjunctive

Person Form
yo retire
tú retires
él/ella/Ud. retire
nosotros/as retiremos
vosotros/as retiréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. retiren

The present subjunctive is used after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and influence. For retirar, the yo form is retire, as in “Espero que yo retire el dinero del banco.” — “I hope that I withdraw the money from the bank.”

Imperfect Subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo retirara
tú retiraras
él/ella/Ud. retirara
nosotros/as retiráramos
vosotros/as retirarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. retiraran

The imperfect subjunctive is used in the past versions of subjunctive clauses, and after "si" in hypothetical sentences. For retirar, the yo form is retirara, as in “Si yo retirara el dinero del banco, ...” — “If I withdrew the money from the bank, ...”

The -se variant of this tense follows the same pattern with -se instead of -ra: retirara becomes retirase, and the same change applies to every person. Both variants mean the same thing; -ra is more common in everyday speech.

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú retira
Ud. retire
nosotros/as retiremos
vosotros/as retirad
Uds. retiren

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú retires
Ud. retire
nosotros/as retiremos
vosotros/as retiréis
Uds. retiren

The imperative is for orders, requests and advice. The affirmative tú form is retira, as in “¡Retira el dinero del banco” — “Withdraw the money from the bank” For the negative imperative, Spanish uses the subjunctive forms: no retires. Note that the affirmative and negative forms differ, so check the table above before you give an order with retirar.

Example sentences

Here are ten sentences with retirar, covering different tenses and persons. Read each one out loud, then read the translation, and notice how the verb form changes while the meaning stays the same.

  1. “Yo retiro el dinero del banco cada día.” — “I withdraw the money from the bank.”
  2. “Él retira el dinero del banco todos los días.” — “He withdraws the money from the bank.”
  3. “Yo retiré el dinero del banco ayer.” — “I withdrew the money from the bank.”
  4. “Él retiró el dinero del banco ayer.” — “He withdrew the money from the bank.”
  5. “Yo retiraba el dinero del banco cuando era joven.” — “I used to withdraw the money from the bank.”
  6. “Nosotros retiraremos el dinero del banco mañana.” — “We will withdraw the money from the bank.”
  7. “Si pudiera, yo retiraría el dinero del banco.” — “If I could, i would withdraw the money from the bank.”
  8. “Yo he retirado el dinero del banco hoy.” — “I have withdrawn the money from the bank.”
  9. “Espero que yo retire el dinero del banco.” — “I hope that I withdraw the money from the bank.”
  10. “estoy retirando el dinero del banco ahora mismo.” — “I am withdrawing the money from the bank.”

Common mistakes

Forgetting the accent in the preterite

The yo preterite form is retiré, with an accent on the stressed vowel. Writing it without the accent — retire — is a spelling error, and in speech the stress lands in the wrong place. Preterite yo forms that end in a vowel carry that accent, so check it every time you write the preterite of retirar.

Mixing up present and preterite nosotros

For retirar, the nosotros form is the same in the present and the preterite: retiramos. Only the context tells you which tense is meant, so pay attention to the time words around it — cada día points to the present, ayer points to the preterite. Do not invent a different form for one of the tenses.

Using ser instead of haber in perfect tenses

Spanish perfect tenses always use haber, never ser: yo he retirado el dinero del banco. English speakers sometimes reach for soy because English uses to be in some passives, but soy retirado is not the present perfect of retirar — it is a passive construction with a different meaning.

Confusing retirar with retirarse

retirar and retirarse look similar, and learners mix them up. They are different verbs with different meanings, so check which one the sentence needs before you conjugate. If you can substitute the English meaning of retirar — withdraw — the sentence needs retirar; if it needs the meaning of retirarse, use that verb instead.

Using the indicative after "espero que"

After espero que (I hope that), Spanish needs the subjunctive: Espero que yo retire el dinero del banco. Using the indicative — Espero que yo retiro — is one of the most frequent learner errors with retirar. Whenever the main clause expresses a wish, doubt or emotion, switch to the subjunctive.

Quiz

Test yourself on the forms above. Choose the best answer, then check the key below.

1. What is the yo form of retirar in the present?

  • A. retiras
  • B. retira
  • C. retiramos
  • D. retiro

2. What is the tu form of retirar in the preterite?

  • A. retiramos
  • B. retiraste
  • C. retiré
  • D. retiró

3. What is the el form of retirar in the imperfect?

  • A. retirabas
  • B. retirábamos
  • C. retirabais
  • D. retiraba

4. What is the nosotros form of retirar in the future?

  • A. retirará
  • B. retiraremos
  • C. retiraré
  • D. retirarás

5. What is the vosotros form of retirar in the present perfect?

  • A. he retirado
  • B. has retirado
  • C. ha retirado
  • D. habéis retirado

6. What is the ellos form of retirar in the present subjunctive?

  • A. retire
  • B. retiren
  • C. retire
  • D. retires

7. What is the yo form of retirar in the preterite?

  • A. retiraste
  • B. retiró
  • C. retiramos
  • D. retiré

8. What is the tu form of retirar in the imperfect?

  • A. retirábamos
  • B. retirabas
  • C. retiraba
  • D. retiraba

9. What is the el form of retirar in the future?

  • A. retiraré
  • B. retirarás
  • C. retiraremos
  • D. retirará

10. What is the nosotros form of retirar in the conditional?

  • A. retiraría
  • B. retiraríamos
  • C. retiraría
  • D. retirarías

Answer key

  1. retiro — The present table gives yo = retiro.
  2. retiraste — The preterite table gives tu = retiraste.
  3. retiraba — The imperfect table gives el = retiraba.
  4. retiraremos — The future table gives nosotros = retiraremos.
  5. habéis retirado — The present perfect table gives vosotros = habéis retirado.
  6. retiren — The present subjunctive table gives ellos = retiren.
  7. retiré — The preterite table gives yo = retiré.
  8. retirabas — The imperfect table gives tu = retirabas.
  9. retirará — The future table gives el = retirará.
  10. retiraríamos — The conditional table gives nosotros = retiraríamos.

Frequently asked questions

Is retirar regular or irregular?

retirar is a regular -ar verb. It follows the regular patterns for its ending in every tense. The tables on this page show the correct form for every person, so use them rather than guessing.

What is the past participle of retirar?

The past participle of retirar is retirado. You use it with haber in the perfect tenses — he retirado, había retirado, habré retirado — and after estar in passive-style descriptions. It is the regular participle for its verb class. Learn it together with the gerund retirando and you have the two non-finite forms covered.

What is the gerund of retirar?

The gerund of retirar is retirando. You use it with estar to describe an action in progress, as in estoy retirando, and after verbs such as seguir and ir. Keep it distinct from the past participle retirado, which belongs with haber, not with estar.

What is the yo form of retirar in the present?

The yo form is retiro — “Yo retiro el dinero del banco.” means “I withdraw the money from the bank.” That is the form you will use most often when you talk about yourself. For other persons, use the present table above: tú retiras, él retira, nosotros retiramos, ellos retiran.

What is the difference between retirar and retirarse?

retirar means “to withdraw, to remove”, while retirarse means “to retire, to withdraw”. They share letters and sometimes a root, but they are different verbs. If your sentence means “to withdraw, to remove”, use retirar; if it is about the meaning of retirarse, use retirarse instead. Checking the English meaning first prevents most mix-ups.

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