Introduction
Suprimir means “to suppress, to delete”, and it is one of the verbs you will use again and again in Spanish. Suprimir means to suppress or to delete, and it is used for deleting a file, suppressing a tax, and removing a word: suprimir un archivo, suprimir un impuesto. It is a regular -ir verb. This page shows suprimir in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make most often, and it finishes with a ten-question quiz so you can test yourself. Every sentence below comes with its English translation, and every form is the correct present-tense form unless the sentence is clearly marked as past or future. For a first taste: “Suprimo un archivo del ordenador.” — I suppress a file from the computer.
Suprimir in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how suprimir is used. Read each one out loud, then read the translation. If a sentence feels useful, copy it into your own notebook with one small change — a different time, a different person, a different place — and you have a new sentence of your own.
In the present: everyday use
These sentences use suprimir in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Suprimo un archivo del ordenador.” — I suppress a file from the computer.
“¿Suprimes un impuesto antiguo?” — Do you suppress an old tax?
“Suprime una palabra de la frase.” — He/she suppresses a word from the sentence.
“Nosotros suprimimos el párrafo entero del texto.” — We suppress the whole paragraph from the text.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show suprimir in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Ayer, yo suprimí un archivo del ordenador.” — Yesterday, I suppressed a file from the computer. (preterite)
“Antes, él suprimía un impuesto antiguo.” — Before, he used to suppress an old tax. (imperfect)
Plans and things already done
These sentences look forward, or look back at something already finished. Notice how the verb form changes while the meaning of suprimir stays the same.
“Mañana, nosotros suprimiremos una palabra de la frase.” — Tomorrow, we will suppress a word from the sentence. (future)
“¿Tú has suprimido el párrafo entero del texto?” — Have you suppressed the whole paragraph from the text? (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Vosotros suprimís un archivo del ordenador.” — You suppress a file from the computer.
“Ellos suprimen un impuesto antiguo.” — They suppress an old tax.
“Yo suprimo una palabra de la frase.” — I suppress a word from the sentence.
“Mi padre suprime el párrafo entero del texto.” — My father suppresses the whole paragraph from the text.
Suprimir in context
Single sentences teach you the forms. Dialogues teach you when to use them. Read the short conversation below, then the paragraph that follows, and notice how suprimir appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Marta: “¿Tú suprimes un impuesto antiguo?” — Do you suppress an old tax?
Pedro: “Sí, yo suprimo un archivo del ordenador.” — Yes, I suppress a file from the computer.
Marta: “Nosotros suprimimos el párrafo entero del texto.” — We suppress the whole paragraph from the text.
Pedro: “Y ellos suprimen un impuesto antiguo.” — And they suppress an old tax.
Marta: “Vosotros suprimís una palabra de la frase.” — You suppress a word from the sentence.
Pedro: “Sí, y él suprime un archivo del ordenador.” — Yes, and he suppresses a file from the computer.
A short paragraph
Suprime un archivo del ordenador, y nosotros suprimimos el párrafo entero del texto. Yo suprimo un impuesto antiguo, y ellos suprimen una palabra de la frase. Suprimir is part of everyday life, because suppress, to delete is something people do in work, at home and with friends, in the present, the past and the future.
Common mistakes with suprimir
These are the errors learners actually make with suprimir. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo suprime un archivo del ordenador.” Right: “Yo suprimo un archivo del ordenador.” Why: The person matters: suprime is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is suprimo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
Wrong: “Ayer yo suprimo un impuesto antiguo.” Right: “Ayer yo suprimí un impuesto antiguo.” Why: The present and the preterite are different tenses: suprimo is happening now, while suprimí is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
Wrong: “Treating suprimir and eliminar as identical in every context.” Right: “Suprimir means to suppress, to delete, while eliminar means to eliminate, to delete.” Why: They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: suprimir fits sentences such as Suprimo un archivo del ordenador, while eliminar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Wrong: “Yo soy suprimido un impuesto antiguo.” Right: “Yo he suprimido un impuesto antiguo.” Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he suprimido, has suprimido, ha suprimido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
Wrong: “De niño, yo suprimí una palabra de la frase todos los días.” Right: “De niño, yo suprimía una palabra de la frase todos los días.” Why: For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (suprimía), not the preterite. The preterite (suprimí) is for one finished action.
Quiz: suprimir in use
Ten questions on suprimir in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.
1. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ______ un archivo del ordenador.” (You suppress a file from the computer.)
- (a) suprimís
- (b) suprimo
- (c) suprimes
Answer: suprimís — The vosotros/as form of suprimir in the present tense is suprimís.
2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ un impuesto antiguo.” (They suppress an old tax.)
- (a) suprimes
- (b) suprimen
- (c) suprimo
Answer: suprimen — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of suprimir in the present tense is suprimen.
3. Complete the sentence (preterite): “Ayer yo ______ un archivo del ordenador.” (Yesterday I suppressed a file from the computer.)
- (a) suprimiste
- (b) suprimió
- (c) suprimí
Answer: suprimí — In the preterite, the yo form of suprimir is suprimí.
4. Complete the sentence (imperfect): “Antes, él ______ un impuesto antiguo.” (Before, he used to suppress an old tax.)
- (a) suprimía
- (b) suprimo
- (c) suprimías
Answer: suprimía — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of suprimir is suprimía.
5. Complete the sentence (future): “Mañana, nosotros ______ una palabra de la frase.” (Tomorrow we will suppress a word from the sentence.)
- (a) suprimirás
- (b) suprimiremos
- (c) suprimiré
Answer: suprimiremos — In the future, the nosotros/as form of suprimir is suprimiremos.
6. What does suprimir mean in English?
- (a) to suppress, to delete
- (b) to survive
- (c) to eliminate, to delete
Answer: to suppress, to delete — Suprimir means “to suppress, to delete”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo suprime un archivo del ordenador.
- (b) Ellos suprime un impuesto antiguo.
- (c) Yo suprimo un archivo del ordenador.
Answer: Yo suprimo un archivo del ordenador. — “Yo suprimo un archivo del ordenador.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “I suppress a file from the computer.” in Spanish?
- (a) Mi padre suprime el párrafo entero del texto.
- (b) Suprimo un archivo del ordenador.
- (c) Suprimen un archivo del ordenador.
Answer: Suprimo un archivo del ordenador. — “Suprimo un archivo del ordenador.” is the correct translation.
9. What is the nosotros form of suprimir in the present tense?
- (a) suprimo
- (b) suprimes
- (c) suprimimos
Answer: suprimimos — The nosotros form is suprimimos.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Mañana, nosotros suprimiremos una palabra de la frase.
- (b) Suprimo un archivo del ordenador.
- (c) Ayer, yo suprimí un archivo del ordenador.
Answer: Suprimo un archivo del ordenador. — “Suprimo un archivo del ordenador.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I suppress a file from the computer' in Spanish?
Say 'Suprimo un archivo del ordenador'. For a routine, add a time expression: 'Suprimo un archivo del ordenador todos los días'.
How do you say 'He suppresses an old tax' in Spanish?
Say 'Él suprime un impuesto antiguo'. The subject comes first, and the verb agrees with it: él takes suprime.
What is the difference between suprimir and eliminar?
Suprimir means to suppress, to delete, while eliminar means to eliminate, to delete. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use suprimir when you mean to suppress, to delete, as in 'Suprimo un archivo del ordenador', and use eliminar for to eliminate, to delete.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of suprimir — every tense of suprimir in one place.
- Suprimir in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for every Spanish verb on VerbFlow.
- Verb quiz — test yourself on suprimir and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of suprimir until they are automatic.