Inklingo
Dictionary

deshacer

des-ah-SEHRdesaˈθeɾ

“deshacer” means “to undo” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:

to undoA2Verb

reversing a physical action

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to meltB1Verb

ice or heat related

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to get rid ofB1Verb

when used as 'deshacerse de'

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to undo, to unpackAlso: to untie

VerbA2irregular er
A hand pulling a single thread to unravel a knitted scarf.
gerunddeshaciendo
past Participledeshecho
infinitivedeshacer

📝 In Action

Tengo que deshacer la maleta después del viaje.

A2

I have to unpack the suitcase after the trip.

No puedo deshacer este nudo.

A2

I can't undo this knot.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • deshacer la maleta – to unpack the suitcase
  • deshacer un nudo – to untie a knot

to melt, to dissolve

VerbB1irregular er
An ice cube sitting on a wooden table turning into a small puddle of water.
gerunddeshaciendo
past Participledeshecho
infinitivedeshacer

📝 In Action

El hielo se deshizo rápidamente bajo el sol.

B1

The ice melted quickly under the sun.

Tienes que deshacer la pastilla en un vaso de agua.

B1

You have to dissolve the pill in a glass of water.

Word Connections

Synonyms

to get rid ofAlso: to shake off

VerbB1irregular er
A person placing an old cardboard box into a large recycling bin.
gerunddeshaciéndose de
past Participledeshecho de
infinitivedeshacerse de

📝 In Action

Necesito deshacerme de esta ropa vieja.

B1

I need to get rid of these old clothes.

No podía deshacerme de él, ¡no paraba de hablar!

B2

I couldn't shake him off, he wouldn't stop talking!

Word Connections

Synonyms

Idioms & Expressions

  • deshacerse en elogios – to shower someone with praise

Subjunctive

Imperfect Subjunctive

yodeshiciera
túdeshicierais
él/ella/usteddeshiciera
nosotrosdeshiciéramos
vosotrosdeshicierais
ellos/ellas/ustedesdeshicieran

Present Subjunctive

yodeshaga
túdeshagas
él/ella/usteddeshaga
nosotrosdeshagamos
vosotrosdeshagáis
ellos/ellas/ustedesdeshagan

Indicative

Preterite

yodeshice
túdeshiciste
él/ella/usteddeshizo
nosotrosdeshicimos
vosotrosdeshicisteis
ellos/ellas/ustedesdeshicieron

Imperfect

yodeshacía
túdeshacías
él/ella/usteddeshacía
nosotrosdeshacíamos
vosotrosdeshacíais
ellos/ellas/ustedesdeshacían

Present

yodeshago
túdeshaces
él/ella/usteddeshace
nosotrosdeshacemos
vosotrosdeshacéis
ellos/ellas/ustedesdeshacen
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Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "deshacer" in Spanish:

to dissolveto meltto undoto unpackto untie

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: deshacer

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence means 'I need to unpack my bags'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
hecho(done/fact) — Noun
hacer(to do/make) — Verb
deshecho(undone/broken down) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes
nacercrecer
📚 Etymology

From the prefix 'des-' (meaning 'un-' or 'reversing') and the verb 'hacer' (from Latin 'facere', meaning 'to do' or 'to make'). Literally 'to un-do'.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

French: défaireEnglish: defeat (historically related to undoing)

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'deshacer' a regular verb?

No, it is highly irregular because it follows the same pattern as the common verb 'hacer'.

Does 'deshacer' always mean 'to undo'?

Mostly, but when you add 'se' (deshacerse de), it takes on the very common meaning of 'to get rid of'.