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quitar

kee-TAHRkiˈtaɾ

remove, take off

Also: clear, take out
VerbA1regular ar
A human hand gently lifting a stack of colorful wooden blocks off a wooden shelf.
infinitivequitar
gerundquitando
past Participlequitado

📝 In Action

Quita los libros de la mesa, por favor.

A1

Remove the books from the table, please.

¿Puedes quitar la tapa de esta botella?

A1

Can you take the lid off this bottle?

La pintura es difícil de quitar.

A2

The paint is difficult to remove.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • quitar el polvo – to dust (remove dust)
  • quitar la basura – to take out the trash

take away, deprive (of)

Also: steal
VerbB1regular arneutral/formal
A large, authoritative hand reaching to take a small, tied sack (representing confiscated goods) from a wooden table.

📝 In Action

El gobierno le quitó la tierra al campesino.

B1

The government took the land away from the farmer.

Le quitaron el teléfono en el metro.

B1

They stole his phone on the subway.

Esta enfermedad le ha quitado la alegría de vivir.

C1

This illness has deprived him of the joy of living.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • quitar la vida – to take a life
  • quitar los derechos – to take away rights

to take off (clothing), to get rid of

Also: to stop (a habit)
A2regular ar
A person partially removing a bright blue sweater, actively pulling it over their head.

📝 In Action

Me quité los zapatos al entrar en casa.

A2

I took off my shoes when entering the house.

Necesito quitarme el dolor de cabeza.

B1

I need to get rid of this headache.

Por fin se quitó la mala costumbre de fumar.

B2

She finally got rid of the bad habit of smoking.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • deshacerse de (to get rid of)
  • dejar (to quit (a habit))

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • quitarse de en medio – to get out of the way
  • quitarse años – to look younger

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedquita
yoquito
túquitas
ellos/ellas/ustedesquitan
nosotrosquitamos
vosotrosquitáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedquitaba
yoquitaba
túquitabas
ellos/ellas/ustedesquitaban
nosotrosquitábamos
vosotrosquitabais

preterite

él/ella/ustedquitó
yoquité
túquitaste
ellos/ellas/ustedesquitaron
nosotrosquitamos
vosotrosquitasteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedquite
yoquite
túquites
ellos/ellas/ustedesquiten
nosotrosquitemos
vosotrosquitéis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedquitara
yoquitara
túquitaras
ellos/ellas/ustedesquitaran
nosotrosquitáramos
vosotrosquitarais
View All Tenses & Moods →

🔀 Commonly Confused With

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "quitar" in Spanish:

clear→remove→steal→take away→take off→take out→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: quitar

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence uses 'quitar' in its reflexive sense (quitarse)?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
quitaesmalte(nail polish remover) — Noun
quita(a reduction/discount) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Latin word *quietare*, which originally meant 'to make quiet' or 'to settle,' but evolved over time in Spanish to mean 'to remove' or 'to take away,' likely stemming from the idea of removing something that causes disturbance.

First recorded: 10th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: quitar

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'quitar' used for taking off clothing?

Yes, but you must use the reflexive form, 'quitarse.' For example, 'Me quito la chaqueta' means 'I take off my jacket,' because the action is done to yourself.

How is 'quitar' different from 'remover'?

'Quitar' is the most common verb for basic physical removal, like taking something off a table or taking off clothes. 'Remover' is less common and usually refers to stirring (like food) or relocating something.