sacar
/sah-KAR/
to take out
Use 'sacar' to mean 'to take out' or 'to remove' something from a contained space, like taking out the trash.
sacar(Verb)
to take out
?removing something from inside another thing
to remove
?general removal
,to get out
?e.g., a dog from a house
,to withdraw
?money from a bank
📝 In Action
Saco las llaves de mi bolsillo.
A1I take the keys out of my pocket.
Por favor, saca la basura.
A1Please, take out the trash.
Voy al banco a sacar dinero.
A2I'm going to the bank to withdraw money.
💡 Grammar Points
The 'yo' form spelling change in the past
To keep the hard 'k' sound in the past tense, the letter 'c' changes to 'qu' before an 'e' in the 'yo' form. So, 'yo saco' (I take out) becomes 'yo saqué' (I took out). This happens with all verbs ending in '-car'.
❌ Common Pitfalls
`Sacar` vs. `Quitar`
Mistake: "Voy a sacar la mancha de mi camisa."
Correction: Voy a quitar la mancha de mi camisa. Use `sacar` for taking something *out of* a container or space (like a pocket or a room). Use `quitar` for taking something *off of* a surface (like a stain from a shirt or a book from a table).
When referring to academic results or official documents, 'sacar' means 'to get' or 'to obtain,' such as getting a good grade.
sacar(Verb)
to get
?obtaining something like a grade or a ticket
to obtain
?formal
,to earn
?e.g., a grade
📝 In Action
Saqué una buena nota en el examen.
A2I got a good grade on the exam.
Tenemos que sacar las entradas para el concierto.
A2We have to get the tickets for the concert.
Mi hermano sacó su licencia de conducir la semana pasada.
B1My brother got his driver's license last week.
⭐ Usage Tips
Getting Things from a System
Think of this use of sacar as 'pulling' something out of a larger system. You 'pull' a grade from the school's grading system, or 'pull' a ticket from the event's ticketing system. It's a very natural way to say you obtained something official.
'Sacar una foto' is a very common way to say 'to take a photo' in Spanish.
📝 In Action
¿Puedes sacarnos una foto, por favor?
A2Can you take a photo of us, please?
Me encanta sacar fotos del atardecer.
B1I love to take pictures of the sunset.
⭐ Usage Tips
`Sacar` or `Tomar` for Photos?
Both sacar una foto and tomar una foto are correct and widely used. Sacar is extremely common, so don't be surprised to hear it more often. Imagine you're 'taking out' an image from the real world with your camera.
Figuratively, 'sacar' can mean 'to figure out' or 'to conclude,' like finding the answer to a difficult problem.
sacar(Verb)
to figure out
?solving a problem
to conclude
?reaching a conclusion
,to work out
?finding a solution
📝 In Action
No saco la respuesta a este problema de matemáticas.
B1I can't figure out the answer to this math problem.
De nuestra conversación, saqué que no está contento.
B2From our conversation, I concluded that he isn't happy.
⭐ Usage Tips
Mental 'Taking Out'
This is a figurative use of the main meaning. You are mentally 'taking out' an answer from a puzzle or a conclusion from a set of facts, just like you'd physically take a book out of a bag.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
preterite
imperfect
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: sacar
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'sacar' to mean 'to get a grade'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between `sacar`, `quitar`, and `tomar`?
`Sacar` generally means 'to take something out of' a container or enclosed space (sacar un libro de la mochila). `Quitar` means 'to take something off of' a surface or person (quitar el polvo de la mesa). `Tomar` means 'to take' in the sense of 'to grab' or 'to have' (tomar un café, tomar el autobús).
Can I say 'sacar una siesta'?
No, that's not correct. For naps, you would use `tomar una siesta` or `echar una siesta`. `Sacar` isn't used for activities like this.