What does quitar in Spanish mean?

What is the meaning of the word quitar in Spanish? The article explains the full meaning, pronunciation along with bilingual examples and instructions on how to use quitar in Spanish.

The word quitar in Spanish means take off, take from, take off, snatch, remove, take off, remove, move over, take off, get out of the way, give up, quench 's thirst, put right off doing, get rid of, shake off, get off, get rid of, get out the way, get rid of, take out of 's mouth, get out of one's head, get out of one's mind, get out of one's mind, get out of one's head, take one's breath away, be out of this world, take your breath away, defuse, downplay, play down, clear the table, cut off, contradict, take 's life, stop staring at, stop looking at, take away 's desire, revoke privileges, take up time, lift a weight off, take a load off, take a load off one's mind, cancel a fine, drop a fine. To learn more, please see the details below.

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Meaning of the word quitar

take off

verbo transitivo (retirar de un lugar)

Quita los pies de la mesa. El sol quitó la nieve de los tejados.
Take your feet off the table.

take from, take off

verbo transitivo (arrebatar, tomar)

El profesor le quitó el teléfono al alumno.
The teacher took the phone off the student.

snatch

verbo transitivo (robar, hurtar) (seize quickly)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
Un ladrón le quitó la cartera a mi hijo en el autobús.
A thief snatched my son's wallet on the bus.

remove

verbo transitivo (suciedad: limpiar)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
Aunque la lavé con lejía, no conseguí quitar la mancha de la camisa.
ⓘEsta oración no es una traducción de la original. Maria took off her sunglasses when she entered the bank.

take off

verbo transitivo (ropa: remover)

(phrasal verb, transitive, separable: Verb with adverb(s) or preposition(s), having special meaning, divisible--for example, "call off" [=cancel], "call the game off," "call off the game.")
Le quité los zapatos a mi hija, que se había quedado dormida en el sofá.
I took my daughter's shoes off her as she had fallen asleep on the sofa.

remove

verbo transitivo (extirpar)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
Los cirujanos le quitaron dos tumores del hígado a Ernesto.
The surgeons removed two tumors in her liver.

move over

verbo pronominal (hacerse a un lado)

¡Quítate, que no me dejas ver la tele!
Move over, you're in the way of the TV!

take off

verbo pronominal (ropa: removerse)

(phrasal verb, transitive, separable: Verb with adverb(s) or preposition(s), having special meaning, divisible--for example, "call off" [=cancel], "call the game off," "call off the game.")
Al llegar a casa, la enfermera se quitó el uniforme y se puso el pijama.
When she got home, the nurse took her uniform off and put her pyjamas on.

get out of the way

(apartarse, alejarse)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Me quité de tu camino para no ser un estorbo en tu vida.
I got out of your way so as not to be a hindrance in your life.

give up

(coloquial (abandonar un hábito) (habit)

(phrasal verb, transitive, inseparable: Verb with adverb(s) or preposition(s), having special meaning, not divisible--for example,"go with" [=combine nicely]: "Those red shoes don't go with my dress." NOT [S]"Those red shoes don't go my dress with."[/S])
Pedro se quitó del cigarrillo hace tres meses.
Pedro gave up smoking three months ago.

quench 's thirst

locución verbal (refrescar)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Me gusta beber té para apagar la sed.

put right off doing

locución verbal (coloquial (desmotivar por completo)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Nunca me simpatizó mucho su novio y, con la escena que nos hizo el otro día, me quitó las pocas ganas que tenía de volver a verla.
I never really liked her boyfriend, and the scene they made the other day put me right off seeing her again.

get rid of

locución verbal (figurado, coloquial (estorbo: deshacerse)

(phrasal verb, transitive, inseparable: Verb with adverb(s) or preposition(s), having special meaning, not divisible--for example,"go with" [=combine nicely]: "Those red shoes don't go with my dress." NOT [S]"Those red shoes don't go my dress with."[/S])
Quitó de en medio a la competencia para crear un monopolio.

shake off, get off

locución verbal (remover, apartar)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
El policía que socorrió a la víctima le quitó de encima al agresor.
The police officer who helped the victim shook off the aggressor.

get rid of

locución verbal (coloquial (librar de una molestia)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Su padre pagó sus deudas para quitarle de encima a los acreedores.
His father paid off his debts to see the back of the creditors.

get out the way

locución verbal (apartar de sí)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Cuando desperté, lo primero que hice fue quitarme las pesadas cobijas de encima.

get rid of

locución verbal (coloquial (librarse de una molestia)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
¿Crees que algún día podamos quitarnos de encima este problema?

take out of 's mouth

expresión (decir antes que otro algo) (anticipate [sb]'s words)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

get out of one's head, get out of one's mind

locución verbal (dejar una obsesión)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Debes quitarte de la cabeza a ese chico, es malo para ti.
You should banish any thought of that boy, he is bad for you.

get out of one's mind, get out of one's head

expresión (abandonar una idea)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

take one's breath away

locución verbal (asombrar, maravillar)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Es una mujer tan bella que quita el hipo.

be out of this world

locución verbal (coloquial (gustar mucho)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Los postres del chef quitan el sentido.

take your breath away

locución verbal (coloquial (asombrar)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
La playa tiene una belleza que quita el sentido.

defuse, downplay

locución verbal (rebajar la tensión)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
No quiso complicar más la situación y optó por hacer comentarios para quitar hierro al asunto.
He didn't want to complicate the situation and opted to say some things to downplay the issue.

play down

locución verbal (restar gravedad)

(phrasal verb, transitive, separable: Verb with adverb(s) or preposition(s), having special meaning, divisible--for example, "call off" [=cancel], "call the game off," "call off the game.")
Pedro le quitó importancia a los planteos de su hijo.
Pedro played down his son's suggestions.

clear the table

locución verbal (retirar: platos, comida)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Terminamos de comer y entre todos quitamos la mesa.
We finished eating and cleared the table together.

cut off

locución verbal (no dejar seguir el discurso) (interrupt)

(phrasal verb, transitive, inseparable: Verb with adverb(s) or preposition(s), having special meaning, not divisible--for example,"go with" [=combine nicely]: "Those red shoes don't go with my dress." NOT [S]"Those red shoes don't go my dress with."[/S])
El profesor le quitó la palabra a Pablo y no lo dejó seguir hablando.
The teacher cut Pablo off and wouldn't let him carry on speaking.

contradict

locución verbal (decir que no lleva razón)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
María le quitó la razón a su esposo y la discusión fue cada vez peor.
Maria contradicted her husband and the argument became even more heated.

take 's life

locución verbal (matar)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
El ladrón le quitó la vida al hombre para robarle el auto.
The thief took the man's life to steal his car.

stop staring at, stop looking at

expresión (dejar de mirar a)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

take away 's desire

locución verbal (coloquial (hacer perder la disposición para algo) (for an action)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Queríamos ir a la costa pero el mal tiempo nos quitó las ganas. Tenía pensado ir al cine pero el calor me quitó las ganas de salir.
ⓘEsta oración no es una traducción de la original. The foul smell took away Maria's appetite.

revoke privileges

locución verbal (retirar prebendas)

El jefe le quitó privilegios a los empleados.

take up time

locución verbal (ocupar tiempo)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Ir a tu casa me quita tiempo, ¿no quieres venir tú?
Going to your house takes up time, you don't want to come?

lift a weight off, take a load off

locución verbal (figurado (liberar de una carga) (relieve)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
María le quitó un peso de encima a su esposo yendo a buscar a los niños al colegio.
Maria disencumbered her husband by going to look for the children at school.

take a load off one's mind

locución verbal (figurado (liberarse de una carga) (figurative)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Marcos se quitó un peso de encima al no ser electo presidente de su clase.
ⓘEsta oración no es una traducción de la original. I told the barber to take a little off the top.

cancel a fine, drop a fine

locución verbal (anular una multa)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
El policía quitó la multa de tránsito después del soborno.
The cop dropped the traffic fine after the bribe.

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Spanish (español), also known as Castilla, is a language of the Iberian-Romance group of the Romance languages, and the 4th most common language in the world according to Some sources, while others list it as a 2nd or 3rd most common language. It is the mother tongue of about 352 million people, and is spoken by 417 million people when adding its speakers as a language. sub (estimated in 1999). Spanish and Portuguese have very similar grammar and vocabulary; The number of similar vocabulary of these two languages is up to 89%. Spanish is the primary language of 20 countries around the world. It is estimated that the total number of speakers of Spanish is between 470 and 500 million, making it the second most widely spoken language in the world by number of native speakers.