Welcome! If you’ve ever wanted to say “I took out the trash,” “She got good grades,” or “We took photos” in Spanish, mastering the verb sacar is essential. ‘Sacar’ is a highly versatile and common Spanish verb that roughly means “to take out,” “to extract,” “to get,” or “to remove.” To communicate effectively about past experiences, events, or actions involving sacar, you must understand its past tense forms.
This guide is designed to help learners from beginner to advanced levels, as well as teachers seeking an exhaustive resource. We will cover all past tense conjugations of ‘sacar’, explain when and how to use them, highlight common mistakes, and provide numerous examples and practice exercises. By the end, you’ll confidently use sacar in any past tense context, whether narrating a story, describing past habits, or expressing completed actions.
Ready to take your Spanish to the next level? Let’s dive into the world of past tenses with ‘sacar’.
Table of Contents
- 3. Definition Section
- 4. Structural Breakdown
- 5. Types or Categories
- 6. Examples Section
- 7. Usage Rules
- 8. Common Mistakes
- 9. Practice Exercises
- 10. Advanced Topics
- 11. FAQ Section
- 12. Conclusion
3. DEFINITION SECTION
3.1. What Does ‘Sacar’ Mean?
Literal meanings:
- To take out — Sacar la basura (to take out the trash)
- To remove — Sacar una espina (to remove a thorn)
- To extract — Sacar sangre (to draw blood)
Idiomatic meanings:
- To get grades — Sacar buenas/malas notas (to get good/bad grades)
- To take a photo — Sacar una foto (to take a photo)
- To withdraw money — Sacar dinero (to withdraw money)
- To gain an advantage — Sacar ventaja
- To get a license — Sacar la licencia
Examples:
- Saco la basura todos los días. (I take out the trash every day.)
- Ayer saqué buenas notas. (Yesterday I got good grades.)
- ¿Sacaste fotos en la boda? (Did you take photos at the wedding?)
3.2. Grammatical Classification
-AR verb: Sacar ends with -ar, following the conjugation pattern of regular -ar verbs in many tenses.
Regularity: It is regular in most tenses but has a spelling change in the preterite yo form to preserve pronunciation.
Transitivity: Mainly transitive, requiring a direct object (e.g., la basura, una foto).
Aspect:
- Perfective: Used in preterite and compound tenses to express completed actions.
- Imperfective: Used in the imperfect tense to describe ongoing or habitual past actions.
3.3. What Is the Past Tense of ‘Sacar’?
Past tense in Spanish includes several forms:
- Preterite (Pretérito perfecto simple): Expresses completed actions in the past (e.g., Saqué – I took out).
- Imperfect (Pretérito imperfecto): Expresses habitual or ongoing past actions (e.g., Sacaba – I used to take out).
- Compound past tenses:
- Present perfect (Pretérito perfecto compuesto): He sacado (I have taken out).
- Past perfect (Pluscuamperfecto): Había sacado (I had taken out).
3.4. When to Use Past Tense Forms of ‘Sacar’
- Narrating past actions/events: Saqué dinero del cajero. (I took money out of the ATM.)
- Describing past habits: Siempre sacaba fotos en las vacaciones. (I always took photos on vacation.)
- Expressing results of past actions: He sacado mi licencia. (I have gotten my license.)
- Describing background situations: Sacábamos la basura cada noche. (We used to take out the trash every night.)
4. STRUCTURAL BREAKDOWN
4.1. Conjugation Overview
Let’s start by comparing the indicative forms of sacar across different tenses for context:
| Pronoun | Present | Preterite | Imperfect | Present Perfect | Past Perfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | saco | saqué | sacaba | he sacado | había sacado |
| tú | sacas | sacaste | sacabas | has sacado | habías sacado |
| él/ella/usted | saca | sacó | sacaba | ha sacado | había sacado |
| nosotros/as | sacamos | sacamos | sabamos | hemos sacado | habíamos sacado |
| vosotros/as | sacáis | sacasteis | sacabais | habéis sacado | habíais sacado |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | sacan | sacaron | sacaban | han sacado | habían sacado |
4.2. Preterite (Simple Past) Formation
For regular -AR verbs, the preterite endings are:
- yo: -é
- tú: -aste
- él/ella/usted: -ó
- nosotros/as: -amos
- vosotros/as: -asteis
- ellos/ellas/ustedes: -aron
Spelling change: To maintain the hard “k” sound before -é in the yo form, sacar changes -car → -qué: saqué.
| Pronoun | Preterite Form |
|---|---|
| yo | saqué |
| tú | sacaste |
| él/ella/usted | sacó |
| nosotros/as | sacamos |
| vosotros/as | sacasteis |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | sacaron |
Note: The spelling change only affects the yo form to maintain pronunciation.
4.3. Imperfect Past Formation
For -AR verbs, imperfect endings are regular:
- yo: -aba
- tú: -abas
- él/ella/usted: -aba
- nosotros/as: -ábamos
- vosotros/as: -abais
- ellos/ellas/ustedes: -aban
| Pronoun | Imperfect Form |
|---|---|
| yo | sacaba |
| tú | sacabas |
| él/ella/usted | sacaba |
| nosotros/as | sacábamos |
| vosotros/as | sacabais |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | sacaban |
Usage: Imperfect describes ongoing, habitual, or background actions in the past.
4.4. Compound Past Tenses
Compound tenses use forms of haber plus the past participle sacado.
| Pronoun | Present Perfect (have taken out) | Past Perfect (had taken out) |
|---|---|---|
| yo | he sacado | había sacado |
| tú | has sacado | habías sacado |
| él/ella/usted | ha sacado | había sacado |
| nosotros/as | hemos sacado | habíamos sacado |
| vosotros/as | habéis sacado | habíais sacado |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | han sacado | habían sacado |
Rules: The participle sacado does not change for gender or number in compound tenses.
4.5. Spelling Change Explanation
In the preterite yo form, sacar changes from sac- to saqu- before adding -é:
- saqué (correct) — maintains the hard “k” sound
- sacé (incorrect) — would produce a soft “s” sound
This orthographic change follows the rule that -car verbs change -c- to -qu- before -e.
Other -car verbs with this change:
- tocar → toqué (I played/touched)
- buscar → busqué (I looked for)
- explicar → expliqué (I explained)
5. TYPES OR CATEGORIES
5.1. Simple Past Tenses
- Preterite: Completed actions (e.g., Saqué la basura. I took out the trash.)
- Imperfect: Ongoing/habitual actions (e.g., Sacaba fotos todos los días. I used to take photos every day.)
5.2. Compound Past Tenses
- Present perfect: He sacado (I have taken out)
- Past perfect: Había sacado (I had taken out)
- Future perfect: Habré sacado (I will have taken out) — for reference, not strictly past
5.3. Subjunctive Past Forms
Used for hypothetical, uncertain, or dependent clauses:
| Pronoun | Imperfect Subjunctive (esperaba que…) |
Past Perfect Subjunctive (si hubiera…) |
|---|---|---|
| yo | sacara / sacase | hubiera sacado |
| tú | sacaras / sacases | hubieras sacado |
| él/ella/usted | sacara / sacase | hubiera sacado |
| nosotros/as | sacáramos / sacásemos | hubiéramos sacado |
| vosotros/as | sacarais / sacaseis | hubierais sacado |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | sacaran / sacasen | hubieran sacado |
5.4. Reflexive Use in Past
Sacarse means “to take something off oneself” or sometimes “to take a photo of oneself”.
Conjugation includes reflexive pronouns:
- Me saqué (I took off / I took a photo of myself)
- Te sacaste
- Se sacó
- Nos sacamos
- Os sacasteis
- Se sacaron
Examples:
- Me saqué el abrigo. (I took off my coat.)
- Se sacaron una foto. (They took a picture of themselves.)
6. EXAMPLES SECTION
6.1. Basic Preterite Examples
| Pronoun | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| yo | Saqué la basura ayer. | I took out the trash yesterday. |
| tú | ¿Sacaste fotos en la fiesta? | Did you take photos at the party? |
| él/ella/usted | Ella sacó buenas notas. | She got good grades. |
| nosotros/as | Sacamos dinero del banco. | We took money out of the bank. |
| vosotros/as | ¿Sacasteis entradas para el concierto? | Did you all get tickets for the concert? |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | Sacaron al jugador del partido. | They took the player out of the game. |
- Saqué mi licencia el año pasado. (I got my license last year.)
- ¿Cuándo sacaste la foto? (When did you take the photo?)
- El médico sacó la espina. (The doctor removed the thorn.)
- Nosotros sacamos buenas notas en el examen. (We got good grades on the exam.)
- Ellos sacaron muchas fotos durante el viaje. (They took many photos during the trip.)
6.2. Imperfect Examples
- Cuando era niño, siempre sacaba la basura. (When I was a child, I always took out the trash.)
- Mi hermana sacaba fotos en todas las fiestas. (My sister used to take photos at every party.)
- Sacábamos dinero cada semana. (We used to withdraw money every week.)
- Antes, sacaban mejores notas. (Before, they used to get better grades.)
- Mientras trabajaba, sacaba fotocopias. (While working, I was making photocopies.)
6.3. Compound Tenses Examples
- He sacado mi licencia. (I have gotten my license.)
- ¿Has sacado dinero del banco? (Have you withdrawn money from the bank?)
- Hoy hemos sacado muchas fotos. (Today we have taken many photos.)
- Habían sacado las maletas antes de que llegáramos. (They had taken out the suitcases before we arrived.)
- ¿Ya habías sacado la basura? (Had you already taken out the trash?)
6.4. Subjunctive Past Examples
- Quería que sacaras mejores notas. (I wanted you to get better grades.)
- Si hubiéramos sacado más dinero, podríamos comprarlo. (If we had withdrawn more money, we could buy it.)
- Ojalá que sacara una buena foto. (I wish I took a good photo.)
- Esperaba que se sacaran una foto juntos. (I hoped they would take a picture together.)
6.5. Reflexive Past Examples
- Me saqué el abrigo. (I took off my coat.)
- Te sacaste los guantes. (You took off your gloves.)
- Ella se sacó una foto con el famoso. (She took a picture of herself with the celebrity.)
- Nos sacamos una foto frente al monumento. (We took a photo of ourselves in front of the monument.)
- Se sacaron el sombrero al entrar. (They took off their hats upon entering.)
6.6. Idiomatic and Contextual Examples
- Sacó ventaja en la carrera. (He gained an advantage in the race.)
- Sacamos conclusiones rápidamente. (We drew conclusions quickly.)
- Sacaron al ladrón de la tienda. (They removed the thief from the store.)
- Saqué un préstamo del banco. (I got a loan from the bank.)
- Sacó la lengua. (He stuck out his tongue.)
- Sacaron nuevos productos este año. (They launched new products this year.)
- Saqué el tema en la reunión. (I brought up the topic in the meeting.)
- Sacó de quicio a todos con sus quejas. (He drove everyone crazy with his complaints.)
- Sacamos partido de la oportunidad. (We took advantage of the opportunity.)
- El médico me sacó una muela. (The doctor pulled out a tooth.)
7. USAGE RULES
7.1. Choosing Between Preterite and Imperfect
Use preterite for completed actions with clear start/end:
- Ayer saqué la basura. (I took out the trash yesterday.)
Use imperfect for habitual, ongoing, or descriptive past actions:
- Cuando era niño, sacaba la basura todos los días. (When I was a child, I used to take out the trash every day.)
Signal words:
- Preterite: ayer, anoche, el año pasado, una vez
- Imperfect: siempre, a menudo, mientras, todos los días
7.2. Correct Use of Orthographic Change
- Only in the preterite ‘yo’ form: saqué
- All other forms: no change (e.g., sacaste, sacó)
- Why: to keep the hard “k” sound before -é (since c before e sounds like “s” in Spanish)
7.3. Placement with Object Pronouns
Direct objects: attach before the conjugated verb:
- La saqué. (I took it [the trash] out.)
- Los saqué. (I took them out.)
- No la saqué. (I didn’t take it out.)
With reflexive pronouns:
- Me saqué el abrigo. (I took off my coat.)
- Se sacaron una foto. (They took a picture of themselves.)
7.4. Reflexive vs. Non-Reflexive Use
- Reflexive (sacarse): subject acts on themselves (e.g., taking off clothing)
- Non-reflexive (sacar): subject acts on something else (e.g., taking out trash)
Examples:
- Me saqué la chaqueta. (I took off my jacket.)
- Saqué la basura. (I took out the trash.)
7.5. Compound Past Construction Rules
- Auxiliary verb: Correct form of haber
- Past participle: always sacado, does not change
- Negative: No he sacado
- Interrogative: ¿Has sacado?
7.6. Exceptions and Irregularities
- Sacar is regular except for the yo preterite spelling change
- Other -car verbs follow the same change (tocar → toqué, buscar → busqué)
- Participles and imperfect are regular
8. COMMON MISTAKES
8.1. Misspelling ‘saqué’ as ‘sacé’
Incorrect: Yo sacé dinero.
Correct: Yo saqué dinero.
8.2. Incorrect Past Tense Choice
Incorrect: Ayer sacaba la basura. (imperfect for a completed action)
Correct: Ayer saqué la basura.
Incorrect: Cuando era niño, saqué la basura todos los días.
Correct: Cuando era niño, sacaba la basura todos los días.
8.3. Ignoring Reflexive Forms
Incorrect: Me saqué una foto con mis amigos. (correct if reflexive intended)
Correct: Sacamos una foto con mis amigos. (if not reflexive)
Incorrect: Saqué el abrigo. (if you mean removed from yourself, use reflexive)
Correct: Me saqué el abrigo.
8.4. Misplacing Object Pronouns
Incorrect: Saqué la.
Correct: La saqué.
Incorrect: Sacaron se una foto.
Correct: Se sacaron una foto.
8.5. Misusing Compound Past Forms
Incorrect: He sacada mi licencia.
Correct: He sacado mi licencia.
Incorrect: Había sacados las fotos.
Correct: Había sacado las fotos.
8.6. False Friends and Idioms Confusion
Misinterpreting: Sacar partido means “to take advantage,” not “to take out a game.”
Misinterpreting: Sacar de quicio means “to drive crazy,” not “to take out of a hinge.”
9. PRACTICE EXERCISES
9.1. Fill-in-the-Blank Conjugation
Complete the sentences with the correct past tense form of sacar.
| # | Sentence | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ayer yo ____ (sacar) la basura. | saqué |
| 2 | ¿Tú ____ (sacar) fotos en la fiesta? | sacaste |
| 3 | Cuando era niño, siempre ____ (sacar) buenas notas. | sacaba |
| 4 | Nosotros ____ (sacar) dinero del banco ayer. | sacamos |
| 5 | Ellos ____ (sacar) muchas fotos durante el viaje. | sacaron |
| 6 | Ella no ____ (sacar) su licencia todavía. | ha sacado |
| 7 | Antes de mudarse, ____ (sacar, ellos) todas sus cosas. | habían sacado |
| 8 | Esperaba que tú ____ (sacar) mejores notas. | sacaras |
| 9 | Si ____ (sacar, nosotros) más dinero, podríamos comprarlo. | hubiéramos sacado |
| 10 | Me ____ (sacar) el abrigo cuando entré. | saqué |
9.2. Error Correction
Identify and correct the mistakes.
| Incorrect Sentence | Corrected Sentence |
|---|---|
| Yo sacé buenas notas. | Yo saqué buenas notas. |
| Cuando era niño, saqué la basura todos los días. | Cuando era niño, sacaba la basura todos los días. |
| He sacada muchas fotos. | He sacado muchas fotos. |
| Se sacaron sus chaquetas y pusieron en la silla. | Se sacaron sus chaquetas y las pusieron en la silla. |
| No la saqué todavía. | No la he sacado todavía. |
| Habían sacados las maletas. | Habían sacado las maletas. |
| Esperaba que tú sacabas mejores notas. | Esperaba que tú sacaras mejores notas. |
| Sacaron se una foto. | Se sacaron una foto. |
| Si hubiéramos sacamos más dinero… | Si hubiéramos sacado más dinero… |
| Me sacé la basura ayer. | Saqué la basura ayer. |
9.3. Identify the Tense
Identify if the verb is in preterite, imperfect, or compound past and explain.
- Saqué la basura. — Preterite (completed action)
- Sacaba fotos todos los días. — Imperfect (habitual action)
- He sacado dinero. — Present perfect (action with present relevance)
- Habían sacado las cajas antes. — Past perfect (action completed before another past action)
- Si hubiéramos sacado más dinero… — Past perfect subjunctive (hypothetical past)
9.4. Sentence Construction
Make your own sentences using past tense forms of sacar:
- Use preterite with object pronoun: La saqué ayer.
- Use imperfect describing a habit: Sacaba la basura cada mañana.
- Use compound tense: He sacado muchas fotos hoy.
- Use reflexive: Me saqué el abrigo al entrar.
- Use past subjunctive: Quería que sacaras mejores notas.
9.5. Advanced Transformation
Convert these present tense sentences into correct past tense forms:
| Present Tense | Convert to Past Tense |
|---|---|
| Yo saco dinero cada semana. | Yo sacaba dinero cada semana. |
| Nos sacamos una foto. | Nos sacamos una foto ayer. (preterite) |
| Ella saca buenas notas. | Ella ha sacado buenas notas este semestre. |
| ¿Sacas la basura? | ¿Has sacado la basura? |
| Espero que saques mejores notas. | Esperaba que sacaras mejores notas. |
10. ADVANCED TOPICS
10.1. Nuances of Past Tenses with ‘Sacar’
The imperfect subjunctive expresses wishes, doubts, or hypothetical pasts:
- Si sacaras mejores notas, estarías feliz. (If you got better grades, you’d be happy.)
The past perfect subjunctive shows contrary-to-fact hypotheticals:
- Si hubieras sacado más dinero, habríamos comprado más cosas.
10.2. Idiomatic Expressions Using Past Tense
- Sacamos partido de la oportunidad. (We took advantage of the opportunity.)
- Me sacó de quicio con sus quejas. (He drove me crazy with his complaints.)
- Sacaron conclusiones rápidamente. (They drew conclusions quickly.)
10.3. Regional Variations and Slang
- In Latin America, sacar may mean “to evict” or “to fire”
- In Spain, sacar una foto is common, though hacer una foto is also used
- Slang: Me sacaron del grupo (They kicked me out of the group/chat)
10.4. Passive and Impersonal Constructions in Past
- Passive: El jugador fue sacado del partido. (The player was taken out of the game.)
- Impersonal: Se sacó la basura temprano. (The trash was taken out early.)
10.5. Combining Multiple Past Tenses
- Cuando llegamos, ya habían sacado las maletas y sacaron el coche del garaje. (When we arrived, they had already taken out the suitcases and took the car out of the garage.)
- Quería que sacaras la basura, pero ya la había sacado Juan. (I wanted you to take out the trash, but Juan had already taken it out.)
11. FAQ SECTION
- What does ‘sacar’ mean in Spanish?
Sacar means “to take out,” “to remove,” “to extract,” or idiomatically “to get (grades),” “to withdraw (money),” or “to take (a photo).” - What are the past tense forms of ‘sacar’?
Preterite: saqué, sacaste, sacó, sacamos, sacasteis, sacaron
Imperfect: sacaba, sacabas…
Present perfect: he sacado
Past perfect: había sacado - Why is it ‘saqué’ and not ‘sacé’?
Because of a spelling change to maintain the hard “k” sound: -car → -qué before -é. - When do I use preterite vs. imperfect with ‘sacar’?
Use preterite for completed actions, imperfect for ongoing or habitual past actions. - How do I use ‘sacar’ in the present perfect tense?
Use haber + sacado: He sacado la basura. (I have taken out the trash.) - What are some common idioms with ‘sacar’?
Sacar ventaja (gain advantage), sacar partido (take advantage), sacar de quicio (drive crazy), sacar conclusiones (draw conclusions) - How do I use the reflexive form ‘sacarse’ in the past?
Conjugate with reflexive pronouns: Me saqué el abrigo. (I took off my coat.) - Is ‘sacar’ a regular or irregular verb?
Regular, but with an orthographic change in preterite yo: saqué. - What other verbs have the same spelling change as ‘sacar’?
Verbs ending in -car: buscar → busqué, tocar → toqué, explicar → expliqué. - Can I use ‘sacar’ in the subjunctive past?
Yes: sacara/sacaras… and hubiera sacado. - How do I use object pronouns correctly with past tense of ‘sacar’?
Place pronouns before the verb: La saqué. (I took it out.)
Or attached to infinitives/gerunds in compound structures. - What are common mistakes to avoid when conjugating ‘sacar’ in past tense?
Misspelling saqué, confusing preterite/imperfect, forgetting reflexive pronouns, misplacing object pronouns, wrong participle agreement.
12. CONCLUSION
You’ve now explored the full range of past tense forms of ‘sacar’, including the critical spelling change in saqué, the difference between preterite and imperfect, the use of compound tenses, and reflexive as well as idiomatic expressions. Mastering these forms allows you to narrate your experiences naturally and accurately.
Keep practicing with the exercises, review the examples, and pay special attention to the orthographic changes. Challenge yourself to use sacar in conversation and writing, and explore other -car verbs that follow similar patterns.
Revisit this guide whenever needed — with time and practice, your ability to express past actions with sacar will become second nature. ¡Buena suerte!