Breakdown of Me quito los zapatos antes de entrar a la sala.
yo
I
a
to
antes de
before
el zapato
the shoe
entrar
to enter
la sala
the living room
quitarse
to take off
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Questions & Answers about Me quito los zapatos antes de entrar a la sala.
What is the verb quitarse and how does me quito work here?
Quitarse is a reflexive verb meaning “to remove something from oneself” or “to take off” (clothing, accessories, etc.). In me quito,
- me is the first-person singular reflexive pronoun (“myself”).
- quito is the first-person singular present-tense form of quitar.
Together, me quito literally means “I remove (it) from myself,” i.e. “I take off.”
Why is the reflexive pronoun me necessary in me quito?
In Spanish, verbs like quitarse, vestirse, despertarse, etc., require a reflexive pronoun when the action affects the subject’s own body or clothing. Without me, quito would mean “I remove” something from someone or something else. The me clarifies that you are removing your own shoes.
Why does the sentence use los zapatos instead of mis zapatos?
Spanish often uses the definite article (el/la/los/las) with body parts or clothing in reflexive constructions:
- Me quito los zapatos. (“I take off the shoes.”)
Using mis zapatos isn’t wrong, but it’s less natural here. The definite article implies “my usual shoes” without repeating the possessive.
Why is it antes de entrar + infinitive rather than a subjunctive clause?
When the subject of both verbs is the same, Spanish uses antes de followed by an infinitive:
- Me quito los zapatos antes de entrar a la sala.
If there were two different subjects (e.g. “Before you enter…”), you’d say antes de que entres- subjunctive.
Why does it say entrar a la sala instead of entrar en la sala?
Prepositional usage with entrar varies by region:
- In most of Latin America, entrar a
- place is standard.
- In Spain, entrar en
- place is more common.
Both mean “to enter,” but you’ll hear entrar a la sala in Latin American Spanish.
- place is more common.
Could I say la sala de estar instead of la sala?
Yes. La sala de estar is more formal or specific (“the living room”), while la sala is perfectly natural and everyday in many Latin American countries. You’ll also hear salón in Spain, but sala is the go-to word in Latin America.
If I use an infinitive elsewhere, where does the reflexive pronoun go?
With a conjugated verb, the pronoun precedes it (me quito). With an infinitive, you can either:
- Attach it at the end: Voy a quitarme los zapatos.
- Keep it before the conjugated auxiliary: Me voy a quitar los zapatos. Both are correct and mean the same thing.