Take Off in Latin American Spanish | Say It In Every Context

Use “despegar” for aircraft, “quitarse” for clothes, and verbs like “arrancar” or “ponerse en marcha” when something starts up.

“Take off” looks simple in English. In Spanish, it splits into a few everyday verbs, each tied to a setting. Nail the setting first, then the verb choice feels natural. This article gives you the phrases Latin Americans use most, with quick cues so you can pick the right one on the fly.

How To Say Take Off In Latin American Spanish In Real Situations

Start with one question: what is taking off? A plane? A shirt? A plan? A stain? Spanish tends to name the action, not the English umbrella phrase. Once you map “take off” to the action, you’ll sound steady across Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America.

Use “Despegar” For Planes And Anything That Lifts Into Flight

When the subject is an aircraft leaving the ground, “despegar” is the everyday verb. It works for planes, helicopters, drones, and rockets. You’ll hear it in gate announcements, in airline apps, and in casual talk at the airport.

Common ways you’ll hear it:

• El avión despega a las ocho. The plane takes off at eight.
• Vamos a despegar en unos minutos. We’re taking off in a few minutes.
• El vuelo ya despegó. The flight already took off.

In airports, you’ll often pair it with timing words: ya (already), en punto (on the dot), con retraso (delayed). A clean pattern is despegar + a + hora or despegar + en + tiempo.

Use “Quitar(se)” For Taking Off Clothes, Accessories, And Gear

For removing clothing, Spanish often uses the reflexive form: quitarse. It’s the same idea as “remove from yourself.” In daily speech, you’ll hear it with shoes, jackets, hats, glasses, masks, helmets, and backpacks.

Natural patterns:

• Me voy a quitar la chaqueta. I’m going to take off my jacket.
• Quítate los zapatos, por favor. Take off your shoes, please.
• Se quitó el casco al llegar. He took off his helmet when he arrived.

Two quick tips that save you from odd phrasing:

• Use quitarse when the subject removes their own item.
• Use quitar when one person removes something from another person or from a place: Le quité la etiqueta.

Use “Sacar” When You Take Something Off A Surface Or Out Of A Container

If “take off” means removing something from a table, wall, hook, or shelf, Latin American Spanish often prefers sacar (take out) or quitar (remove). This is common with stickers, trays, and items you lift away.

• Saca la bandeja del horno. Take the tray out of the oven.
• Quita ese vaso de ahí. Take that glass off there.
• Voy a sacar el cartel de la pared. I’m going to take the poster off the wall.

Pick sacar when the feel is “out of” or “from inside.” Pick quitar when the feel is “off” or “away.” Both show up across the region.

Meaning Shifts: When “Take Off” Means Something Starts Up

English uses “take off” for momentum: a business takes off, a career takes off, a plan takes off. Spanish has several choices, and Latin Americans swap them based on tone.

Use “Despegar” For A Project That Finally Gains Momentum

Outside aviation, “despegar” often means to get going after a slow start. You’ll hear it for companies, music careers, videos, and ideas that suddenly catch on. In Mexico and much of South America, it’s a common metaphor.

• La tienda por fin despegó. The shop finally took off.
• Su canal despegó este año. His channel took off this year.

If you want a more neutral tone, pair it with a timeframe: despegar en + period, like en seis meses.

Use “Arrancar” For Something That Starts Running

“Arrancar” is a workhorse verb in Latin America. It can mean starting a car, starting a meeting, or kicking off a process. It’s a strong pick when “take off” means the start point, not the later success.

• La reunión arranca a las nueve. The meeting starts at nine.
• El proyecto arrancó con un equipo pequeño. The project started with a small team.
• Arranca el motor y vámonos. Start the engine and let’s go.

Use “Ponerse En Marcha” For A Formal, Clear “Get Underway” Feel

If you need a phrase that works in offices, public announcements, or formal writing, ponerse en marcha is widely understood. It fits programs, campaigns, and systems. It sounds calm and precise.

• El plan se puso en marcha en enero. The plan was put into motion in January.
• El servicio se pondrá en marcha pronto. The service will get underway soon.

English “Take Off” Meaning	Most Common Latin American Spanish	Natural Mini Pattern
Plane leaves the ground	despegar	El avión despega a las…
Remove your own clothing	quitarse	Me quito / Quítate…
Remove an item from a place	quitar / sacar	Quita eso de… / Saca eso de…
Start an engine or device	arrancar / encender	Arranca el motor / Enciende…
Meeting or event begins	arrancar / empezar	La reunión arranca / empieza…
Project begins officially	ponerse en marcha	El programa se puso en marcha…
Business gains momentum	despegar	La empresa despegó…
Remove makeup	quitarse / desmaquillarse	Me quito el maquillaje…
Take off a label or sticker	quitar	Quita la etiqueta…

Small Grammar Moves That Make You Sound Natural

Once you have the right verb, the next hurdle is the little words around it. These small choices are where learners often sound stiff.

Reflexive Pronouns With Clothing

With quitarse, the pronoun matches the person doing the action: me, te, se, nos, se. Native speakers hear that match right away. If you say quito la chaqueta without a pronoun, it can sound like you’re removing a jacket from a chair, not from your body.

If you want the formal background on pronominal verbs in Spanish, the academy’s grammar notes how pronominal forms are built around those clitic pronouns. RAE’s grammar section on pronominal verbs lays out the structure.

Past Tense Choices You’ll Hear In Conversation

In much of Latin America, people often use the simple past for completed actions: despegó, se quitó, arrancó. You’ll still hear present perfect in some settings, yet the simple past is a safe bet for everyday narration.

• Ya despegó.
• Se quitó la gorra.
• La clase arrancó tarde.

Regional Notes You’ll Actually Notice

Spanish varies by country, and “take off” verbs are no exception. You don’t need to memorize a hundred versions. You do want a feel for what’s widely understood.

Air Travel Terms Stay Stable Across The Region

Airport Spanish is fairly consistent. You can rely on despegar and despegue almost everywhere, and the academic definition lines up with that use. RAE’s definition for “despegar” is a solid reference when you want the flight sense in plain terms.

Everyday Clothing Talk Stays Simple

Quitar(se) works across Latin America, and it covers far more than clothes. People use it for removing a ring, taking off headphones, or getting rid of an annoyance. If you want the official base meanings collected in one spot, RAE’s definition for “quitar” is useful for checking nuance.

In some places you’ll hear sacarse for clothing too, like me saqué la camiseta. It’s common, casual, and understood. If you want one choice that stays neutral, stick with quitarse for clothing and use sacar for objects coming out of a bag or box.

Starting A Project Has Several Good Options

If you’re in a meeting with mixed nationalities, empezar and arrancar are easy. For formal announcements, ponerse en marcha keeps the tone clean. For momentum after a slow start, despegar lands well in most places.

Situation	What To Say	What It Sounds Like
Boarding and takeoff timing	despegar / despegue	Travel-neutral
Take off shoes at home	quítate los zapatos	Everyday, polite
Take off a hoodie fast	me quito la sudadera	Casual
Take off a sticker from glass	quita la calcomanía	Direct
Start a car	arrancar el carro / encender el carro	Common across many countries
Kick off a meeting	arrancamos / empezamos	Friendly, work-ready
Launch a public program	se pone en marcha	Formal

Common Mix-Ups And How To Fix Them

These are the mistakes that pop up again and again when English speakers translate “take off” too literally.

Using “Tomar” For Everything

“Tomar” is a real verb, yet it rarely maps to “take off.” You might say tomar un vuelo (take a flight) or tomar un taxi (take a taxi). For “take off” as a verb action, “tomar” usually won’t land right.

Forgetting The Pronoun With Clothing

Me quito la chaqueta sounds right. Quito la chaqueta can sound like the jacket is on a chair. If you’re talking about yourself or another person removing their own clothes, add the pronoun.

Using “Decolar” As Your Default

You may run into “decolar” in some headlines. Many style references still steer writers toward “despegar” and “despegue” for general Spanish, which keeps your wording easy for most Latin American readers. Fundéu’s usage note on “decolar” explains that recommendation.

Using “Despegar” For Taking Off Clothes

Because “despegar” can mean “unstick,” learners sometimes try it for removing clothing. Spanish speakers won’t use it that way. Save “despegar” for aircraft, things stuck to a surface, or a plan gaining momentum.

A Fast Decision Flow You Can Memorize

If you want one mental checklist, use this:

1. If it flies: use despegar.
2. If it’s on your body: use quitarse.
3. If it’s on a surface: use quitar or sacar.
4. If it starts running: use arrancar or encender.
5. If it starts as a plan: use arrancar, empezar, or ponerse en marcha.
6. If it gains momentum: use despegar.

Say the subject out loud, then pick the verb. That tiny pause keeps you from forcing one translation onto every setting.

Practice Lines You Can Reuse In Conversation

Run these in your head a few times. Swap the nouns for your own life and you’ll build speed.

• ¿A qué hora despega el vuelo?
• Avísame cuando el avión despegue.
• Me quito los lentes y descanso.
• Quítate la chamarra, hace calor.
• Quita eso de la mesa, por fa.
• Saca el cargador de la mochila.
• La clase arranca a las siete.
• El plan se puso en marcha esta semana.
• Su negocio despegó después del primer año.

One last trick: if you’re unsure, empezar is a safe fallback for “start” in many settings. Use it for meetings and activities, then switch to the more precise verbs as you get comfortable.