restar
/resˈtaɾ/
To subtract in Spanish is restar. It is also spelled substraer. Wiktionary also lists sustraer.
Meaning: to remove or reduce (verb)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| restar | /resˈtaɾ/ | |
| sustraer | /sustɾaˈeɾ/ | |
| substraer | /substɾaˈeɾ/ | uncommon, alternative form |
The verb is used to mean removing or reducing something.
Which one should you use?
Use restar for mathematical subtraction, such as when subtracting numbers in an equation. The spelling substraer is an uncommon alternative spelling of sustraer.
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle of restar is restado, while the past participle of sustraer is sustraído. In the present indicative, you can use Yo resto (I subtract), Tú restas (you subtract), Él/Ella/Usted resta (he/she/you subtract), Nosotros/Nosotras restamos (we subtract) and Vosotros/Vosotras restáis (you subtract).
How do you pronounce it?
/resˈtaɾ/
Did you know?
- In legal or police contexts, sustraer is often used as a formal euphemism for stealing. A report might say a thief sustrajo an object rather than using the common word for steal, robar.
- The word restar comes from the Latin restāre, which originally meant 'to stand firm' or 'to remain'.
- The word sustraer is frequently used in the phrase sustraer la atención, meaning to distract someone, which is a metaphorical way of 'subtracting' their focus.
Examples in context
- Necesito restar estas cantidades para obtener el resultado correcto.I need to subtract these quantities to obtain the correct result.
- La profesora pide a los alumnos que resten los números correctamente.The teacher asks the students to subtract the numbers correctly.
- Si quitas tres manzanas de la cesta, ¿cuántas quedan?If you subtract three apples from the basket, how many are left?
- Tienes que quitarle 20 minutos de tiempo de estudio a tu horario.You have to subtract 20 minutes of study time from your schedule.
- Si a diez le restas tres, te quedan siete.If you subtract three from ten, you have seven left.
- No olvides restar los gastos del total.Don't forget to subtract the expenses from the total.
- Puedes restar diez de este número.You can subtract ten from this number.
- Tenemos que restar los descuentos del precio final.We have to subtract the discounts from the final price.
Example conversation
Elena and Alejandro are checking the budget for a trip.
- Elena¿Debemos restar el costo del hotel ahora?Should we subtract the hotel cost now?
- AlejandroSí, hay que restar ese monto para ser precisos.Yes, we have to subtract that amount to be precise.
- ElenaVale, ya lo resté de la cuenta.Okay, I already subtracted it from the account.
- AlejandroPerfecto, Elena, así el presupuesto está bien.Perfect, Elena, that way the budget is fine.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “subtract” translations and entries restar, sustraer, substraer, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries restar, sustraer, CC BY-SA 4.0.
