Why Dejar Is One of Spanish's Most Productive Verbs
Dejar covers a surprising range of meanings: to leave behind, to let, to allow, to lend, to stop, to quit. English needs a different verb for each of these; Spanish packs them into one. The chunk patterns below show you how each meaning works in real conversation.
Pattern 1: Dejar de + infinitive — "To stop doing" / "To quit"
The most important dejar chunk. It expresses stopping an action or giving up a habit — and it's the natural way to say quit or stop in everyday Spanish.
- Dejé de fumar hace dos años. — I quit smoking two years ago.
- No dejes de llamarme. — Don't stop calling me / Keep in touch.
- ¿Puedes dejar de hacer ruido? — Can you stop making noise?
Chunk to learn:
Dejar de + [infinitive] — to stop / quit doing something
Pattern 2: Dejar + infinitive — "To let / allow"
Use dejar with an infinitive to express permission — letting someone do something. Often paired with an indirect object pronoun marking who is being allowed.
- Mis padres no me dejan salir los fines de semana. — My parents don't let me go out on weekends.
- Déjame ayudarte. — Let me help you.
- ¿Me dejas pasar? — Can you let me through?
Chunk to learn:
Dejar + [infinitive] / Déjame + [infinitive] — to let / allow
Pattern 3: Déjame en paz — "Leave me alone"
A fixed chunk for asking not to be bothered. Tone ranges from tired and light-hearted to genuinely annoyed, depending on delivery. The companion dejar en paz works in any person.
- Déjame en paz, estoy ocupado. — Leave me alone, I'm busy.
- Deja en paz a tu hermano. — Leave your brother alone.
- Por favor, déjenos en paz. — Please leave us alone.
Chunk to learn:
Dejar en paz (a + [person]) — to leave alone
Pattern 4: Dejar + object — "To lend" / "To leave behind"
Dejar also means to lend something to someone or to leave something somewhere. Context makes it clear which — and the lending sense is one learners often miss because they reach for prestar instead.
- ¿Me dejas tu cargador? — Can I borrow your charger?
- Dejé las llaves en la mesa. — I left the keys on the table.
- Te dejo mi coche hasta el lunes. — I'll lend you my car until Monday.
Chunk to learn:
¿Me dejas + [noun]? — can I borrow / will you lend me
Pattern 5: Dejar caer / Dejar claro — Fixed combinations
Two very common dejar collocations worth learning as units: dejar caer (to drop, or to hint at something casually) and dejar claro (to make something clear).
- Dejé caer el vaso sin querer. — I dropped the glass by accident.
- Dejó caer que se iba a mudar. — He dropped a hint that he was moving.
- Quiero dejar claro que no es culpa mía. — I want to make it clear it's not my fault.
Chunk to learn:
Dejar caer / Dejar claro (que + [clause]) — to drop / make clear
Pattern 6: Dejarse + infinitive — "To let oneself be"
The reflexive dejarse expresses letting yourself be influenced, persuaded, or affected — often with a sense of passivity or surrender. Common in advice, complaints, and descriptions of character.
- No te dejes engañar. — Don't let yourself be fooled.
- Se deja llevar por lo que dicen los demás. — He lets himself be swayed by what others say.
- Déjate querer. — Let yourself be loved / Let people care for you.
Chunk to learn:
Dejarse + [infinitive] — to let oneself be / allow oneself to
Stopping, Allowing, Lending, Leaving
Dejar is a good example of how a single Spanish verb can cover ground that English splits across four or five. Learn the chunks and you stop translating word by word.
Start with dejar de + infinitive and ¿me dejas…? — one for stopping, one for asking to borrow, and both immediately useful.
This post is part of the Spanish Chunk Series — a growing collection of chunk patterns for natural Spanish.