dejar
“dejar” means “to leave” in Spanish. It has 5 different meanings depending on context:
to leave
Also: to put down, to drop off
📝 In Action
Dejé mis llaves en la mesa de la cocina.
A1I left my keys on the kitchen table.
Por favor, deja los zapatos en la entrada.
A1Please, leave the shoes at the entrance.
Mi hermano me dejó en el aeropuerto.
A2My brother dropped me off at the airport.
to let
Also: to allow
📝 In Action
Mis padres no me dejan salir esta noche.
A2My parents won't let me go out tonight.
Déjame ver qué puedo hacer.
A2Let me see what I can do.
¿Puedes dejarme pasar, por favor?
B1Can you let me pass, please?
to stop
Also: to quit
📝 In Action
Voy a dejar de fumar el próximo mes.
B1I'm going to stop smoking next month.
¡Deja de quejarte todo el tiempo!
B1Stop complaining all the time!
Dejó de llover hace una hora.
B1It stopped raining an hour ago.
to make (feel)
Also: to leave (in a state)
📝 In Action
La noticia me dejó muy sorprendido.
B1The news left me very surprised.
El sol me dejó la piel roja.
B1The sun left my skin red / made my skin red.
Tu comentario me dejó sin palabras.
B2Your comment left me speechless.
to lend
Also: to loan
📝 In Action
Te dejo mi libro, pero devuélvemelo la próxima semana.
B1I'll lend you my book, but return it to me next week.
¿Me dejas tu paraguas? Está lloviendo mucho.
B1Can you lend me your umbrella? It's raining a lot.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
🔀 Commonly Confused With
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: dejar
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'dejar' to mean 'to stop'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin word 'laxāre', which meant 'to loosen, release, or let go'. You can see the connection in how 'dejar' means to 'let go' of an object on a table, 'let go' of a habit, or 'let' someone do something.
First recorded: 10th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'dejar' and 'salir'?
Think of it this way: 'Salir' is for when a person leaves a place ('Salgo de la casa' - I leave the house). 'Dejar' is for when you leave an object somewhere ('Dejo el libro en la mesa' - I leave the book on the table) or leave a person behind ('Dejo a mi amigo en la estación' - I leave my friend at the station).
How do I say 'to borrow'? Is it 'dejar'?
'Dejar' actually means 'to lend' (to give). The official way to say 'to borrow' is 'pedir prestado'. However, the most common and natural way to ask to borrow something is to ask someone to lend it to you: '¿Me dejas tu bolígrafo?' (Literally 'Do you lend me your pen?', but it means 'Can I borrow your pen?').
Do I always need 'de' after 'dejar'?
No, only when you mean 'to stop' doing something. For example, 'dejar de fumar' (to stop smoking). For other meanings, like 'to leave something' ('dejar las llaves') or 'to let someone' ('dejar pasar'), you don't use 'de'.