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How to Say "they leave" in Spanish

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dejan

DEH-hahndeˈxan

verbA1general
Use 'dejan' when referring to the act of abandoning or not taking something with them when they depart.
Two figures walking away, leaving a colorful red suitcase behind on the ground.

Examples

Ellos siempre dejan los platos sucios en la mesa.

They always leave the dirty dishes on the table.

Ustedes dejan la casa muy limpia después de la fiesta.

You all leave the house very clean after the party.

Mis vecinos dejan la música encendida cuando salen.

My neighbors leave the music on when they go out.

The 'ellos/ellas/ustedes' Form

This form 'dejan' is used for 'they' (ellos/ellas) or for the formal plural 'you' (ustedes). The ending -an is standard for regular -ar verbs in the present tense.

Mixing up 'dejar' and 'salir'

Mistake: “They say 'Dejan el restaurante' when they mean 'They leave the restaurant' (salir).”

Correction: Use 'dejar' when you leave *something* behind (Dejan su abrigo). Use 'salir' when you leave *a location* (Salen del restaurante).

salen

SAH-lehnˈsa.len

verbA1general
Use 'salen' when describing a physical departure or exit from a location.
Three small figures walking through an open doorway, exiting a building and stepping outside, illustrating physical departure.

Examples

Los empleados salen de la oficina a las cinco en punto.

The employees leave the office at five o'clock sharp.

¿A qué hora salen ustedes para la excursión?

What time are you all leaving for the excursion?

Ellas salen a bailar todos los sábados.

They go out dancing every Saturday.

The 'Go' Verb Pattern

The verb 'salir' is irregular only in the 'yo' form of the present tense ('salgo'). All other forms, including 'salen', follow the standard conjugation pattern for -ir verbs, making it easy to remember.

Always Use 'De' for Location

When talking about leaving a specific location, you must use the preposition 'de' (from): 'Salen de la casa' (They leave the house). You cannot just say 'Salen la casa'.

dejen

DEH-hen (like 'day-hen')ˈde.xen

verbA1general
Use 'dejen' when giving a command or making a suggestion in the subjunctive mood, telling others to leave something or depart.
A person's silhouette is seen walking away from a brightly lit doorway, symbolizing departure or leaving.

Examples

Dejen sus abrigos en el guardarropa, por favor.

Leave your coats in the cloakroom, please.

Espero que ellos dejen un mensaje antes de irse.

I hope they leave a message before leaving.

¡Dejen de gritar ahora mismo!

Stop shouting right now!

Formal Plural Command

"Dejen" is the formal way to give a command to a group of people (ustedes). It translates to 'You all leave' or 'You all place'.

Subjunctive Use

When used after verbs of desire, doubt, or emotion (like 'querer' or 'esperar'), 'dejen' means 'that they leave/place'.

Confusing Commands

Mistake: “Using 'dejan' (present indicative) for a formal command.”

Correction: Always use 'dejen' for the formal plural command (Ustedes), which comes from the special verb form (subjunctive).

Distinguishing between leaving behind and departing

The most frequent error learners make is confusing 'dejan' (leaving something behind) with 'salen' (physically departing). Remember that 'dejan' implies abandonment of an object, while 'salen' focuses on the act of exiting a place.

Related Translations

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