How to Say "they left" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “they left” is “dejaron” — use 'dejaron' when 'they left' means they abandoned or placed an object somewhere, or when they departed from a place in a more general sense..
dejaron
/de-HA-ron//deˈxa.ɾon/
Examples
Ellos dejaron los abrigos en el coche.
They left the coats in the car.
Mis tíos nos dejaron en la estación a las ocho.
My aunt and uncle dropped us off at the station at eight.
The Preterite Tense
'Dejaron' is the simple past tense, used when the action of leaving or forgetting was completed and finished at a specific point in the past.
salieron
/sah-lee-EH-rohn//saˈljeɾon/
Examples
Los bomberos salieron de la estación rápidamente.
The firefighters left the station quickly.
Ustedes salieron del cine antes de que terminara la película.
You all left the movie theater before the film ended.
Las tortugas marinas salieron del cascarón al mismo tiempo.
The sea turtles came out of the shell at the same time.
The Simple Past Tense (Preterite)
This form ('salieron') tells you that the action of leaving was completed at a specific point in the past. It's a finished event, like 'The guests left at midnight.'
Preposition Use
When talking about leaving a place, always use 'de' (of/from) right after 'salir': 'Salieron de la reunión' (They left from the meeting).
Leaving an object behind
Mistake: “Salieron su equipaje en el aeropuerto. (Incorrect use of salir)”
Correction: Dejaron su equipaje en el aeropuerto. (Use 'dejar' for leaving things behind, use 'salir' for leaving a place.)
Leaving a Place vs. Leaving an Object
Related Translations
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