Dejar is a deceptively useful verb meaning 'to leave', 'to let' and 'to lend'. You dejas your keys on the table, your parents te dejan go out (let you), and a friend te deja a pen (lends you one). It is a regular -ar verb, so the forms are easy, but the meaning shifts with structure. The single most useful pattern is dejar de + infinitive, meaning to stop doing something (dejé de fumar, I gave up smoking). Because it packs several everyday meanings into one easy verb, dejar gives you a lot of expressive range for very little effort.
Quick facts
Dejar (to leave / let) is a regular -ar verb.
Real sentences across different tenses — the kind of thing you'd actually say or write.
To leave something somewhere: dejé el libro en casa (I left the book at home).
Dejar + infinitive means to let: mis padres me dejan salir (my parents let me go out).
Dejar de + infinitive means to stop doing something: dejó de llover (it stopped raining).
In casual use it means to lend: ¿me dejas un boli? (can you lend me a pen?).
Fixed expressions worth knowing — they come up in listening, reading and writing tasks.
Idiomatic expressions
Dejar de + infinitive means to STOP doing something (dejé de fumar = I stopped smoking) — don't confuse it with dejar + infinitive (to let). Dejar also means 'to lend' in casual speech: ¿me dejas un boli? = can you lend me a pen?
dejar is a regular -ar verb — it follows the standard -ar pattern in every tense. That makes it a good one to drill: if you know dejar, you know the template for all regular -ar verbs.
Type conjugations from memory and get instant feedback. That's how you actually build the automatic recall the exam needs — not from reading tables.
Practice dejar now →Three questions, no account needed. Type the form, then press Enter or tap Check.
yo: dejo, tú: dejas, él: deja, nosotros: dejamos, vosotros: dejáis, ellos: dejan
The past participle is dejado (he dejado) and the gerund is dejando (estoy dejando).
Dejar is on the AQA, Edexcel and Eduqas GCSE Spanish vocabulary lists. Compare the exam boards.
Written by Daniel Holmes for GCSE & A-Level Spanish students.