deixar

Deixar is a Portuguese verb with several related meanings centered on the idea of permitting or relinquishing, as well as moving away or ceasing an action. It is a regular -ar verb and is used in both Brazilian and European Portuguese. In the present indicative its forms are deixo, deixas, deixa, deixamos, deixam.

The core senses include: to leave a person or thing somewhere (Ele deixou o livro na mesa); to abandon or relinquish possession or responsibility (Ela deixou os filhos com os avós); and to permit or allow someone to do something (O gerente deixou os estudantes discutirem em grupos). It can also mean to entrust or place something with someone (Deixei a chave com o vizinho).

A frequent construction is deixar de + infinitive, which expresses cessation or stopping an activity (Eu deixei de fumar; Ela deixou de ver televisão toda noite). Note that deixar de pode also introduce negation with não, as in não deixar de fazer algo, which reinforces that an action will continue or occur without fail (Não deixarei de ir ao evento).

Common expressions and collocations include deixar claro (to make clear), deixar em paz (to leave in peace), deixar para trás (to leave behind), deixar a desejar (to leave something to be desired, i.e., be disappointing), deixar recado (to leave a message), and deixar alguém esperando (to keep someone waiting). Reflexive uses such as deixar-se enganar or deixar-se levar describe allowing oneself to be deceived or carried away.

Usage notes: deixar is versatile and often requires direct or indirect object pronouns. In regional varieties, nuances may differ, but the core concepts of leaving, permitting, and stopping remain central across dialects.