dejar

Dejar is a versatile Spanish verb with a broad range of meanings. It commonly means to leave something or someone in a place, to abandon or forsake, to permit or allow, and to stop or quit doing something. It is a regular -ar verb and appears in many everyday expressions and constructions.

Common senses include: leaving a physical object somewhere, as in Dejé las llaves sobre la mesa; abandoning or letting go of someone, as in No quiero dejar a mis amigos esperando; allowing or permitting, as in Deja entrar a los invitados; and ceasing an action, as in Dejé de fumar. Other usages include dejar atrás (to leave behind), dejar a alguien con algo (to leave someone with something, such as responsibility), and dejarse + infinitivo (to let oneself do something, or to be carried away, as in Me dejo llevar). Fixed expressions include dejar en claro (to make it clear), dejar de ser (to stop being), and dejar plantado a alguien (to stand someone up). In reflexive form, dejarse can indicate allowing oneself to experience something, or adopting a stance, such as Dejarse llevar o Dejarse influir.

Grammatical notes: dejar is regular in its conjugation. The verb forms include present dejo, dejas, deja, dejamos, dejan; preterite dejé, dejaste, dejó, dejamos, dejaron; and past participle dejado. The phrase dejar de + infinitivo expresses cessation; dejar + object or + infinitivo conveys causation or permission in many contexts. The reflexive dejarse introduces nuances of self-permission or vulnerability.

See also: dejar en claro, dejar atrás, dejar plantado, dejarse llevar.