dejar plantado a alguien
/dexaɾ plantado a alɡjen/from spelling rules
The phrase 'ditch someone' in Spanish is translated as dejar plantado a alguien.
This phrase is used when you fail to meet someone at a planned time or place without telling them.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase dejar plantado literally translates to 'to leave (someone) planted'.
Which one should you use?
While dejar plantado a alguien is the standard way to express this, you can also use the noun-based phrase dar plantón a alguien as a common alternative. Other informal variations include dejar botado a alguien, dejar tirado a alguien and plantar a alguien, which all convey the sense of leaving someone stranded or failing to fulfill a social commitment.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because the person being ditched is a specific human object, you must place the preposition a before them. Additionally, the adjective plantado must agree in gender with the person being ditched: use dejar plantada a alguien if the person being ditched is female.
How do you pronounce it?
/dexaɾ plantado a alɡjen/
Did you know?
- The verb dejar comes from the Latin 'laxare', which is the same root found in the English word 'laxative'.
- The phrase dar plantón turns the act of ditching into a noun, meaning literally 'to give a plant'.
- In some regions, the phrase dejar botado is used, which evokes the image of throwing something away like trash.
Examples in context
- No puedo creer que me hayas dejado botado en el concierto.I can't believe you ditched me at the concert.
- Siempre planta a sus amigos en el último momento.He/she always ditches his/her friends at the last minute.
- Me dejó tirado en el aeropuerto sin explicación alguna.He/she left me hanging at the airport without any explanation.
- Me dejó plantado en la estación.He ditched me at the station.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, alguien, dejar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
