What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the verb dejar (to let/leave), the object pronoun lo (it) and the infinitive caer (to fall).
Which one should you use?
Other variations exist depending on what is being dropped. You might use Suelte eso to mean 'release that', Deje caer eso to mean 'drop that' or Deja eso to mean 'drop that'. If you are referring specifically to letting an object fall, you can also use Deja caerlo or Déjelo caer.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form déjalo caer is the informal singular imperative used when giving a command to a friend or peer. To change the object being dropped, you can adjust the pronoun: use déjala caer for a single feminine object or change the pronoun to los in déjalos caer to say 'drop them' for multiple masculine or mixed-gender objects.
Did you know?
- The verb caer is used to describe liking someone, as in caer bien, which literally translates to 'falling well' upon someone.
- The word caer is used in the expression caer en cuenta, which means to suddenly realize something or for the 'penny to drop'.
- The word caer shares an ancestral root with the English word 'decadence', which originally implied a 'falling away' from a state of grace or quality.
Examples in context
- No lo sostengas más, déjalo caer.Don't hold it anymore, let it fall.
- Déjalo caer desde arriba para probar.Drop it from above to test it.
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are testing a new heavy stone in the garden.
- Sofía¿Quieres que lo sostenga yo?Do you want me to hold it?
- JavierNo, simplemente déjalo caer al suelo.No, just let it fall to the ground.
- SofíaEstá bien, lo haré ahora.Okay, I will do it now.
- Javier¡Cuidado, no te golpees los pies!Careful, don't hit your feet!
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries caer, CC BY-SA 4.0.
