dejarte
/dexaɾte/from spelling rules
The English phrase "drop you off" is translated into Spanish as dejarte.
This phrase is used when you are taking someone to a specific destination in a vehicle and allowing them to exit there.
What does it mean word for word?
The term is a combination of the verb dejar, which literally means "to leave" or "to let" and the object pronoun te, which means "you". In this context, the verb functions as "to leave [someone] at [a place]".
Which one should you use?
If you conjugate the verb (for example, to say "I drop you off"), the pronoun moves to the front of the verb, such as in te dejo.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the form dejarte, the object pronoun te (you) is attached to the end of the infinitive verb dejar. As noted above, if you use a conjugated form of the verb rather than the infinitive, the pronoun te moves to the position before the verb.
How do you pronounce it?
/dexaɾte/
Did you know?
- If you say te dejo to a partner in a romantic setting without being in a car, you might accidentally tell them you are breaking up with them. In this context, the phrase means 'I am leaving you' rather than 'I am dropping you off'.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, if you want to be more polite when offering a ride, you might say pasarte a dejar instead of just dejarte. The addition of pasar makes the action of dropping someone off sound more like a casual detour than a chore.
- The word dejar is also used to describe quitting a habit. For instance, a person trying to stop smoking would say voy a dejarlo, using the same root as the phrase for dropping someone off.
Examples in context
- Puedo dejarte en el aeropuerto esta noche.I can drop you off at the airport tonight.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of dejarte when mentioning a destination like the airport.Tatoeba #5692850 by arh, translation #923938 by cris
- Me gustaría llevarle hasta su destino. ¿Dónde necesita ir?I would like to take you to your destination. Where do you need to go?
- ¿Te llevo hasta donde necesitas ir?Shall I take you where you need to go?
- Te dejo en tu destino.I'll drop you off at your destination
- Puedo dejarte en la estación de tren.I can drop you off at the train station.
- Voy a dejarte en la puerta de tu casa.I am going to drop you off at your house door.
Example conversation
Mateo and Lucía are leaving a party together.
- MateoLucía, yo puedo dejarte en tu casa.Lucía, I can drop you off at your house.
- LucíaMuchas gracias, Mateo. Sería genial.Thank you very much, Mateo. That would be great.
- MateoPerfecto, vamos al coche ahora.Perfect, let's go to the car now.
- LucíaEstá bien, vamos.Okay, let's go.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
