déjalo en paz
/dexalo en paθ/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'leave it alone' is translated into Spanish as déjalo en paz.
This phrase is used to tell someone to stop bothering or disturbing a person or an animal.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, déjalo en paz means 'leave it in peace'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase changes depending on the gender of the object and the person you are addressing. If you are referring to a female person or a feminine noun, you change the object pronoun from 'lo' to 'la' to get déjala en paz.
Did you know?
- The word paz comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *peh₂ǵ-, which originally meant 'to fasten' or 'to join'. This suggests that the ancient origin of 'peace' was about bringing things together rather than just the absence of noise.
- While déjalo en paz is common, Spanish speakers often use the word quieto to tell a pet or child to 'leave it alone' or 'stay put'. This shifts the focus from the peace of the victim to the stillness of the disturber.
- The Spanish word paz is a cognate of the English word 'peace', but it shares a deeper root with the word 'pact'. Both describe a formal agreement to stop fighting.
Examples in context
- Por favor, déjelo en paz.Please, leave it alone.
- Señor, no se meta en eso.Sir, don't interfere with that.
- No lo toque, por favor.Please, don't touch it.
- No te metas, amigo.Don't interfere, friend.
- No lo toques, ¿vale?Don't touch it, okay?
- Déjalo en paz, el gato está durmiendo.Leave it alone, the cat is sleeping.
- Él está muy cansado, déjalo en paz.He is very tired, leave him alone.
- No es necesario molestar, déjalo en paz.It's not necessary to bother, leave it alone.
Example conversation
Mateo is constantly teasing a small dog that is resting.
- MaríaMateo, el perro está descansando.Mateo, the dog is resting.
- MateoSolo quiero jugar un poco con él.I just want to play with him a little.
- MaríaNo, déjalo en paz ahora mismo.No, leave him alone right now.
- MateoEstá bien, lo dejaré tranquilo.Fine, I will leave him be.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries en, paz, CC BY-SA 4.0.
