deja de portarte mal
/dexa de poɾtaɾte mal/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "stop being bad" is translated as deja de portarte mal.
This phrase is a command used to tell someone, typically a child, to stop behaving poorly. While English can sometimes imply a person is being bad due to their character, the Spanish phrase focuses specifically on their current actions and behavior.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of deja de (stop), portarte (behaving yourself) and mal (badly).
Which one should you use?
The English phrase "stop being bad" can refer to a person's character, but the Spanish phrase specifically refers to their current behavior through the verb portarse. Additionally, you can use the positive alternative ¡Pórtate bien!, which means "Behave yourself!" or "Be good!"
How does it change in a sentence?
The word deja is the informal singular imperative, used when addressing one person. To make the command formal, deja is changed to deje, as seen in the form deje de portarse mal.
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the concept of 'being good' or 'bad' in a behavioral sense is tied to the verb portarse, which means 'to carry oneself'. This treats behavior as a physical posture or presence.
- While mal means 'bad', the word malvado is used for someone truly 'evil'. Using portarte mal only describes a temporary lapse in behavior, not a wicked nature.
- The word deja comes from dejar, which most commonly means 'to leave' or 'to let'. In this phrase, it is used in the sense of 'abandoning' a specific habit or action.
Examples in context
- Profesor(a), por favor, deje de ser malo(a).Teacher, please, stop being bad.
- Profe, deja de ser malo(a).Teacher, stop being bad.
- ¡Ey, deja de ser malo(a)!Hey, stop being bad!
- ¡Deja de portarte mal con tus hermanos!Stop being bad to your siblings!
- Mateo, deja de portarte mal en la mesa.Mateo, stop behaving badly at the table.
Example conversation
A mother is reprimanding her son for misbehaving during dinner.
- SofíaMateo, deja de portarte mal ahora mismo.Mateo, stop being bad right now.
- MateoNo estoy haciendo nada malo, mamá.I am not doing anything wrong, mom.
- SofíaEstás tirando la comida y eso es portarse mal.You are throwing the food and that is behaving badly.
- MateoEstá bien, lo siento.Okay, I am sorry.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
