Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| dejar de | /dexaɾ de/ (from spelling rules) |
| parar de | /paɾaɾ de/ (from spelling rules) |
These phrases are used when you want to express that an action or habit is no longer being performed. Related nouns include parada or paradero, which refer to a place to get on and off mass transport and punto or punto final, which refer to a punctuation symbol.
What does it mean word for word?
The verb dejar literally means 'to leave' or 'to let', so the construction dejar de carries the sense of 'leaving off' an action.
Which one should you use?
Dejar de often implies a permanent cessation or the act of abandoning a habit. In contrast, parar de often implies a temporary interruption of an ongoing action. Do not confuse these with the verb parar used alone. Use parar without de to mean a physical stop or a machine stopping, rather than stopping an activity.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To express 'stop doing something', both dejar de and parar de are followed by an infinitive (dejar de + [infinitive] / parar de + [infinitive]).
How do you pronounce it?
/dexaɾ de/
Did you know?
- The Spanish verb dejar is an unexpected relative of the English words 'lax' and 'laxative'.
- While parada means a bus stop, the word paradero can refer to the unknown location or 'whereabouts' of a missing person.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, a driver might use parar to tell a taxi driver to pull over, but using dejar usually specifies where they want to be dropped off.
Examples in context
- Debes dejar de jugar.You need to stop playing.Tatoeba #1205369 by cueyayotl, translation #1205344 by Eldad
- No pude parar de reír.I couldn't stop laughing.Tatoeba #1562175 by marcelostockle, translation #461180 by jeanne
- ¿Vas a parar de hablar?Will you stop talking?Tatoeba #972488 by hayastan, translation #326571 by CK
- Para de hacer eso, por favor.Stop doing that, please.
- 152 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Lucía are discussing their busy work schedules.
- MateoLucía, ¿vas a dejar de trabajar pronto?Lucía, are you going to stop working soon?
- LucíaNo, Mateo, tengo mucho que hacer.No, Mateo, I have a lot to do.
- MateoDeberías dejar de estresarte tanto.You should stop stressing so much.
- LucíaLo intentaré, pero es difícil.I will try, but it is difficult.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “stop” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, dejar, parar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
