Which one should you use?
While déjalo means 'leave it/stop it' (often used for an ongoing behavior), para is a more direct command to cease a physical movement or action immediately. Additionally, if you are addressing a group of people rather than an individual, you should use the plural form déjenlo.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For more polite or formal situations, you can use deje de hacerlo to say "stop doing it" or use the phrase Por favor, deje de hacer eso to request that someone stop. If you need to be very formal or polite, you might say Deténgase (please stop), Podría detenerse, por favor (could you please stop?) or Le ruego que pare (I beg you to stop). In informal settings, you might also use Basta ya to mean "enough already" or "stop it already."
How does it change in a sentence?
To tell a group of people to stop it, use the plural form déjenlo.
How do you pronounce it?
/dexalo/
Did you know?
- Depending on the region, using déjalo when someone is teasing you can be perceived as a playful invitation to continue rather than a genuine request to stop.
- The phrase basta ya is frequently used in political protests across the Spanish-speaking world as a slogan for systemic change, not just to stop a person's behavior.
- The verb dejar used in déjalo also means 'to allow', creating a linguistic irony where the word for 'let it happen' is used to tell someone to 'stop it'.
Examples in context
- Déjalo. Estás haciendo el ridículo.Stop it. You're being ridiculous.This example shows how to use déjalo when someone is behaving ridiculously.Tatoeba #2003669 by wallebot, translation #30204 by CM
- ¡Basta ya de bromas!Enough with the jokes!
- Por favor, pare de inmediato con ese comportamiento inapropiado.Please, stop immediately with that inappropriate behavior.
- Ya déjalo, me molesta mucho.Just stop it, it bothers me a lot.
- Déjalo ya, no es divertido.Stop it already, it's not fun.
Example conversation
Javier is teasing María while she tries to read.
- MaríaJavier, déjalo. Estoy intentando leer.Javier, stop it. I am trying to read.
- JavierSolo estoy bromeando contigo.I'm just joking with you.
- MaríaNo tiene gracia, así que para.It's not funny, so stop.
- JavierEstá bien, lo siento.Alright, I'm sorry.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
