deja de cantar
/dexa de kantaɾ/from spelling rules
To say 'stop singing' in Spanish, you use deja de cantar.
This phrase is a request or command for someone to cease the act of singing.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase deja de cantar is composed of the verb dejar (to leave/let/stop) followed by the preposition de and the infinitive cantar (to sing).
How does it change in a sentence?
The construction dejar de must always be followed by an infinitive to express ceasing an action. The form deja de cantar uses the informal imperative (tú) and is used when speaking to friends, family or children. To use the formal imperative (usted), change deja to deje. To tell a group of people to stop singing, use the plural form dejen de cantar. Alternatively, you can use the informal form Para de cantar, which uses the verb parar.
Did you know?
- The verb cantar is also used in criminal slang across several Spanish-speaking countries to mean 'to snitch' or confess information to the police.
- In Spanish, the verb cantar is often used in the slang expression cantar las cuarenta, which means to give someone a piece of one's mind or tell them the blunt truth.
- The English word 'chant' is a distant linguistic relative of cantar, as both words trace back to the same Latin root, 'cantāre'.
Examples in context
- Deja de cantar, por favor.Please stop singing.This sentence is useful for politely asking someone to stop singing using deja de cantar.Tatoeba #2261107 by marcelostockle, translation #1883026 by Spamster
- Deja de cantar esa canción, por favor.Please stop singing that song.This sentence is useful for asking someone to stop singing a specific song using deja de cantar.Tatoeba #2261106 by marcelostockle, translation #1883027 by Spamster
- Deja de cantar.Stop singing.This sentence is useful for a direct command to stop singing using deja de cantar.Tatoeba #4764895 by DarkHollow, translation #3820808 by CK
- Disculpe, ¿podría usted dejar de cantar, por favor?Excuse me, could you please stop singing?
- Le ruego que cese de cantar, está perturbando a los demás.I kindly ask you to stop singing as it's disturbing the others.
- ¡Oye, deja de cantar! Me estás sacando de quicio.Hey, stop singing! It's getting on my nerves.
- ¡En serio, ya basta con cantar!Seriously, enough with the singing already!
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Javier are in a quiet library.
- LucíaJavier, por favor, deja de cantar.Javier, please, stop singing.
- JavierLo siento, Lucía, no me di cuenta.I'm sorry, Lucía, I didn't realize.
- LucíaEs que estamos en la biblioteca.It's just that we are in the library.
- JavierTienes razón, guardaré silencio.You're right, I will be quiet.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cantar, de, deja, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
