Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| dejar de | /dexaɾ de/ (from spelling rules) |
| parar de | /paɾaɾ de/ (from spelling rules) |
Both dejar de and parar de are used to express the idea of not continuing an action. In a related sense, parada and paradero refer to a place to get on and off mass transport, while punto or punto final refer to a punctuation symbol.
Which one should you use?
While dejar de and parar de are often interchangeable, dejar de can carry a nuance of abandoning or quitting a habit or an action. If you want to refer to a physical halt in motion or a machine stopping, use parar alone without de.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To mean 'to stop doing something', both dejar de and parar de must be followed by an infinitive. For example, use dejar de + [infinitive].
How do you pronounce it?
/dexaɾ de/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use dejar without the de to mean stop doing something. dejar alone means 'to leave' or 'to let/allow'.
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, using parar can colloquially mean 'to hang out' or 'to spend time' in a specific place.
- The word parada describes a bus stop, but paradero is used when talking about the unknown whereabouts of a missing person.
- The Spanish word dejar shares a common ancestor with the English words 'lax', 'laxative' and 'lease'.
Examples in context
- Debes dejar de jugar.You need to stop playing.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of dejar de.Tatoeba #1205369 by cueyayotl, translation #1205344 by Eldad
- No pude parar de reír.I couldn't stop laughing.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of parar de.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
- Cuando tu perro esté ladrando demasiado, di "¡Para!" de forma firme pero cariñosa. Cuando se detenga, felicítalo y dale una recompensa.When your dog is barking too much, say '¡Para!' firmly but lovingly. When they stop, praise them and give them a reward.
- 152 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Daniel are talking about a bad habit.
- LucíaDaniel, tienes que dejar de comer tanta sal.Daniel, you have to stop eating so much salt.
- DanielLo sé, Lucía, pero es muy difícil.I know, Lucía, but it is very difficult.
- LucíaDebes dejar de ignorar tu salud.You must stop ignoring your health.
- DanielTienes razón, voy a intentarlo.You are right, I will try.
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.
