dejar de
/dexaɾ de/from spelling rules
The English phrase stop is translated into Spanish as dejar de or parar de.
Meaning: not to continue (verb)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| dejar de | /dexaɾ de/ (from spelling rules) |
| parar de | /paɾaɾ de/ (from spelling rules) |
The verb forms are used to express the idea of not continuing an action. Related to these verbs are the nouns parada and paradero, which refer to a place to get on and off mass transport and the nouns punto and punto final, which refer to a punctuation symbol.
Which one should you use?
While both mean to stop, dejar de often implies a permanent or long-term cessation of a habit or action. In contrast, parar de can imply a temporary interruption.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When expressing the cessation of an action, both dejar de and parar de must be followed by an infinitive.
How do you pronounce it?
/dexaɾ de/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using dejar alone to mean 'to stop an action'. In Spanish, dejar without de means 'to leave' or 'to let/allow'.
Did you know?
- The verb dejar is a distant relative of the English words 'lax' and 'laxative'. All three stem from the Latin word laxāre, which meant to loosen or relax.
- While parar means 'to stop', it is also used in Spanish to describe the act of preparing or arranging something, reflecting its Latin root parō.
- While parada refers to a bus stop, the word paradero often refers to the 'whereabouts' of a missing person or object.
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
- Por favor, deténgase un momento y escúchemePlease, stop for a moment and listen to me.
- Deténgase en la próxima señal de tráficoStop at the next traffic signal.
- No siga fumando aquí, es una zona libre de humoPlease, don't continue smoking here, it's a smoke-free zone.
- No siga interrumpiéndome mientras habloStop interrupting me while I'm talking.
- Para de hacer ruido, por favorStop making noise, please.
- Para de decir tonterías y escúchameStop saying silly things and listen to me.
- Deja de fumar, es malo para la saludStop smoking, it's bad for your health.
- Deja de procrastinar y empieza a trabajarStop procrastinating and start working.
- 152 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Alejandro are talking about their lifestyle habits.
- ElenaAlejandro, tienes que dejar de comer tanta comida rápida.Alejandro, you have to stop eating so much fast food.
- AlejandroLo sé, Elena, pero es muy difícil.I know, Elena, but it is very difficult.
- ElenaSi quieres, podemos dejar de pedir comida a domicilio.If you want, we can stop ordering food for delivery.
- AlejandroEs una buena idea, lo intentaré.It is a good idea, 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.
