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 activity. Related nouns include parada or paradero for a place to get on and off mass transport, and punto or punto final for a punctuation symbol.
Which one should you use?
While dejar de and parar de are often interchangeable, dejar de focuses more on the cessation of a habit or a continuous action, whereas parar de can imply a physical interruption of movement or a temporary halt.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To express stopping an action, use the structure dejar de + [infinitive]. If you want to say 'to stop' in the sense of a vehicle or a person coming to a standstill without an action following it, use the intransitive verb parar instead of dejar de.
How do you pronounce it?
/dexaɾ de/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use dejar alone to mean 'stop doing something'. The word dejar without the preposition 'de' means 'to leave' or 'to let/allow'.
Did you know?
- The English word 'lease' is an unexpected relative of the Spanish verb dejar.
- The word paradero comes from parar but specifically refers to the whereabouts or the last known location of a missing person.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, saying ¡Para! can be used as a sharp command to stop someone from talking, similar to 'hold it' in English.
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 antes de cruzar la calle.Please stop before crossing the street.
- Le ruego que pare de inmediato.I ask that you stop immediately.
- ¡Para, no sigas corriendo!Stop, don't keep running!
- Deja de molestar a tu hermana.Stop bothering your sister.
- ¡Basta de mentiras!Enough with the lies!
- 152 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Elena are in the kitchen during a cooking lesson.
- AlejandroElena, tienes que dejar de echar sal.Elena, you have to stop adding salt.
- ElenaLo siento, Alejandro, no sabía que era mucho.I'm sorry, Alejandro, I didn't know it was a lot.
- AlejandroEs mejor dejar de cocinar por ahora.It is better to stop cooking for now.
- ElenaTienes razón, vamos a descansar.You are right, let's rest.
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.
