Spanish grammar · Intermediate
Dejar De + Infinitive: How to Say Stop Doing in Spanish
Periphrastic construction meaning to stop doing or quit doing. Conjugate dejar in any tense, add de, and follow with an infinitive. Common for breaking habits and ending actions.
Dejé de fumar el año pasado.
I stopped smoking last year.
What it is
Dejar de + infinitive is Spanish's standard way to express stopping or quitting an action. Conjugate dejar (dejo, dejas, deja, dejamos, dejáis, dejan) in any tense, follow with de, then any infinitive. Used for breaking habits (dejar de fumar = stop smoking) and ending ongoing actions (dejé de trabajar = I stopped working).
In Dejé de fumar el año pasado (I stopped smoking last year), dejé is the preterite yo form of dejar, de is the connector, and fumar is the infinitive. The construction conveys completed cessation.
How to spot it
Look for dejar + de + infinitive. The de is the giveaway. The infinitive at the end (fumar, trabajar, comer, etc.) names the action being stopped.
- Deja de hablar. — Stop talking.
- Dejó de llover. — It stopped raining.
- No dejes de llamarme. — Don't stop calling me.
No dejar de + infinitive (used in commands or negative wishes) means don't fail to + verb or be sure to + verb: no dejes de visitarme (be sure to visit me).
Dejar de + Infinitive Quick Reference
Dejar de across tenses
| Tense | yo form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Present | dejo de + inf. | I'm stopping... |
| Preterite | dejé de + inf. | I stopped... |
| Imperfect | dejaba de + inf. | I was stopping... |
| Future | dejaré de + inf. | I'll stop... |
| Conditional | dejaría de + inf. | I would stop... |
| Subjunctive | deje de + inf. | (that) I stop... |
| Negative command (tú) | no dejes de + inf. | be sure to... |
Common Dejar de + Infinitive Examples in Spanish
Dejar de covers stopping habits, ending actions, and breaking patterns. It's one of the most commonly used periphrastic constructions in Spanish.
Breaking Habits
- Dejé de fumar.
- I stopped smoking.
- Quiere dejar de beber.
- He wants to quit drinking.
- Dejaron de comer carne.
- They stopped eating meat.
- Tengo que dejar de comer azúcar.
- I need to stop eating sugar.
- Ha dejado de fumar después de 20 años.
- He's quit smoking after 20 years.
Stopping addictive or repeated behaviors is the most common context. Dejar de fumar, dejar de beber, dejar de comer + food.
Ending Actions
- Deja de molestarme.
- Stop bothering me.
- Dejó de llover.
- It stopped raining.
- No deja de hablar.
- He doesn't stop talking.
- Dejamos de trabajar a las cinco.
- We stop working at five.
- Dejé de leer ese libro.
- I stopped reading that book.
Ongoing actions ending (rain stopping, work stopping, reading stopping) all take dejar de.
Negative: No Deja De (Doesn't Stop)
- No deja de pensar en ella.
- He doesn't stop thinking about her.
- El bebé no deja de llorar.
- The baby doesn't stop crying.
- No dejaban de hablar.
- They wouldn't stop talking.
- El reloj no deja de funcionar.
- The clock doesn't stop working.
- No dejo de sorprenderme.
- I keep being surprised.
No deja de + infinitive = doesn't stop + gerund. Often used to express persistence or annoyance.
No Dejes De (Don't Fail To / Be Sure To)
- No dejes de visitarme.
- Be sure to visit me.
- No dejes de llamar.
- Don't forget to call.
- No dejen de probar la paella.
- Don't fail to try the paella.
- No dejes de avisarme.
- Be sure to let me know.
- No dejes de cuidarte.
- Don't forget to take care of yourself.
Negative commands no dejes de / no dejen de + infinitive flip the meaning: be sure to / don't forget to.
How Dejar De Works
Structure: Dejar + De + Infinitive
Conjugate dejar in any tense and person, add de (always the same), then an infinitive. The de is essential and never changes form.
Dejo / dejé / dejaba / dejaré + de + fumar.
Tense changes only on dejar.
Dejar + de + infinitive.
Distinguish from Dejar (Let / Leave)
Dejar alone (without de) has different meanings: to let / allow (Déjame en paz = leave me alone) or to leave behind (Dejé las llaves = I left the keys). Dejar de specifically means to stop doing.
Dejé el libro (I left the book). Dejé de leer (I stopped reading).
De changes the meaning.
De is essential for the stop meaning.
No Dejar De: Two Different Meanings
No deja de + infinitive (indicative) = doesn't stop doing (continues persistently). No dejes / dejen de + infinitive (command) = don't fail to do, be sure to do. Context determines meaning.
No deja de hablar (he won't stop talking). No dejes de llamarme (be sure to call me).
Indicative vs. command flips meaning.
No dejes (command) = be sure to.
Pair with Empezar A / Volver A
Periphrastic constructions for related actions: empezar a + infinitive (start doing), volver a + infinitive (do again), terminar de + infinitive (finish doing). Dejar de fits naturally into this family.
Empecé a fumar a los 18. Dejé de fumar a los 30.
Family of action-stage periphrastics.
Empezar/dejar/volver/terminar all take prepositions.
Common Mistakes with Dejar de + Infinitive
Incorrect: Dejé fumar. — I stopped smoking. (wrong, missing de)
Correct: Dejé de fumar. — I stopped smoking.
The construction requires de between dejar and the infinitive. Without de, the sentence doesn't mean stopped; it could be misread.
Incorrect: Dejé de fumando. — I stopped smoking. (wrong, gerund instead of infinitive)
Correct: Dejé de fumar. — I stopped smoking.
After dejar de, the verb must be in the infinitive (fumar), not the gerund (fumando). Spanish uses infinitives where English uses -ing in these periphrastic constructions.
Incorrect: No deja de a llamar. — He doesn't stop calling. (wrong, extra a)
Correct: No deja de llamar. — He doesn't stop calling.
Dejar de is the fixed construction; don't add a. Only certain other periphrastic constructions take a (empezar a, volver a).
Dejar de + Infinitive FAQs
- How do I say stop doing something in Spanish?
- Dejar de + infinitive. Conjugate dejar in any tense, add de, then the infinitive. Dejé de fumar (I stopped smoking). Deja de hablar (Stop talking).
- Why is there a de between dejar and the infinitive?
- Dejar de is a fixed periphrastic construction. The de is mandatory and connects dejar to the infinitive. Without it, the sentence loses the stop doing meaning. Dejé el libro = I left the book. Dejé de leer = I stopped reading.
- What's the difference between dejar de and parar de?
- Both mean to stop doing, with dejar de being more common in most contexts. Parar de is used more for sudden or physical stopping (paró de hablar de repente = he suddenly stopped talking). For habits or ongoing actions, dejar de is preferred.
- What does no dejes de + infinitive mean?
- Don't fail to / be sure to + verb. No dejes de visitarme = be sure to visit me. The negative command flips the meaning from stopping to ensuring continuation or completion.
- How can I learn dejar de naturally?
- Dejar de appears constantly in conversations about quitting habits, ending actions, and ongoing behaviors. Parrot's short-form videos surface dejé de fumar / deja de molestar / no deja de llorar in real contexts, so the construction becomes automatic.