The Present Tense of Dejar is used to express actions or states that are happening right now or that occur habitually. For example, Dejo la puerta abierta. (I leave the door open.)

Dejar is a regular -ar verb, which means its conjugations in the present tense follow the typical pattern for this verb type.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Dejar (to leave) in the Present Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

Dejar generally means to leave, let or allow, but has several different meanings in the Present Tense, some of which might surprise you.

To leave or abandon: for example, Dejo mi casa a las 8 am. (I leave my house at 8 am.)

To let or allow: for example, No me dejan salir. (They don’t let me go out.)

To stop doing something: for example, Dejo de fumar. (I quit smoking.)

To leave something somewhere: for example, Dejo mis llaves en la mesa. (I leave my keys on the table.)

To break up (with someone): for example, Lo dejo por otro. (I’m leaving him for someone else.) Slang usage.

To forget or leave behind: for example, Dejé mi celular en el carro. (I left my phone in the car.)

To bequeath or leave as an inheritance: for example, Me deja su fortuna cuando muere. (He leaves me his fortune when he dies.)

Examples

Examples of Dejar in the Present Tense

Siempre dejo las llaves en el mismo lugar para no perderlas. (I always leave the keys in the same place so I don’t lose them.)

Mis amigos dejan sus mochilas en la entrada cuando vienen a mi casa. (My friends leave their backpacks at the entrance when they come to my house.)

¿Por qué dejas la puerta abierta? Vas a dejar entrar moscas. (Why do you leave the door open? You’re going to let flies in.)

En la oficina, dejamos los informes en el escritorio del jefe. (At the office, we leave the reports on the boss’s desk.)

Mamá deja la cena lista antes de irse a trabajar. (Mom leaves dinner ready before going to work.)

Cuando voy de viaje, dejo las plantas al cuidado de mi vecina. (When I travel, I leave the plants in the care of my neighbor.)

Los niños dejan sus juguetes regados por toda la casa. (The kids leave their toys scattered all over the house.)

En la fiesta, algunos invitados dejan sus abrigos en el armario. (At the party, some guests leave their coats in the closet.)

Antes de salir, dejo la casa limpia y ordenada. (Before leaving, I leave the house clean and tidy.)

Mis compañeros de trabajo dejan sus computadoras encendidas durante el almuerzo. (My coworkers leave their computers on during lunch.)

Cuando dejas la ropa sucia en el piso, se acumula un olor desagradable. (When you leave dirty clothes on the floor, an unpleasant smell accumulates.)

En el restaurante, algunos clientes dejan propinas generosas. (At the restaurant, some customers leave generous tips.)

Los estudiantes dejan sus mochilas en los casilleros durante las clases. (Students leave their backpacks in the lockers during classes.)

Cuando voy de camping, dejo la tienda de campaña armada por la noche. (When I go camping, I leave the tent set up at night.)

En el parque, algunas personas dejan basura en el suelo, lo cual es una falta de respeto. (At the park, some people leave trash on the ground, which is disrespectful.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Dejar (to leave) in the Present Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Present tense is also known as the Simple Present, Present Simple, Present Tense, or Present Indicative in English, and as Presente de Indicativo, Presente Simple, Tiempo Presente, or Indicativo Presente in Spanish.