The Imperfect Tense of Dejar is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example: Dejaba la puerta abierta cuando salía. (I used to leave the door open when I went out.)

Dejar is a regular -ar verb, so its conjugations in the Imperfect Tense follow the standard pattern for that verb type.

Conjugations

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

The imperfect tense of dejar is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

To leave or let: For example, Dejaba la puerta abierta cuando salía (I used to leave the door open when I went out). This is one of the most common meanings, referring to the act of leaving something or someone behind.

To allow or permit: For example, Mis padres no me dejaban salir tarde (My parents didn’t let me go out late). It expresses giving permission or not allowing something to happen.

To stop or quit (doing something): For example, Dejaba de fumar cada vez que me enfermaba (I used to quit smoking whenever I got sick). It conveys the idea of ceasing an action, even if temporarily.

To leave behind or bequeath: For example, Mi abuela me dejaba su anillo de bodas (My grandmother used to leave me her wedding ring). It refers to leaving something as an inheritance or legacy.

To forget or leave behind (unintentionally): For example, Siempre dejaba las llaves en casa (I always used to forget the keys at home). It expresses accidentally forgetting or leaving something behind.

To abandon or desert: For example, Mi papá nos dejaba por meses (My dad used to abandon us for months). This meaning conveys the idea of abandoning someone or something, often in a negative sense.

To let something be or leave it alone (colloquial): For example, Déjalo así, no lo toques más (Leave it like that, don’t touch it anymore). It’s a common informal expression meaning to stop messing with something.

Examples

Examples of Dejar in the Imperfect Tense

Yo dejaba la puerta abierta para que entrara el aire fresco. (I used to leave the door open to let the fresh air in.)

Ella dejaba sus llaves en la mesa de la entrada. (She would leave her keys on the entrance table.)

Nosotros dejábamos las luces encendidas por si regresábamos tarde. (We would leave the lights on in case we came back late.)

¿Por qué dejabas siempre la tele prendida? (Why did you always leave the TV on?)

Mis amigos dejaban sus mochilas tiradas por toda la casa. (My friends would leave their backpacks lying around the house.)

Cuando era niño, dejaba la cama deshecha por flojera. (When I was a kid, I would leave the bed unmade out of laziness.)

Ella dejaba propina generosa porque valoraba el buen servicio. (She would leave a generous tip because she valued good service.)

¿Por qué dejabas las cosas para última hora? (Why did you leave things until the last minute?)

Siempre dejábamos un plato de comida para el perro callejero. (We would always leave a plate of food for the stray dog.)

Mamá dejaba las ventanas abiertas para ventilar la casa. (Mom would leave the windows open to air out the house.)

Mis hermanos dejaban sus juguetes regados por todo el patio. (My brothers would leave their toys scattered all over the yard.)

Cuando dejábamos la fiesta, nos despedíamos de todos. (When we would leave the party, we would say goodbye to everyone.)

Ella dejaba una luz encendida para que no estuviera tan oscuro. (She would leave a light on so it wouldn’t be so dark.)

¿Por qué dejabas la puerta del carro abierta? (Why did you leave the car door open?)

Mis abuelos dejaban las sobras de comida para el día siguiente. (My grandparents would leave the food leftovers for the next day.)

Conjugations with English Translations

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

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

Synonyms

The Imperfect tense is also known as the Past Imperfect, Descriptive Past, Past Progressive, or Imperfect Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Imperfecto, Copretérito, Imperfecto de Indicativo, or Pasado Descriptivo in Spanish.