Introduction

Deixar means “to leave”, and this page covers exactly one thing: deixar in the present tense. The present is the tense Portuguese speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly, what is true in general, and what is happening right now. On this page you will find the full present table for deixar, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the pretérito perfeito, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about deixar in the present. It means to leave something behind, and it is completely regular: deixo, deixas, deixa, deixamos, deixais, deixam. Its pretérito perfeito is deixei, deixaste, deixou, and its participle is deixado. Do not confuse it with partir, which means to depart, or with sair, which means to go out. For example: “Ele deixa o livro na mesa todos os dias.” — “He leaves the book on the table.” Everything on this page uses the forms of deixar exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Deixar in the Present — full table

Person Form
eu deixo
tu deixas
ele/ela deixa
nós deixamos
vós deixais
eles/elas deixam
Gerund: deixando · Past participle: deixado
The gerund is deixando, which you use with estar to say what is happening at the same time as the main action: “Deixando o livro na mesa, aprendo muito.” — “While leaving the book on the table, I learn a lot.” The past participle is deixado, which you use with ter in the perfect tenses: tenho deixado is the pretérito perfeito composto, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the present is only one part of how deixar is used.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for deixar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

How the present of deixar is formed

The present tense of deixar has six forms: eu deixo, tu deixas, ele deixa, nós deixamos, vós deixais, eles deixam. Say them in order — eu, tu, ele, nós, vós, eles — and notice which forms share a stem and which do not. deixar is regular: every form follows the standard -ar endings — -o, -as, -a, -amos, -ais, -am for -ar verbs; -o, -es, -e, -emos, -eis, -em for -er verbs; and -o, -es, -e, -imos, -is, -em for -ir verbs — so once you know the pattern you can build every tense from the stem. There are no surprises in any tense — the tables below are exactly what the endings predict. The present is the tense you will use most, so learn these six forms before you learn any other tense of this verb.

Two things about the present of deixar are worth noticing. First, the nós and vós forms are the anchor of the verb: the imperfect is built from the same stem, and the present subjunctive takes its nós and vós forms from the same stem, so learning deixamos and deixais pays off in three tenses at once. Second, the present is the tense Portuguese uses where English would often use the continuous form, so deixo can mean both “I leave” and “I am leaving” — context tells the listener which one you mean.

Because deixar is regular in the present, the six forms follow the standard -ar endings exactly. Once you know the pattern for one regular -ar verb, you know it for all of them — only the stem changes. That is why the present of a regular verb is the cheapest tense to learn in the whole language.

When to use the present of deixar

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use deixar in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.

1. Habits and routines

The present tense is the tense of routine. When something happens every day, every week or every morning, the present is the natural choice, and deixar is no exception. Use time expressions such as todos os dias, sempre or todas as semanas to make the routine explicit. Example: “Eu deixo o livro na mesa todos os dias.” — “I leave the book on the table.”

2. General truths

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about deixar does not need a time expression, because it is true whenever you say it. Example: “Ele deixa o livro na mesa todos os dias.” — “He leaves the book on the table.”

3. What is happening right now

The present also describes an action in progress at this very moment. Portuguese often prefers the simple present where English would use the continuous form, so a sentence with deixar in the present can mean both “I do this” and “I am doing this now”. Context tells the listener which one you mean. Example: “Nós deixamos o livro na mesa todos os dias.” — “We leave the book on the table.”

4. Scheduled future events

Portuguese uses the present for something already fixed in the near future, especially with a time expression. It sounds more certain than the future tense, because the plan is already made. Example: “Tu deixas o livro na mesa todos os dias.” — “You leave the book on the table.”

5. Narration and commentary

In stories, instructions and live commentary, the present brings the action into the room. A recipe, a game or a story told in the present feels immediate, and deixar in the present is the tense that carries it. Example: “Eles deixam o livro na mesa todos os dias.” — “They leave the book on the table.”

Present Tense vs Pretérito Perfeito: how to choose

The closest tense to the present is the pretérito perfeito, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the present describes habits, general truths and what is happening now, while the pretérito perfeito describes one finished action in the past. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is the time frame — and with it, the tense. Notice how the present sentences use words such as todos os dias or sempre, while the pretérito perfeito sentences use ontem or na semana passada. Those time words are your best clue when you are choosing a tense.

  • Present Tense: “Ele deixa o livro na mesa todos os dias.” — “He leaves the book on the table”
  • Pretérito Perfeito: “Ele deixou o livro na mesa ontem.” — “He left the book on the table”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the pretérito perfeito sentence is one finished event. Todos os dias points to the present, ontem points to the pretérito perfeito.
  • Present Tense: “Eu deixo o livro na mesa todos os dias.” — “I leave the book on the table”
  • Pretérito Perfeito: “Eu deixei o livro na mesa ontem.” — “I left the book on the table”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the pretérito perfeito sentence is one finished event. Todos os dias points to the present, ontem points to the pretérito perfeito.
  • Present Tense: “Tu deixas o livro na mesa todos os dias.” — “You leave the book on the table”
  • Pretérito Perfeito: “Tu deixaste o livro na mesa ontem.” — “You left the book on the table”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the pretérito perfeito sentence is one finished event. Todos os dias points to the present, ontem points to the pretérito perfeito.

Example sentences: deixar in the present

Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions and the objects — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.

  1. “Eu deixo o livro na mesa todos os dias.” — “I leave the book on the table”
  2. “Tu deixas o livro na mesa todos os dias.” — “You leave the book on the table”
  3. “Ele deixa o livro na mesa todos os dias.” — “He leaves the book on the table”
  4. “Nós deixamos o livro na mesa todos os dias.” — “We leave the book on the table”
  5. “Vós deixais o livro na mesa todos os dias.” — “You leave the book on the table”
  6. “Eles deixam o livro na mesa todos os dias.” — “They leave the book on the table”
  7. “Eu deixo o livro na mesa todos os dias.” — “I leave the book on the table”
  8. “Ele deixa o livro na mesa todos os dias.” — “He leaves the book on the table”

Common mistakes

These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.

  • Wrong: “Eu deixas o livro na mesa.” Right: “Eu deixo o livro na mesa todos os dias.” Why: The eu form is deixo, not deixas. deixas is the tu form. Mixing the two persons is the most common error with this verb.
  • Wrong: “Nós deixo o livro na mesa.” Right: “Nós deixamos o livro na mesa todos os dias.” Why: Nós needs the nós form deixamos. deixo belongs with eu only. Learn the six forms as two groups — singular and plural — and the pattern becomes automatic.
  • Wrong: “Eu deixo o livro na mesa todos os dias ontem.” Right: “Eu deixei o livro na mesa ontem.” Why: Ontem points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the pretérito perfeito deixei for a finished action yesterday.
  • Wrong: “Eu deixar o livro na mesa.” Right: “Eu deixo o livro na mesa todos os dias.” Why: The infinitive deixar never takes a subject. After eu you need the conjugated form deixo.

Quiz: test yourself

Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.

  1. What is the eu form of deixar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) deixas
    • B) deixo
    • C) deixa
    • D) deixamos

  2. What is the tu form of deixar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) deixo
    • B) deixa
    • C) deixas
    • D) deixamos

  3. What is the ele/ela form of deixar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) deixo
    • B) deixas
    • C) deixamos
    • D) deixa

  4. What is the nós form of deixar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) deixamos
    • B) deixo
    • C) deixas
    • D) deixa

  5. What is the vós form of deixar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) deixo
    • B) deixais
    • C) deixas
    • D) deixa

  6. What is the eles/elas form of deixar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) deixo
    • B) deixas
    • C) deixam
    • D) deixa

  7. What is the eu form of deixar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) deixas
    • B) deixa
    • C) deixamos
    • D) deixo

  8. What is the tu form of deixar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) deixas
    • B) deixo
    • C) deixa
    • D) deixamos

Answer key

  1. B) deixo — the correct form is deixo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  2. C) deixas — the correct form is deixas. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  3. D) deixa — the correct form is deixa. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  4. A) deixamos — the correct form is deixamos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  5. B) deixais — the correct form is deixais. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  6. C) deixam — the correct form is deixam. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  7. D) deixo — the correct form is deixo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  8. A) deixas — the correct form is deixas. The other options are other forms of the same verb.

Frequently asked questions

What does deixar mean in English?

deixar means “to leave”. It is a regular -ar verb.

How is the present tense of deixar formed?

The six present forms are: eu deixo, tu deixas, ele deixa, nós deixamos, vós deixais, eles deixam. deixar is regular: every form follows the standard -ar endings, so once you know the pattern you can build every tense from the stem.

When do I use the present instead of the pretérito perfeito?

Use the present for habits, general truths and what is happening now. Use the pretérito perfeito for one finished action in the past. The time words are your best clue: todos os dias points to the present, ontem points to the pretérito perfeito.

What are the gerund and past participle of deixar?

The gerund is deixando and the past participle is deixado.

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