Dejar Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish

The present tense of dejar — to leave — is the form you need for habits, facts and what is happening now. Dejar means to leave, to let, to allow, and to stop: dejar la casa, dejar pasar, dejar de fumar. It is regular. The difference from salir matters: dejar is to leave something behind, salir is to go out. Dejar + infinitive means to let someone do something. This page gives you the complete present tense table for dejar, how it is formed, when to use it, the mistakes learners make with it, and a quiz to check yourself. The first example shows it in action: “Yo dejo las llaves en la mesa.” — “I leave the keys on the table”.

Present tense conjugation of dejar

Every form in the table below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for dejar. Dejar is a regular -ar verb, so you can build the present tense from the regular endings once you know the stem.

Present tense indicative — dejar

Person Form
yo dejo
tú dejas
él/ella/Ud. deja
nosotros/as dejamos
vosotros/as dejáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. dejan

The gerund of dejar is dejando and the past participle is dejado. You need the participle for the perfect tenses and the gerund for the progressive with estar.

How the present tense of dejar is formed

For a regular -ar verb, the present tense is built on the stem dej- (the infinitive dejar without its -ar ending) plus the present tense endings: yo → dejo, tú → dejas, él/ella/Ud. → deja, nosotros/as → dejamos, vosotros/as → dejáis, ellos/ellas/Uds. → dejan. So dejar gives dejo, dejas, deja, dejamos, dejáis and dejan. There is nothing irregular to memorise for this verb in this tense — the endings do all the work, and the stress falls where the endings put it.

A note on spelling: the written accents in this tense are part of the form, not decoration. In the present tense, dejáis carries an accent, and leaving it out changes the pronunciation and, in writing, marks the form as wrong. Copy the forms from the table above exactly, accents included.

When to use the present tense of dejar

1. Habits and routines

Use the present for things you do regularly. For example, with dejar: “Yo dejo las llaves en la mesa.” — “I leave the keys on the table”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

2. General truths and facts

Use the present for things that are always true. For example, with dejar: “Ella deja entrar a los niños.” — “She lets the children in”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

3. What is happening right now

Use the present for actions in progress at this moment. For example, with dejar: “Nosotros dejamos el coche en el garaje.” — “We leave the car in the garage”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

4. Scheduled plans and the near future

Use the present for fixed plans, especially with a time expression. For example, with dejar: “Ellos dejan sus mochilas en clase.” — “They leave their backpacks in class”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

Present vs future: dejar now, dejar later

The present and the future both talk about things that have not happened yet in one sense, but they are not interchangeable. The present is for what is true now or already fixed; the future is for what will happen and is not yet certain. Compare the pairs below — the present form comes from this page, the future form from the full conjugation table.

  • Present tense tense: “Yo dejo las llaves en la mesa todos los días.” — “I leave the keys on the table every day.”

  • Future: “Yo dejaré las llaves en la mesa mañana.” — “Tomorrow I will leave the keys on the table.”

  • Present tense tense: “Ella deja las llaves en la mesa ahora.” — “She leaves the keys on the table now.”

  • Future: “Ella dejará las llaves en la mesa la semana que viene.” — “Next week she will leave the keys on the table.”

  • Present tense tense: “Nosotros dejamos las llaves en la mesa en clase.” — “We leave the keys on the table in class.”

  • Future: “Nosotros dejaremos las llaves en la mesa el lunes.” — “On Monday we will leave the keys on the table.”

Example sentences: dejar in the present tense

Six sentences using only the present tense of dejar, with English translations. Read them aloud — saying the forms is the fastest way to fix them in memory.

  • “Yo dejo las llaves en la mesa.” — “I leave the keys on the table.”
  • “Ella deja entrar a los niños.” — “She lets the children in.”
  • “Nosotros dejamos el coche en el garaje.” — “We leave the car in the garage.”
  • “Ellos dejan sus mochilas en clase.” — “They leave their backpacks in class.”
  • “¿Tú dejas que te ayude?” — “Will you let me help you?”
  • “Vosotros dejáis de fumar este año.” — “You are giving up smoking this year.”

Common mistakes with dejar in the present tense

Mistake 1

Wrong: Yo dejo de fumar — learners confuse dejar de with dejar.

Right: Yo dejo de fumar.

Dejar de + infinitive means to stop; dejar alone means to leave or let.

Mistake 2

Wrong: Salir dejar la casa — mixing salir and dejar.

Right: Yo dejo la casa a las ocho.

To leave a place behind, use dejar; salir is to go out of it.

Quiz: dejar in the present tense

Eight questions on the present tense of dejar. Answers with explanations follow each question.

1. What is the yo form of dejar in the present tense?

  • A) dejo
  • B) dejas
  • C) deja
  • D) dejamos

Answer: A — The yo form in the present tense is dejo.

2. What is the tú form of dejar in the present tense?

  • A) dejo
  • B) deja
  • C) dejamos
  • D) dejas

Answer: D — The tú form in the present tense is dejas.

3. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of dejar in the present tense?

  • A) dejas
  • B) dejamos
  • C) deja
  • D) dejo

Answer: C — The él/ella/Ud. form in the present tense is deja.

4. What is the nosotros/as form of dejar in the present tense?

  • A) deja
  • B) dejamos
  • C) dejo
  • D) dejas

Answer: B — The nosotros/as form in the present tense is dejamos.

5. Fill in the blank: “Yo ___ las llaves en la mesa.” (I leave the keys on the table.)

  • A) dejo
  • B) dejas
  • C) deja
  • D) dejamos

Answer: A — The sentence needs dejo.

6. Fill in the blank: “Ella ___ entrar a los niños.” (She lets the children in.)

  • A) dejo
  • B) dejas
  • C) dejamos
  • D) deja

Answer: D — The sentence needs deja.

7. Which sentence is correct?

  • A) Yo dejo de fumar — learners confuse dejar de with dejar.
  • B) Yo dejo de fumar.

Answer: B — Dejar de + infinitive means to stop; dejar alone means to leave or let.

8. Which sentence is correct?

  • A) Yo dejo la casa a las ocho.
  • B) Salir dejar la casa — mixing salir and dejar.

Answer: A — To leave a place behind, use dejar; salir is to go out of it.

Frequently asked questions

Is dejar regular in the present tense?

Yes. dejar is a regular -ar verb and its present tense follows the standard endings, so once you know the stem dej- you can build all six forms. The only thing to watch is the spelling of the endings themselves, including the accents.

What is the yo form of dejar in the present tense?

It is dejo. The yo form is the one learners use most and the one that most often breaks the pattern — for dejar it is the form to learn first, before the rest of the table.

When do I use the present tense of dejar instead of the preterite?

Use the present when the action is a habit, a fact, or happening now, and the preterite when it is a finished action in the past. If you can add “yesterday” to the sentence and it still makes sense, you almost certainly need the preterite, not the present.

How can I remember the present tense forms of dejar?

Say the six forms aloud in order — dejo, dejas, deja, dejamos, dejáis, dejan — three times a day for a week, always in a sentence, never as a bare list. Then use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test yourself, and the full conjugation page for dejar to see the verb in every tense.

Say it yourself

Reading is not enough — say the verb aloud before you move on. Use the forms from the tables on this page and answer these three prompts as full sentences. First, say a sentence about yourself in the present tense: “Yo dejo…”. Second, say a sentence about yesterday in the preterite: “Ayer yo dejé…”. Third, say a sentence about tomorrow in the future: “Mañana yo dejaré…”. If you can answer all three without looking at the tables, the forms are starting to stick. If you hesitate, go back to the examples above, read them aloud twice, and try again. Speaking the forms is what turns a table you have seen into a verb you can use.

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