Deixar unites several frequent English verbs. It means “leave” an object somewhere, “let/allow” someone to act, “lend” something temporarily, and—before de + infinitive—“stop” doing something. Pronominal deixar-se often marks something accidentally left behind or letting oneself undergo an action.
The verb is regular first conjugation: deixar – deixo – deixi – deixa – deixat. The spelling remains stable across the paradigm, and there is no incoative extension or defective restriction. The difficulty lies in recognizing which complement pattern selects each meaning.
The aspectual contrast with other ways of finishing an activity is developed in ending periphrases.
Nonfinite forms
| Form | Plain | Pronominal |
|---|---|---|
| Infinitive | deixar | deixar-se |
| Perfect infinitive | haver deixat | haver-se deixat |
| Gerund | deixant | deixant-se |
| Perfect gerund | havent deixat | havent-se deixat |
| Participle | deixat; deixada, deixats, deixades | — |
Compound forms use haver + deixat. A weak pronoun precedes a finite auxiliary: m'he deixat el paraigua, not he deixat-me. The participle is normally invariable in this core perfect; its agreeing forms also occur adjectivally.
Indicative: simple and periphrastic tenses
| Tense | jo | tu | ell / ella / vostè | nosaltres | vosaltres | ells / elles / vostès |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | deixo | deixes | deixa | deixem | deixeu | deixen |
| Imperfect | deixava | deixaves | deixava | deixàvem | deixàveu | deixaven |
| Periphrastic past | vaig deixar | vas deixar | va deixar | vam deixar | vau deixar | van deixar |
| Simple past | deixí | deixares | deixà | deixàrem | deixàreu | deixaren |
| Future | deixaré | deixaràs | deixarà | deixarem | deixareu | deixaran |
| Conditional | deixaria | deixaries | deixaria | deixaríem | deixaríeu | deixarien |
The periphrastic past is neutral in contemporary conversation. The simple past is (formal/literary) for many Central speakers but still has regional spoken currency. The written accents in deixàvem, deixí, deixà, and deixarà carry real grammatical information.
Deixo les claus al calaix perquè no es perdin.
I leave the keys in the drawer so they don't get lost.
Quan érem adolescents, els avis ens deixaven quedar desperts fins tard.
When we were teenagers, our grandparents let us stay up late.
La setmana passada vaig deixar la feina i ara busco un projecte nou.
Last week I left my job, and now I'm looking for a new project.
El director deixà la reunió sense respondre cap pregunta.
The director left the meeting without answering any questions. (formal/literary)
Indicative compound tenses
| Tense | jo | tu | ell / ella / vostè | nosaltres | vosaltres | ells / elles / vostès |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present perfect | he deixat | has deixat | ha deixat | hem deixat | heu deixat | han deixat |
| Pluperfect | havia deixat | havies deixat | havia deixat | havíem deixat | havíeu deixat | havien deixat |
| Past anterior | haguí deixat | hagueres deixat | hagué deixat | haguérem deixat | haguéreu deixat | hagueren deixat |
| Future perfect | hauré deixat | hauràs deixat | haurà deixat | haurem deixat | haureu deixat | hauran deixat |
| Conditional perfect | hauria deixat | hauries deixat | hauria deixat | hauríem deixat | hauríeu deixat | haurien deixat |
The past anterior is (formal/literary). The periphrastic anterior is vaig haver deixat, vas haver deixat, va haver deixat, vam haver deixat, vau haver deixat, van haver deixat.
M'he deixat el carregador a l'hotel i hauré de comprar-ne un altre.
I've left my charger at the hotel and I'll have to buy another one.
Si m'ho haguessis dit abans, t'hauria deixat el cotxe.
If you'd told me sooner, I would have lent you the car.
Subjunctive and imperative
| Tense | jo | tu | ell / ella / vostè | nosaltres | vosaltres | ells / elles / vostès |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present subjunctive | deixi | deixis | deixi | deixem | deixeu | deixin |
| Imperfect subjunctive | deixés | deixessis | deixés | deixéssim | deixéssiu | deixessin |
| Perfect subjunctive | hagi deixat | hagis deixat | hagi deixat | hàgim deixat | hàgiu deixat | hagin deixat |
| Pluperfect subjunctive | hagués deixat | haguessis deixat | hagués deixat | haguéssim deixat | haguéssiu deixat | haguessin deixat |
| Restricted periphrastic series | jo | tu | ell / ella / vostè | nosaltres | vosaltres | ells / elles / vostès |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indicative past anterior | vaig haver deixat | vas haver deixat | va haver deixat | vam haver deixat | vau haver deixat | van haver deixat |
| Subjunctive past | vagi deixar | vagis deixar | vagi deixar | vàgim deixar | vàgiu deixar | vagin deixar |
| Subjunctive past anterior | vagi haver deixat | vagis haver deixat | vagi haver deixat | vàgim haver deixat | vàgiu haver deixat | vagin haver deixat |
| Addressee | Affirmative | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| tu | deixa | no deixis |
| vostè | deixi | no deixi |
| nosaltres | deixem | no deixem |
| vosaltres | deixeu | no deixeu |
| vostès | deixin | no deixin |
The periphrastic subjunctive is (regional/formal). In affirmative commands pronouns attach: deixa'm, deixa'l, deixeu-nos. In negative commands they precede the verb: no em deixis, no el deixeu.
Espero que em deixin sortir una mica abans divendres.
I hope they'll let me leave a little earlier on Friday.
Si deixéssim les presses de banda, prendríem una decisió millor.
If we put haste aside, we'd make a better decision.
Deixa-m'ho a la recepció i ho recolliré després de dinar.
Leave it for me at reception and I'll pick it up after lunch.
Four meanings, four complement patterns
For physical placement, use deixar + direct object + place/state: deixar la bossa al tren; deixar la porta oberta. For permission, use deixar + infinitive + person (deixar entrar algú), with a clitic before the infinitive when the person is pronominal (deixar-lo entrar), or use deixar que + subjunctive. Catalan needs no English to before that infinitive.
—Em deixes tastar la sopa? —Sí, però crema molt.
—Will you let me taste the soup? —Yes, but it's very hot.
Deixa que la Marta acabi l'explicació abans de fer preguntes.
Let Marta finish the explanation before asking questions.
For lending, the thing is the direct object and the borrower is indirect: em deixes la teva bicicleta? In context this often sounds more everyday than prestar. For cessation, the governed pattern is deixar de + infinitive; omitting de is impossible in standard Catalan. Negated no deixar de + infinitive can mean “be sure to/keep doing.”
La metgessa li ha recomanat que deixi de prendre cafè a la nit.
The doctor has recommended that she stop drinking coffee at night.
No deixis d'escriure'm quan arribis a Brussel·les.
Be sure to keep writing to me when you arrive in Brussels.
Pronominal deixar-se una cosa commonly presents forgetful, accidental leaving: m'he deixat les ulleres al bany. In deixar-se + infinitive, the subject allows an action to happen: no es deixa convèncer. This is not freely interchangeable with plain deixar: the pronoun contributes the affected subject.
No es deixa ajudar, encara que sap que tot sol no se'n sortirà.
He won't let anyone help him, even though he knows he won't manage alone.
Frequent fixed expressions include deixar estar “leave alone/drop,” deixar clar “make clear,” deixar de banda “set aside,” and deixar plantat algú “stand someone up/leave someone stranded.”
(Regional: Valencian) first-person deixe, present subjunctive deixe..., and imperfect subjunctive deixara... are standard. (Regional: Balearic) forms include deix, deixam, deixau. The Central forms in the tables are the baseline. These differences affect regular endings, not the complement frames just described.
Common Mistakes
❌ He deixat de les claus damunt la nevera.
Incorrect—the object of physical leaving is direct; de belongs only to the cessation construction.
✅ He deixat les claus damunt la nevera.
I've left the keys on top of the fridge.
❌ Vull deixar fumar aquest mes.
Incorrect for ‘stop smoking’—the governed preposition de is obligatory.
✅ Vull deixar de fumar aquest mes.
I want to stop smoking this month.
❌ El pare no deixa que surto sol de nit.
Incorrect—after deixar que, an allowed but unrealized action takes the subjunctive.
✅ El pare no deixa que surti sol de nit.
Dad doesn't let me go out alone at night.
❌ He deixat-me la cartera al despatx.
Incorrect clitic placement in a compound tense.
✅ M'he deixat la cartera al despatx.
I've left my wallet at the office.
Key Takeaways
The regular paradigm is the easy part. Use direct-object placement for “leave,” a person plus infinitive or que + subjunctive for permission, an indirect borrower for “lend,” and mandatory de + infinitive for “stop.” Pronominal deixar-se is meaningful, especially for accidental leaving and allowing oneself to be affected.
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