Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Dejé la carta en el buzón y esperé al mensajero. - I left the letter in the mailbox and waited for the courier.

They’re the preterite (simple past), first person singular. The preterite is used for completed actions in the past, especially when they happen in sequence: first you left the letter, then you waited.

Why do dejé and esperé have accents?

The accent marks show the correct stress and distinguish them from other forms:

dejé/esperé = preterite “I left/I waited”
deje/espere = present subjunctive or formal command “that I/you (Ud.) leave/wait” For regular -ar verbs in the preterite, the yo form ends in -é.

Why is it al mensajero and not a el mensajero?

Because a + el contracts to al in Spanish. The contraction is obligatory.

Why is there an a before mensajero after esperé?

That’s the personal a. When the direct object is a person (or a beloved pet), Spanish generally uses a: esperar a alguien. Compare:

Person: Esperé al mensajero.
Thing: Esperé el paquete.

Can I say esperé por el mensajero?

It depends on region. Standard/general Spanish for “wait for someone” is esperar a alguien. Esperar por is common in some Caribbean and some Latin American varieties, but elsewhere it can sound nonstandard or mean something different (“to wait because of”). Safe choices:

Someone: Esperé al mensajero.
Something: Esperé el paquete.

What exactly does buzón mean in Latin America—home mailbox or public drop box?

Both can be called buzón. Context tells you whether it’s the mailbox on a house/building or a public street letterbox. Related terms:

apartado postal / casilla postal = P.O. box
casillero = locker (not a mailbox)

Why en el buzón and not al buzón?

It depends on the verb+preposition pattern:

dejar/meter/poner algo en un lugar: “leave/put something in” a place → Dejé la carta en el buzón.
echar algo a un lugar: “drop/throw something into” → Eché la carta al buzón. So with dejar you use en; with echar you use a.

Is dejar the most natural verb here for mailing a letter?

It’s fine and widely understood. Other very common options:

Echar la carta al buzón (very idiomatic for mailing)
Meter la carta en el buzón
Poner la carta en el buzón (neutral “put”)

Could I say una carta instead of la carta?

Yes. La carta implies a specific, known letter. Una carta introduces it as new or unspecific:

Dejé una carta en el buzón… = “I left a letter…”
Dejé la carta… = “I left the letter” (we both know which one)

How do I replace the nouns with pronouns?

For la carta (feminine direct object): La dejé en el buzón.
For al mensajero (masculine direct object): …y lo esperé. Together: La dejé en el buzón y lo esperé. If the messenger is female: …y la esperé. Note: In most of Latin America, use lo/la (not le) as the direct object pronoun here.

What’s the difference between mensajero, cartero, and repartidor?

cartero/a: the postal worker/mail carrier
mensajero/a: a messenger or courier (often private company or within a business)
repartidor/a: a delivery person (packages, food, etc.) Depending on who you mean, cartero might be more precise than mensajero.

Can I omit the subject yo?

Yes. Spanish is a pro-drop language. The verb endings already show the subject, so Yo dejé… is usually just Dejé… unless you need emphasis or contrast.

Could I say Dejé la carta en el buzón y esperaba al mensajero?

You could, but it changes the meaning. The imperfect esperaba paints the waiting as ongoing/background (e.g., something else may interrupt), whereas esperé in the original marks the waiting as a completed action. Use:

esperé for a finished, bounded wait
esperaba for ongoing/habitual/background waiting

How would I say “I waited for the messenger to arrive”?

Use esperar a que + subjunctive:

Esperé a que llegara el mensajero. If it’s present/future: Espero a que llegue el mensajero.

Do I need a comma before y?

No. Spanish normally does not place a comma before y when simply linking two verbs/clauses: Dejé… y esperé… is standard.

Any pronunciation tips for this sentence?

j in dejé = a rough “h” sound .
z in buzón = like English “s” in most of Latin America.
Accents mark stress: dejé (de-JÉ), buzón (bu-ZÓN), esperé (es-pe-RÉ).
The y is pronounced like English “ee” here: [i].

Does y ever change to e here?

No. y becomes e only before words beginning with the “i” sound (e.g., e interesante). Since esperé starts with “e,” not “i,” it stays y esperé.

Is the present perfect possible, like He dejado la carta…?

Grammatically yes, but usage varies. In much of Latin America, the simple past (Dejé… esperé…) is preferred even for recent past. In Spain, the present perfect (He dejado… he esperado…) is more common for actions connected to “today” or the immediate present.

What if the messenger is female?

Change the noun and agreement:

…y esperé a la mensajera.
With a pronoun: …y la esperé.

Any false friends to watch out for?

carta = “letter” (mail), while letra = “letter” (of the alphabet).
cartero = “mail carrier,” while cartera = “wallet” or “purse” (and also “female mail carrier” in some places, but context usually points to “wallet/purse”).

I’ve heard esperarse (e.g., Me esperé). Is that correct?

In parts of Mexico and a few other areas, the pronominal esperarse is common colloquially to mean “to wait.” In standard usage, especially in writing or more formal speech, just use esperar: Esperé.