Breakdown of La repartidora deja el paquete en la entrada.
Questions & Answers about La repartidora deja el paquete en la entrada.
Spanish nouns that refer to people often have a masculine form and a feminine form.
- repartidor = male delivery person
- repartidora = female delivery person
Because la is the feminine singular article, la repartidora clearly indicates that the delivery person is a woman.
If the gender is unknown or you are speaking in general, many people would still default to the masculine form el repartidor, especially in traditional usage, though gender-neutral and inclusive options are becoming more common in some contexts.
Repartidora literally means someone whose job is to deliver or distribute things. Depending on context, in English it could be:
- delivery woman (packages, food, etc.)
- courier
- delivery driver
It does not specifically mean a mail carrier for the post office (that would more typically be cartera or cartero), but in everyday speech people might still use repartidora for anyone who delivers packages to your door (Amazon, food apps, etc.).
In Spanish, paquete is a masculine noun, so it takes el: el paquete.
Nouns ending in -e can be masculine or feminine, and you usually have to learn them individually. For paquete, think:
- el paquete = the package
- plural: los paquetes
There is no feminine form la paquete in standard Spanish. Gender here is grammatical, not related to the object itself.
Deja is the third person singular of the verb dejar in the simple present.
- Infinitive: dejar
- Conjugation here: ella deja = she leaves / she puts / she sets down
In this sentence, deja means leaves (something in a place), not allows. Dejar can mean both to leave and to allow, but context tells you which meaning is intended.
Spanish uses the simple present (deja) much more than English does. It can describe:
- habitual actions: La repartidora deja el paquete en la entrada todos los días.
- a specific action in a narrative: like saying She leaves the package at the entrance (describing what happens).
Está dejando (the present progressive) is used when you want to emphasize that the action is happening right now, at this very moment. Without extra context, deja is the natural choice.
The normal, neutral word order in Spanish is also Subject–Verb–Object, just like English:
- La repartidora (subject)
- deja (verb)
- el paquete (direct object)
Spanish allows more flexibility for emphasis, so you could say La repartidora deja en la entrada el paquete or El paquete lo deja la repartidora en la entrada, but those change the focus or sound more marked. The original sentence is the most neutral and natural order.
Entrada literally means entrance. Depending on the place, it can refer to:
- the entrance area just inside the door
- the doorway area outside
- the entrance to a building or house in general
It does not specifically mean door (that is puerta). So en la entrada is more like in/at the entrance area, not on the door itself.
En is the most common preposition for location and can mean in, on, or at depending on context.
- en la entrada = at the entrance / in the entrance area
You can say a la entrada in some contexts, but it often sounds more like at the entrance (as a point you arrive at) rather than where you physically place an object.
Sobre la entrada is more literal: on top of the entrance, as if you placed something above the doorway. That’s not what is intended here, so en la entrada is the natural choice.
Yes.
- La repartidora deja el paquete en la entrada = The delivery woman leaves the package at the entrance.
- La repartidora lo deja en la entrada = The delivery woman leaves it at the entrance.
In the second sentence, lo is a direct object pronoun that replaces el paquete. You would normally use lo if the package has already been mentioned or is obvious from context and you don’t want to repeat el paquete.
In Spanish, you normally use a definite article with singular, countable nouns when you’re talking about a specific thing. Here, la entrada is a specific entrance (to a particular house or building).
En entrada is not correct in this context. You almost always need la or una:
- en la entrada = at the (specific) entrance
- en una entrada = at an / some entrance (unspecified)
So the article is required.
You would make both the subject and the object plural, and adjust the verb:
- Las repartidoras dejan los paquetes en la entrada.
Changes:
- La repartidora → Las repartidoras (plural, feminine)
- deja → dejan (third person plural)
- el paquete → los paquetes (plural, masculine)
Approximate syllable breakdown: re-par-ti-DO-ra, with the main stress on DO.
Key points:
- r at the start of the word (re-) is a strong tap/flap sound, stronger than English r.
- The t and d are dental (tongue touches the teeth), softer than in English.
- Every vowel is clearly pronounced: e (like eh), a, i, o, a.
So it sounds like: reh-par-tee-DOH-rah (approximate).
Repartidor / repartidora is used both in Latin America and in Spain and is widely understood.
However, depending on the country and the exact job, people might also say, for example:
- mensajero / mensajera (courier, messenger)
- cadete (in some countries, for errands/delivery person)
But repartidora is standard and widely recognized across the Spanish-speaking world.
Yes, dejar can mean to allow / let.
Examples (different meaning from the original sentence):
- Mis padres no me dejan salir. = My parents don’t let me go out.
- Déjame verlo. = Let me see it.
In your sentence, deja clearly means leaves/puts, because it’s followed by a direct object (el paquete) and a location (en la entrada), which fits the leave something somewhere pattern.