Breakdown of Dejé un recado en el buzón para mi vecino.
Questions & Answers about Dejé un recado en el buzón para mi vecino.
Dejé is the first-person singular (yo) of the pretérito indefinido (simple past) of the verb dejar.
- Infinitive: dejar = to leave, to leave behind, to leave a message, to let/allow
- Dejé = I left (at a specific point in the past)
So Dejé un recado… means I left a message…
The accent mark in dejé shows both stress and tense/person:
- dejé (with accent): stress on the last syllable (je), yo form of the preterite → I left
- deje (without accent) is usually:
- present subjunctive (yo/él/ella/usted), or
- imperative (usted): leave…!
So the accent distinguishes past indicative (I left) from subjunctive/imperative forms (that I leave, that he leave, leave (usted)). In your sentence you must write Dejé with an accent.
Not with the same meaning.
- Dejé un recado… = I left a message… (a factual past action).
- Deje un recado… (without accent) is:
- usted command: Leave a message… (talking to “you” formal), or
- subjunctive in a different structure, e.g. Espero que deje un recado… (I hope you leave a message…).
So to talk about what you did in the past, you must say Dejé, never Deje.
In this context, un recado is a short message you leave for someone, often written.
In Latin America:
- In many countries mensaje is more common and more neutral.
- Recado is still understood, but its frequency and feel vary:
- In some areas it sounds a bit more traditional or formal.
- In others it’s quite normal in everyday speech.
Here, Dejé un recado ≈ Dejé un mensaje = I left a message (probably written on paper and put in the mailbox).
All three can be translated as “message,” but they’re used a bit differently:
recado
- Often: a message left for someone to receive later (via another person, a note, etc.).
- Slightly more old-fashioned or regional in some Latin American countries.
- Common in phrases like dejar un recado (to leave a message).
mensaje
- Most general and modern word for message.
- Used for texts, WhatsApp, voicemail, etc.: mensaje de texto, mensaje de voz, etc.
- Dejé un mensaje would sound very natural everywhere.
nota
- Literally: note.
- Emphasizes the fact it’s written, often a short, informal piece of writing.
- Dejé una nota en el buzón = I left a note in the mailbox.
In your sentence, recado suggests something like a short written message, similar to a note or message.
Buzón literally means mailbox, but it can extend metaphorically:
Physical mailbox (for letters):
- el buzón de mi casa = my home mailbox.
Voicemail inbox:
- buzón de voz = voicemail box.
Email inbox:
- bandeja de entrada is more common, but sometimes people casually say buzón for an email inbox.
In your sentence, en el buzón will normally be understood as in the physical mailbox unless context clearly indicates voicemail or email.
- en el buzón = in the mailbox, focusing on location (where the message is).
- al buzón would literally be to the mailbox, but that sounds strange here because we leave something in or inside a container, not to it.
Spanish generally uses en with containers and closed spaces for the idea “in/inside”:
- en la caja = in the box
- en la bolsa = in the bag
- en el buzón = in the mailbox
So Dejé un recado en el buzón is the natural choice.
In Spanish, singular countable nouns almost always need an article (or another determiner like mi, tu, etc.).
- en el buzón = in the mailbox (a specific one, presumably mine or his).
- en buzón (no article) sounds ungrammatical in this context.
Compare:
- en el parque = in the park
- en la casa = in the house
- en el buzón = in the mailbox
You would omit the article only in certain set phrases or plural, abstract, or uncountable uses, which is not the case here.
Both para mi vecino and a mi vecino are possible, but they have slightly different focuses:
para mi vecino highlights the intended recipient/purpose:
- a message intended for my neighbor.
a mi vecino sounds more like toward/for the benefit of my neighbor as an indirect object:
- You’d more often say:
- Le dejé un recado en el buzón a mi vecino.
- You’d more often say:
In everyday speech:
Dejé un recado en el buzón para mi vecino.
Very natural: “I left a message in the mailbox for my neighbor.”Le dejé un recado en el buzón a mi vecino.
Also natural, emphasizing the recipient with le and a mi vecino.
Using para without the indirect object pronoun le is especially common and clear when talking about leaving something intended for someone.
Yes, you can; Spanish word order is flexible. These are all correct:
- Dejé un recado en el buzón para mi vecino.
- Dejé un recado para mi vecino en el buzón.
Both mean basically the same thing. Differences are very subtle:
- If you say en el buzón earlier, you slightly highlight where you left it.
- If you say para mi vecino earlier, you slightly highlight for whom it is.
In normal conversation, either order is fine.
- vecino = male neighbor
- vecina = female neighbor
With a possessive:
- mi vecino = my (male) neighbor
- mi vecina = my (female) neighbor
Your sentence specifically refers to a male neighbor. For a female neighbor, you’d say:
- Dejé un recado en el buzón para mi vecina.
Yes, if the context already makes it clear who le refers to.
- Le dejé un recado en el buzón.
= I left a message for him/her in the mailbox.
Here le is the indirect object pronoun (for a él / a ella / a usted / a mi vecino, etc.).
To be extra clear (or to introduce the person for the first time), you can add the explicit phrase:
- Le dejé un recado en el buzón a mi vecino.
This doubles the pronoun (le) with the noun phrase (a mi vecino), which is very common and natural in Spanish.
Both correspond to English I left a message, but their usage differs:
Dejé un recado…
- Pretérito indefinido (simple past)
- In Latin America, this is the default way to talk about a completed past action, even if it’s very recent.
He dejado un recado…
- Pretérito perfecto compuesto (present perfect)
- In most of Latin America, this form is less common and often sounds more formal or peninsular (Spain-like).
- It’s used, but much less than in Spain.
In Latin American Spanish, Dejé un recado en el buzón para mi vecino is the most natural and typical way to say this.