Breakdown of Quiero dejar de perder tiempo y seguir estudiando español.
Questions & Answers about Quiero dejar de perder tiempo y seguir estudiando español.
Why is it "dejar de + infinitive" here? What does "dejar de" mean, and how is it different from just "dejar"?
Dejar de + infinitive means “to stop doing [something].” The de is obligatory in this construction.
- Dejar de fumar = to stop smoking.
- Deja de gritar = stop shouting.
Without de, dejar means “to leave,” “to let,” or “to allow.”
Should it be "perder tiempo" or "perder el tiempo"? Which sounds more natural?
The idiomatic way to say “waste time” is perder el tiempo. Many speakers would prefer:
- Quiero dejar de perder el tiempo...
Perder tiempo (no article) is also used and understood, often with the sense of “to lose time” (e.g., to be delayed) or when speaking more generally/quantitatively:
In your sentence, either works; adding el makes the “waste time” idea explicit and is slightly more idiomatic.
Can I use "parar de" instead of "dejar de"?
Yes. Parar de + infinitive is common in Spain and often fairly informal:
Nuance:
Why is it "seguir estudiando" and not "seguir estudiar"?
With seguir and continuar, Spanish uses the gerund (-ando/-iendo) to express “to keep/continue doing”:
- Seguir/continuar + gerundio: Sigo estudiando español = I keep studying Spanish.
You do not use seguir + infinitive in this meaning. Related negative pattern: seguir + sin + infinitive = “to keep not doing”:
Do I need to repeat "quiero" before the second verb? Is the coordination correct?
Should the "y" change to "e" before "seguir"?
Why is "español" lowercase and why no article before it?
- In Spanish, names of languages are written in lowercase: español, inglés, francés.
- After verbs like hablar, saber, aprender, estudiar, you usually omit the article: Estudio español. You use the article when speaking about the language as a thing in general or when it’s the subject: El español se habla en muchos países.
Could I say "Yo quiero..." or is "yo" unnecessary?
Spanish normally omits subject pronouns because the verb ending shows the subject. Quiero already implies “I want.” Use yo only for emphasis or contrast:
When do I use "querer + infinitive" versus "querer que + subjunctive"?
- Same subject → querer + infinitive: Quiero dejar de... y seguir... (I want to stop and to continue).
- Different subjects → querer que + subjunctive: Quiero que (tú) dejes de perder el tiempo y (que) sigas estudiando.
Could I say "seguir con el español" instead of "seguir estudiando español"?
If I replace "español" with a pronoun, where does it go?
Is "dejar de perder" an odd stack of verbs? Is it really idiomatic?
Could I use "para" instead of "y" to show purpose?
Yes, with a small nuance:
- ... dejar de perder el tiempo y seguir estudiando español. = two separate goals.
- ... dejar de perder el tiempo para seguir estudiando español. = “stop wasting time in order to keep studying Spanish” (explicit purpose).
Both are correct; choose based on the intended relationship.
Any pronunciation tips for tricky parts of this sentence (Spain)?
Is "quiero" too direct? Would another verb sound softer or more polite?
How would I say this in another tense?
- Near future (plan): Voy a dejar de perder el tiempo y voy a seguir estudiando español.
- Simple future: Dejaré de perder el tiempo y seguiré estudiando español.
- Past intention (ongoing): Quería dejar de perder el tiempo y seguir estudiando español.
- Past decision (completed): Decidí dejar de perder el tiempo y seguir estudiando español.
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