Learn Spanish (Latin America): ¡Dejen de usar el celular y dejen de patear mi asiento! - Stop using the cell phone and stop kicking my seat!

In Spanish, the phrase dejar de is used to mean "to stop doing something" or "to quit doing something." While English uses "stop" followed by an '-ing' word (like "using" or "kicking"), Spanish grammar requires you to use the infinitive (the base form of the verb, like usar and patear) after prepositions like de.

Who is the speaker addressing with the verb form dejen?

The speaker is addressing multiple people, like a couple of noisy passengers or kids in the back seat. Dejen is the ustedes (plural "you") command form of dejar. In Latin American Spanish, ustedes is used for all plural commands, regardless of whether you are speaking formally or informally.

Could I use the verb parar instead of dejar to tell them to stop?

Yes, you could technically say ¡Paren de usar...!, but dejar de is much more common and natural when telling someone to break off an ongoing action or habit. Parar is often more heavily associated with physically halting movement, like stopping a vehicle or stopping walking.

Since they are talking to multiple people, why is it el celular (singular) and not los celulares?