Stopping an action with "dejar de"
In English, we usually say someone "stops doing" something. In Spanish, you express this using the phrase dejar de, followed directly by the infinitive form of the action verb.
| to stop (+ infinitive) | dejar de |
When paired with verbs like querer (to want) or necesitar (to need), dejar stays in its infinitive form.
| She wants to stop buying treats to save money. | Ella quiere dejar de comprar caprichos para ahorrar dinero. |
| My sister needs to stop spending money on unnecessary treats. | Mi hermana necesita dejar de gastar dinero en caprichos innecesarios. |
Using "dejar de" in different tenses
Like any verb, dejar can be conjugated to talk about the past or to give commands. To talk about habits someone has stopped recently, use the present perfect form (ha dejado, han dejado).
| She has stopped using cash. | Ella ha dejado de usar efectivo. |
| This year, my parents have stopped traveling to save money and pay the debt. | Este año, mis padres han dejado de viajar para ahorrar dinero y pagar la deuda. |
To tell someone to stop doing something right now, use the informal command form (deja). If the action has an object pronoun (like la for "it"), attach it directly to the end of the infinitive.
| Stop using it and pay in cash, please. | Deja de usarla y paga en efectivo, por favor. |
Vocabulary: Spending and saving
When discussing personal finances, you will frequently use dejar de alongside key vocabulary like gastar (to spend), ahorrar (to save), and el gasto (the expense).
| To save money, you have to start controlling expenses and stop spending too much. | Para ahorrar dinero, hay que empezar a controlar los gastos y dejar de gastar demasiado. |