deixar

Catalan

Etymology

Inherited from Old Catalan leixar, from Latin laxāre (compare Occitan daissar and laissar, Portuguese deixar, Aragonese deixar, Spanish dejar, French laisser and Italian lasciare). The alteration of the initial l- to d- (found in Ibero- and Occitano-Romance) may be due to the preposition de preceding it in many constructions using this verb, or from contraction of a Late Latin *dēlaxāre.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic)
• IPA^(key): (Valencian)

• Audio

  (file)

Verb

deixar (first-person singular present deixo, first-person singular preterite deixí, past participle deixat); root stress: (Central, Valencian, Balearic) /e/

1. (transitive) to leave (to refrain from taking (something) away)
2. (reflexive) to let oneself go (to cease to care about one's appearance)
3. (transitive) to leave (to put; to place)

   Synonyms: posar, col·locar

   va deixar les cartes a la taula ― she left the letters on the table

4. to leave (to cause, to result in)

   la seva confessió ens va deixar sense paraules ― his confession left us speechless

5. (transitive) to let, to allow, to permit

   Synonym: permetre

   deixar caure ― to drop (literally, “to allow to fall”)

6. (transitive) to leave, to depart from
   • 2020 November 8, Núria Ferragutcasas, “El trumpisme arrela malgrat la derrota de Trump”, in Ara‎:

     El seu populisme i la seva demagògia han mobilitzat clarament els votants republicans i, per això, encara que deixi la Casa Blanca, el Partit Republicà continuarà sent el Partit de Trump.

     His populism and his demagogy have clearly mobilized Republican voters and so, even if he leaves the White House, the Republican Party will keep being the Party of Trump.

7. (transitive) to leave behind, to abandon
8. (transitive) to leave to (to transfer possession of after death)
9. (transitive) to lend

   Synonym: prestar

   Deixa'm el mòbil, he de trucar la Gina. ― Let me borrow your phone, I have to call Gina.

Conjugation

Derived terms

• deixar anar
• deixar de

Further reading

• “deixar” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “deixar”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2024
• “deixar” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “deixar” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Galician

Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese leixar, from Latin laxāre, present active infinitive of laxō. Compare Portuguese deixar, Spanish dejar, Asturian dexar.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):

Verb

deixar (first-person singular present deixo, first-person singular preterite deixei, past participle deixado)

1. (transitive) to leave
2. to abandon

   Synonym: abandonar

3. to lend

   Synonym: emprestar

4. to save (store for future use)

   Synonyms: gardar, reservar

5. to let, allow

   Synonyms: consentir, permitir

6. to release

   Synonyms: ceibar, librar

7. (reflexive) to let oneself go

Conjugation

Derived terms

References

• “leixar” in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval, SLI - ILGA 2006–2022.
• “deixar” in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega, SLI - ILGA 2006–2013.
• “deixar” in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega, Royal Galician Academy.
• “deixar” in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega. Santiago: ILG.
• “deixar” in Dicionário Estraviz de galego (2014).
• “deixar” in Álvarez, Rosario (coord.): Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués, Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega.

Portuguese

Alternative forms

• deyxar (obsolete)

Etymology

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese leixar, from Latin laxāre (“to extend; to lighten; to relax; to release”), from laxus (“loose”). Doublet of the borrowed laxar. Compare Galician deixar, Asturian dexar, and Spanish dejar, all also undergoing the shift of initial -l- to -d-. It may have been influenced by the preposition de or come from contraction of a Late Latin *dēlaxāre.

Pronunciation

• (Northeast Brazil) IPA^(key): /dɛjˈʃa(h)/
• (Rural Central Brazil) IPA^(key): /di(j)ˈʃa(ɹ)/
• Hyphenation: dei‧xar

• Audio (Oporto, Portugal)

  (file)

Verb

deixar (first-person singular present deixo, first-person singular preterite deixei, past participle deixado)

2. (transitive) to leave; to exit (to go out of or away from a place)

   Synonym: sair de

   Os ladrões deixaram o prédio assim que ouviram a sirene.

   The thieves left the building as soon as they heard the siren.

4. (transitive) to leave (to refrain from taking)

   Deixei umas bolachas para a minha irmã.

   I left some biscuits for my sister.

6. (transitive) to leave (to cause to exist after its occurrence)

   A guerra deixara um rastro de destruição.

   The war had left a wake of destruction.

8. (transitive with an adjective complement) to leave (to cause to be in a state)

   Synonym: tornar

   Deixa a porta aberta quando saíres!

   Leave the door open when you go!

10. (transitive) to leave (to end one’s connection, affiliation or relationship with)

    Após vinte anos de casamento, a minha esposa deixou-me.

    After twenty years of marriage, my wife left me.

    Deixei o meu emprego.

    I left my job.

12. (auxiliary with de and a verb in the impersonal infinitive) to quit (to stop doing something habitually)

    Synonym: largar

    Deixem de fumar.

    Stop smoking.

14. (auxiliary with de and a verb in the impersonal infinitive) not to do something; to refrain from

    Synonym: não

    Não deixe(s) de comprar comida para a viagem.

    Don’t forget to buy food for the trip.

16. (ditransitive, auxiliary with a verb in the impersonal or personal (proscribed) infinitive for the second object) to let; to allow to (to give permission to)

    Synonym: permitir que

    (A) Minha mãe não me deixa ficar acordado até tarde.

    My mother doesn’t let me stay awake until late.

18. (ditransitive, auxiliary with a verb in the impersonal or personal (proscribed) infinitive for the second object) to let (to give possibility to)

    Synonyms: permitir que, possibilitar que, possibilitar de

    A neblina não nos deixava ver muito longe.

    The fog didn’t let us see very far.

20. (ditransitive, with the indirect object taking para) to postpone until; to put off (to reschedule or avoid doing something until a later time)

    Synonyms: adiar, postergar, transferir

    Tiveram de deixar a partida para amanhã.

    They had to put the match off until tomorrow.

22. (transitive) to leave; to bequeath (to give something to someone after dying or leaving)

    Synonym: legar

    Um parente que eu nem conhecia me deixou/-me uns quadros valiosos.

    A relative I didn’t even know left me some valuable paintings.

24. (transitive) to leave off; to omit (not to include)

    Synonyms: omitir, deixar de fora

    Comprei um presente para quase toda a gente, só (te) deixei (a) ti/você.

    I bought a gift for everybody, I have only left you out.

26. (transitive) to leave alone (not to bother)

    Synonym: deixar em paz

    Deixa/e-me, idiota.

    Leave me alone, you idiot.

27. (transitive) to make someone feel a certain way

    Isto está a deixar-me/me deixando louco.

    This is making me mad.

Conjugation

Quotations

For quotations using this term, see Citations:deixar.

Synonyms

• (to end a relation): largar (de), abandonar

Derived terms

• deixa
• deixar de fora
• deixar em paz

Related terms

• desleixar
• laxo