Often, languages don’t translate into each other neatly. The sentence structure I bring in this lesson is one of them. If you want to say “to no longer do something” in European Portuguese, you’ll often come across this structure:
deixar de + infinitive
For example:
Deixei de fumar.
I stopped smoking.
Ela deixou de trabalhar aqui.
She stopped working here.
Nós deixámos de ir àquele restaurante.
We stopped going to that restaurant.
Deixar de + Infinitivo
The verb deixar is conjugated, while the second verb remains in the infinitive:
deixar de + infinitive
So:
- deixei de trabalhar – I stopped working
- deixou de fazer – he/she stopped doing/making
- deixámos de conduzir – we stopped driving
- deixaram de vender – they stopped selling
What does “deixar de” mean?
The interesting thing about deixar de is that it often describes something that used to happen but doesn’t happen anymore.
For example:
Deixei de beber café.
This isn’t simply about the moment I stopped drinking my coffee. It can mean that drinking coffee used to be part of my routine, but it isn’t anymore.
This makes deixar de particularly useful when talking about habits and changes in our lives:
Ela deixou de fumar há cinco anos.
She stopped smoking five years ago.
Desde que me mudei para Portugal, deixei de conduzir tanto.
Since I moved to Portugal, I don’t drive as much anymore.
Os miúdos deixaram de ir à natação.
The children stopped going swimming.
Deixar de vs parar de
What about “parar”? So parar does mean “to stop”, and you can use it with the same structure (parar de + infinitive) to mean the same as “deixar de + infinitive”. However, the other way around isn’t always interchangeable. Because parar de + infinitive can also mean something you stopped doing in the moment and not refer to a habit you’ve stopped.
For instance, saying “Parei de fumar” or “Deixei de fumar” can both mean “I stopped my smoking habit”, but “parei de fumar” can also mean “I stopped smoking in that moment because it started to rain, so I went inside.”
As we can see, there is some overlap, but parar de can put more emphasis on the action of stopping in the moment, whereas deixar de often has the sense of no longer doing something in general.
Compare:
Parei de trabalhar às seis.
I stopped working at six. (Work finished at six)
with:
Deixei de trabalhar aos domingos.
I stopped working on Sundays. (no longer work on Sundays)
The first tells us when the action stopped. The second describes a change in my routine.
The distinction isn’t absolute, though, and in many situations either expression will work naturally.
Don’t confuse deixar with deixar de
It’s important to listen for the presence (or not) of de and an infinitive, seeing as deixar can also mean to leave something behind or alone and to let or allow something.
Deixei o livro em casa.
I left the book at home.
Deixa-me entrar.
Let me in.
But:
Deixei de ler.
I stopped reading (habbit).
Compare:
Deixei o trabalho.
I left my job (but also I left my place of work for the day).
Deixei de trabalhar.
I stopped working (altogether).
It’s the de + infinitive construction that gives us the meaning “no longer be doing something”.
Não deixar de + infinitive
The negative is also interesting and can translate into different meanings.
não deixar de + infinitive
Depending on the context, this can literally mean not to stop doing something, but it is also commonly used to mean “make sure to” or “don’t forget to”.
For example:
Não deixes de me visitar!
Make sure you visit me! (don’t no longer visit me)
Não deixem de experimentar este prato.
Make sure you try this dish.
This is a useful expression to recognise because you’ll often hear it in invitations, recommendations and encouragement.
In short
deixar de + infinitive is a very useful European Portuguese structure for talking about something that someone stops doing or no longer does.
Deixei de fumar.
I stopped smoking.
Ela deixou de trabalhar aqui.
She no longer works here.
Nós deixámos de ir lá.
We stopped going there.
Once you start noticing it in conversations, stories, and everyday Portuguese, you’ll find it comes up quite a lot.
What did you find most surprising about this sentence structure?