Common ways to say let them go in spanish include “déjalos ir”, “déjelos ir” and context based options like “déjalos pasar”.
You type let them go in spanish into a search bar because you want something clear you can reuse in real conversations. Maybe you want to tell a friend to release a grudge, ask a boss to drop a worry, or tell security to allow a group of guests through. Spanish has more than one way to say it, and each one fits a slightly different moment.
This guide walks you through the most natural phrases, how to build them, and when each version sounds right. You will see informal and formal options, differences between regions, and plenty of short examples you can copy or tweak.
Let Them Go In Spanish Meaning And Core Translation
The core idea behind this phrase in Spanish is usually expressed with the verb dejar, which means “to let”, “to allow”, or “to leave”. Spanish uses a mix of this verb plus little pronouns that stand for “them”.
Here are the most common core options people reach for when they want to say this idea, grouped by formality and gender:
| Context | Spanish Phrase | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Informal, mixed or all male group | Déjalos ir | Standard “let them go”, singular tú speaking. |
| Informal, all female group | Déjalas ir | Use las for “them” when the group is only women. |
| Formal, mixed or all male group | Déjelos ir | Formal usted command, common in Latin America. |
| Formal, all female group | Déjelas ir | Formal tone with a female only group. |
| Let them go through / past | Déjalos pasar | Used at doors, lines, traffic, security checks. |
| Let them go emotionally | Déjalos ir en tu corazón | More poetic; hints at emotional release. |
| Talking about the act, not giving a command | Dejarlos ir | Infinitive form, “to let them go”. |
In every version, the small word los or las holds the meaning “them”. It comes before the verb or attached to the end, and it must agree with the gender of the group you speak about. When the group is mixed, Spanish uses masculine los.
How Dejar And Pronouns Work Together
The verb dejar appears with several senses in the official dictionary of the Real Academia Española, including “consentir, permitir, no impedir”, which matches the idea of “to let” someone do something.
In real speech, you combine dejar with a pronoun and another verb. In a sentence like “Déjalos ir”, déja– comes from dejar, -los stands for “them”, and ir is “to go”. That same pattern works with many other actions: déjalos hablar (let them speak), déjelas entrar (let them come in), and so on.
Picking The Right Pronoun For “Them”
Spanish uses direct object pronouns for “them”: los for a mixed or male group, las for a female group. Both go before a conjugated verb or attached to an infinitive or command form. Once you know who “them” refers to, you stick with los or las through the sentence.
Some learners mix up indirect and direct object pronouns. A short refresher from a trusted explanation on pronombres de objeto directo e indirecto can help clear that up before you drill phrases like “déjalos ir”.
Informal, Formal, And Plural Commands
Spanish commands change depending on who you speak to. For a friend or family member, you use tú commands: déjalos ir or déjalas ir. With someone you treat with usted, such as a stranger, officer, or older person, you switch to déjelos ir or déjelas ir.
When you talk to more than one person at once, forms change again. In much of Latin America, the plural is déjenlos ir / déjenlas ir. In Spain, people also use vosotros commands such as dejadlos ir / dejadlas ir in casual group settings.
Letting Them Go Versus Letting Them Stay
Sometimes you want the opposite idea. In that case you simply add a no in front: no los dejes ir means “do not let them go”. The same pattern works across contexts: no los dejen pasar (plural “do not let them through”), or no la dejes ir (do not let her go).
Letting Them Go In Spanish Across Contexts
English uses one phrase for many situations, but Spanish speakers fine tune their choice. You pick between ir, pasar, salir, and related verbs depending on whether people leave a room, pass a barrier, or leave your life emotionally.
Let Them Go When You Mean “Allow Them To Leave”
If someone wants to walk away and you want to allow it, déjalos ir works in most cases. Picture a group of friends at a party. One person tries to keep everyone longer, and another says, “Ya, déjalos ir”. Here the phrase simply means “let them leave”.
You could also use déjalos salir (let them go out) when you talk about moving from inside to outside, or déjenlas salir in a plural, formal, female group situation.
Let Them Go When You Mean “Allow Them Through”
At doors, security lines, and checkpoints, Spanish tends to use pasar. Guards, staff, or drivers might say déjalos pasar, déjenlos pasar, or déjala pasar. All carry the sense of “let them through” rather than “let them leave forever”.
In traffic or crowd control, short commands like déjalos pasar or simply déjalos do the job. Intonation and body language fill the rest.
Let Them Go In Emotional Conversations
English speakers often talk about “letting someone go” after a breakup or when someone holds a grudge. Spanish uses dejar ir for this as well, but you usually add a bit more context:
- Tienes que dejarlos ir en tu mente. – You have to let them go in your mind.
- Ya es hora de dejarlo ir. – It is time to let him go now.
Here, the idea of “them” can be literal people or memories. The wording stays the same, with dejar plus the matching pronoun and verb.
Let Them Go When Someone Loses A Job
In work talk, English sometimes says “we had to let them go” when staff lose a job. Spanish often prefers verbs like despedir (to fire) or echar in casual speech. You might hear tuvieron que despedirlos (they had to let them go) rather than a direct use of dejar ir.
Still, you can mix the ideas: Al final tuvieron que dejarlos ir de la empresa. Here “dejarlos ir” matches the English expression, and “de la empresa” makes clear it is about the workplace.
Practice With Letting Them Go Sentences In Spanish
Reading examples helps, but building your own makes the phrase stick. Start with a simple pattern: subject + form of dejar + pronoun los/las + verb such as ir, pasar, or salir. Then swap in your own people, places, and verbs.
Use the table below as a mini drill sheet. Hide the Spanish side, guess the phrase, then check yourself. Short daily review sessions make the phrases stick better.
| English Cue | Spanish Sentence | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Tell your friend to let them go | Déjalos ir, ya tomaron su decisión. | Informal, mixed group. |
| Ask an officer politely to let them go | Por favor, déjelos ir, no hicieron nada. | Formal usted, respectful. |
| Let them go through the gate | Déjenlos pasar por la puerta. | Plural command, neutral group. |
| Tell yourself to let them go emotionally | Tengo que dejarlos ir dentro de mí. | Inner talk, emotional sense. |
| Tell staff not to let them go | No los dejen ir todavía. | Negative plural command. |
Common Mistakes With Letting Them Go In Spanish
Many learners fall into the same traps with this phrase. Knowing them early saves time and keeps your speech closer to what native speakers expect.
Dropping The Pronoun
In English, you can often skip “them” if everyone knows who you mean. Spanish normally keeps the pronoun. If you only say deja ir, the sentence sounds unfinished. Make sure you include los or las: déjalos ir, déjalas salir, déjenlos pasar.
Mixing Up Gender And Number
Another common slip is using los for a clearly female group or las for a group that includes men. Grammar rules treat mixed groups as masculine, so “a group of brothers and sisters” takes los, not las. Only an all female group uses las.
Number matters as well. When you speak about just one person, switch to lo or la. One clear case is déjalo ir for “let him go”, while déjala pasar is “let her through”.
Using The Wrong Verb For The Situation
English leans on a single phrase in many scenes. Spanish likes clearer verbs. When people walk out of a room, ir or salir fits. When someone passes a gate, pasar fits better. When staff lose a job, despedir is the standard pick.
If you are unsure, think about what the people are doing in plain terms: leaving, going out, passing, losing a job. Then choose the Spanish verb that matches that action, and attach the right pronoun and form of dejar.
Final Tips For Using Let Them Go Phrases In Spanish
Once you get used to pairing dejar with pronouns and verbs like ir or pasar, sentences start to feel far easier. Short lines such as déjalos ir, déjenlas pasar, and no los dejen ir fit most daily situations.
To move from recognition to comfort, read and listen to native content, pause when you hear a phrase like this, and repeat it out loud. Over time, forms like these will come to mind without any effort.