Turn this distinction into automatic recall
Falando teaches Brazilian Portuguese through grammar, vocabulary, audio, examples, and spaced review, so confusing pairs stop feeling like guesses.
Quick answer
Esquecer is forgetting. Deixar can mean leaving something somewhere.
A reliable test is to identify the job of the word before translating from English.
What each word does
esquecer
to forget
Use esquecer for not remembering information, an object, a task, or a plan.
deixar
to leave or let
Use deixar for leaving something somewhere, allowing, or causing a state.
How to choose
- esquecer: Choose esquecer if the sentence points to not remembering information, an object, a task, or a plan.
- deixar: Choose deixar if the sentence points to leaving something somewhere, allowing, or causing a state.
Examples
Esqueci seu telefone.
I forgot your phone number.
Deixei a chave no carro.
I left the key in the car.
Common trap
English forget my phone can mean leave it behind; in Portuguese, deixei o celular often fits that situation.
Practice it in context
Pick one sentence from your real life and write it twice: once with esquecer, then once with deixar. If both versions feel possible, name the meaning shift.
Turn this distinction into automatic recall
Falando teaches Brazilian Portuguese through grammar, vocabulary, audio, examples, and spaced review, so confusing pairs stop feeling like guesses.