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
Sair describes the person or thing that departs; deixar normally takes what is left behind or allowed.
A reliable test is to identify the job of the word before translating from English.
What each word does
sair
to leave or go out
Use sair for the subject moving away from a place.
deixar
to leave something or let
Use deixar for putting someone or something behind, or allowing an action.
How to choose
- sair: Choose sair if the sentence points to the subject moving away from a place.
- deixar: Choose deixar if the sentence points to putting someone or something behind, or allowing an action.
Examples
Saí de casa às sete.
I left home at seven.
Deixei as chaves na mesa.
I left the keys on the table.
Common trap
Do not say deixei de casa for “I left home.” That phrase would need another structure and can suggest stopping an activity.
Practice it in context
Pick one sentence from your real life and write it twice: once with sair, 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.