Dejar de + infinitive

Question

The lesson specifically states that we don’t use the gerund as we might in English.  Then the gerund is used: He dejado de fumar. Am I missing something? Nowhere in the lesson does it say in certain instances we would use the gerund. Please explain.

Inma Sánchez · Answer

Hola MichaelI think you may be confusing the gerund with the infinitive. In Spanish we always use the infinitive (-ar, -er, -ir form, e.g. fumar, beber...) - Our gerund (or present participle) form in Spanish would be ending in -ando / -iendo. So, what you don't find in Spanish is:He dejado de fumando (I have stopped smoking)Ella dejó de bebiendo (She stopped drinking)I hope this clarified it.Saludos