partir
/paʁ.tiʁ/
To depart in French is partir.
The verb partir means to leave or to depart. It is frequently used in the idiomatic expression partir en vacances, which means to go on holiday.
Meaning: to leave (verb)
Which one should you use?
It is important to distinguish partir from quitter. While partir means to leave or depart, quitter is a transitive verb used when you are leaving a specific person, place or thing behind.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In certain areas, particularly in Quebec, Canada, people use the expression Boucler les valises to imply the act of departing or getting ready to leave.
How does it change in a sentence?
When forming compound tenses like the passé composé, partir uses the auxiliary verb être rather than avoir. The past participle of partir is parti.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables and is pronounced /paʁ.tiʁ/.
Did you know?
- In French slang, the expression partir en vrille describes a situation spinning out of control or someone having a breakdown, based on the image of an aircraft entering a tailspin.
- While it means 'to depart', the phrase faire partir can be used to describe making something start, such as a car engine or a race.
- The English word 'departure' and the French verb partir share the same Latin ancestor, 'partīre'.
Examples in context
- Il nous a dit de partir immédiatement.He told us to depart at once.This sentence is useful for seeing partir used to express an immediate departure.Tatoeba #132191 by sacredceltic, translation #449191 by CM
- Le train partira bientôt.The train will depart soon.This sentence shows the use of partir in the future tense.Tatoeba #901785 by Scott, translation #900939 by CM
- Le train était prêt à partir.The train was ready to depart.This sentence shows the use of partir following an adjective phrase.Tatoeba #1210801 by rene1596, translation #3788793 by popball
- Jean a annoncé son départ imminent de l'entreprise.Jean announced his imminent departure from the company.
- Il est temps de partir maintenant.It is time to depart now.
- Je m'en vais, à plus tard !I'm off, see you later!
- J'ai assez mangé, je pars d'ici.I've eaten enough, I'm leaving from here.
- On boucle les valises et on part demain matin.We're packing the suitcases and leaving tomorrow morning.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Manon are at a train station.
- NathanÀ quelle heure est-ce qu'on doit partir ?What time do we have to leave?
- ManonLe train va partir dans dix minutes.The train is going to leave in ten minutes.
- NathanEst-ce que tu es prête, Manon ?Are you ready, Manon?
- ManonOui, je suis prête à partir.Yes, I am ready to leave.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “depart” translations and entries partir, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries partir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
