me voy
/me boi/from spelling rules
In Spanish, 'I leave' is expressed as me voy.
The phrase is used to announce that the speaker is departing from a place. It is a common and versatile way to express that you are heading out.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, me voy means 'I go myself'. It is composed of the reflexive pronoun me (myself) and the verb voy (I go).
Which one should you use?
While salgo can mean 'I exit' or 'I leave', me voy is more commonly used when announcing an immediate or planned departure.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the reflexive form of the verb ir (to go) to indicate that the speaker is the one performing the action of leaving.
Did you know?
- The word voy is an unexpected linguistic relative of the English word 'evade'. Both stem from the same Latin root 'vadere', which relates to the concept of moving or going.
- If a speaker is leaving a room because they are angry or fed up, they will often replace the polite me voy with the much more forceful me largo.
- The phrase ya me voy is frequently used even if the speaker is still standing in the same spot. In this context, it serves more as a social cue to begin the 'goodbye' ritual than a literal description of walking away.
Examples in context
- Me voy en una hora.I leave in an hour.This sentence shows how to specify a timeframe for your departure using me voy.Tatoeba #665772 by Shishir, translation #665649 by bluepie88
- Me voy en la mañana.I leave in the morning.This sentence uses me voy to indicate a departure in the morning.Tatoeba #3803293 by cueyayotl, translation #2377280 by CK
- ¿Le importa si me voy por unos minutos?Do you mind if I leave for a few minutes?This sentence uses me voy to ask permission to leave for a short time.Tatoeba #1551059 by marcelostockle, translation #870543 by CM
- Disculpen, me retiro de la reunión ahora.Excuse me, I'm leaving the meeting now.
- Lamento interrumpir, pero me retiro ahora.Sorry to interrupt, but I'm leaving now.
- No puedo quedarme más tiempo, me voy.I can't stay longer, I'm leaving.
- Ya es tarde, me piro a casa.It's late, I'm leaving for home.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo are at a cafe at the end of the day.
- LucíaYa es tarde, me voy.It's late already, I'm leaving.
- MateoEstá bien, Lucía, nos vemos mañana.Alright, Lucía, see you tomorrow.
- Lucía¡Adiós, Mateo!Goodbye, Mateo!
- Mateo¡Que te vaya bien!Have a good one!
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries me, voy, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
