What does it mean word for word?
The phrase me fui is composed of the reflexive pronoun me (myself) and the first-person singular preterite of the verb irse (to go away or to leave), which literally translates to "I went myself away".
Which one should you use?
Use me fui to express that you departed a location. If you are saying that you left an object somewhere, such as keys, you should use dejé instead. Additionally, salí can be used to place more emphasis on the fact that you left a place.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Hispanic regions, particularly Spain, me piré is used to express "I left" in a very informal way.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase me fui is in the past tense. To address a single person informally (tú), the phrase changes to te fuiste. To indicate that a third person (he, she or it) departed, use se fue.
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, the slang phrase me piré is used to say 'I left' or 'I bolted'. It is derived from the word pirata meaning 'pirate', suggesting a quick or stealthy getaway.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, saying se fue (he/she left) can sometimes be used idiomatically to mean that someone has passed away.
- The word me in the phrase me fui shares the same ancient Proto-Indo-European roots as the English word 'me'.
Examples in context
- Tú sabes por qué me fui.You know why I left.This sentence is useful for explaining the reason why you used me fui.Tatoeba #3562662 by ficion, translation #3331028 by CK
- Me fui del colegio temprano.I left school early.This sentence shows how to use me fui to describe leaving a place like a school early.Tatoeba #5627543 by marcelostockle, translation #1559501 by sam_m
- Me fui de África para siempre.I left Africa forever.This sentence demonstrates using me fui to describe leaving a location like a country forever.Tatoeba #2603931 by marcelostockle, translation #453866 by saasmath
- El evento fue aburrido, así que me fui temprano.The event was boring, so I left early.
- Ayer salí de la oficina a las seis de la tarde.Yesterday, I left the office at six in the evening.
- Dejé la llave del coche en la mesa de la entrada.I left the car key on the entryway table.
- La película era realmente mala, así que me fui antes de que terminara.The movie was really bad, so I left before it ended.
- El lugar estaba lleno de gente desagradable, así que me largué.The place was full of unpleasant people, so I left abruptly.
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and María are talking on the phone about a party.
- AlejandroMe fui de la fiesta muy temprano.I left the party very early.
- María¿Por qué te fuiste, Alejandro?Why did you leave, Alejandro?
- AlejandroMe fui porque estaba muy cansado.I left because I was very tired.
- MaríaEntiendo, yo también me fui hace poco.I understand, I left a little while ago too.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries me, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
