partir
/paʁ.tiʁ/
The English verb 'leave' (to depart) is translated into French as partir.
The primary verb for the act of departing is partir. For the noun 'departure', use départ and for the noun 'exit', use sortie. Related to leaving work or taking a leave of absence, the word congé is used.
Meaning: to depart (intransitive) (verb)
Which one should you use?
Use partir when the focus is on the act of departing or starting a journey. Do not confuse partir with laisser, which means to leave something or someone behind or to allow something to happen. The pronominal verb s'en aller is a very common way to say 'to leave' or 'to head off' in everyday spoken French.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When using partir in the passé composé (past tense), it uses the auxiliary verb être instead of avoir. Because it uses être, the past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject, such as in elle est partie.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /paʁ.tiʁ/ with 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- The phrase partir en vrille literally means 'to go into a spin' like an aircraft, but it is used idiomatically to describe someone losing control or having a breakdown.
- The verb partir shares an ancient root with the English word 'part', specifically in the sense of 'departing' from a whole or breaking something into pieces.
- In casual spoken French, the ne in the negative je ne pars pas is almost always dropped, leaving only je pars pas.
Examples in context
- Tu veux partir ?Do you want to leave?This sentence is useful for asking if someone wants to leave using partir.Tatoeba #458684 by sacredceltic, translation #2011542 by CK
- Tom a dû partir.Tom had to leave.This sentence is useful for stating that someone had to leave using partir.Tatoeba #5829771 by Aiji, translation #3116528 by jeedrek
- Il me faut partir.I must leave.This sentence is useful for expressing a necessity to leave using partir.Tatoeba #1996322 by sacredceltic, translation #2245988 by CK
- Il va partir en vacances demain.He is going to leave for vacation tomorrow.
- Je dois m'en aller maintenant.I have to leave now.
- Je pars chez mes amis.I'm leaving to go to my friend's place.
- Je vais filer, j'ai un rendez-vous.I'm going to leave, I have an appointment.
- Je me tire, je dois rattraper le bus.I'm leaving, I need to catch the bus.
- On sort du bureau maintenant.We're leaving the office now.
- 660 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Chloé are at a cafe and need to head home.
- GabrielIl est tard, je dois partir.It is late, I must leave.
- ChloéTu veux partir maintenant ?Do you want to leave now?
- GabrielOui, je suis fatigué.Yes, I am tired.
- ChloéD'accord, partons ensemble.Okay, let's leave together.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “leave” 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.
