izaći / izlaziti (to exit / go out) | Croatian Grammar

Izaći ("to go out, exit, leave a place") is ići ("to go") plus the prefix iz- ("out of"). It is the mirror image of ući ("enter"), and the two are best learned as a pair: in through u- + u, out through iz- + iz. There is one twist worth flagging up front — izaći takes a different case from ući. You go into a place with the accusative, but you come out of it with the genitive, because iz is a genitive preposition. On top of the literal sense, the imperfective izlaziti is also the everyday verb for going out socially ("we go out on weekends", "they're dating").

Aspect

Izaći (perfective) and izlaziti (imperfective) form a directional motion pair. The perfective marks one completed exit; the imperfective covers exiting as a process, a habit, or — its big extra job — going out socially. A common spelling variant of the perfective is izići (older / more formal); izaći is the dominant modern standard form.

	Perfective	Imperfective
Verb	izaći (also izići)	izlaziti
Core sense	go out, exit (one completed exit)	be going out, exit; go out socially (process, habit)
Present meaning	future / subordinate (izađem ≠ "I'm going out now")	true present (izlazim = "I'm going out / I go out")
Typical use	Izađi! "Get out!"	Izlazimo vikendom. "We go out on weekends."

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Only the imperfective izlaziti carries the "go out socially / date" meaning. Izlazimo = "we go out (for fun)" and izlaze can mean "they're dating". The perfective izaći stays literal — one physical exit. See aspect and verbs of motion.

Present tense

Izaći uses the ići present stem id- with the iz- prefix, jotating at the d + j seam to đ: stem izađ-, e-class endings. Izlaziti is a regular i-class verb on the stem izlaz-.

Person	izaći (pf — future/subordinate sense)	izlaziti (impf — true present)
ja	izađem	izlazim
ti	izađeš	izlaziš
on/ona/ono	izađe	izlazi
mi	izađemo	izlazimo
vi	izađete	izlazite
oni/one/ona	izađu	izlaze

Subotom obično izlazimo u grad s društvom.

On Saturdays we usually go out in town with friends. — imperfective 'izlazimo' = go out socially, habitually.

Javi mi čim izađeš s posla.

Let me know as soon as you leave work. — perfective present 'izađeš' = a single future exit after 'čim'.

The l-participle

Izaći's participle is irregular, on the ići family's šao/šla pattern: masculine izašao, feminine izašla, neuter izašlo. Izlaziti is regular: izlazio, izlazila.

Gender / number	izaći	izlaziti
masculine singular	izašao	izlazio
feminine singular	izašla	izlazila
neuter singular	izašlo	izlazilo
masculine plural	izašli	izlazili
feminine plural	izašle	izlazile
neuter plural	izašla	izlazila

Same -ao / -la alternation as the parent ići (išao / išla): masculine izašao keeps the -a-, feminine izašla drops it.

Perfect tense (perfekt)

Clitic biti + l-participle. Izaći is not reflexive — no se.

Person	izaći (masc.)	izaći (fem.)
ja	izašao sam	izašla sam
ti	izašao si	izašla si
on / ona	izašao je	izašla je
mi	izašli smo	izašle smo
vi	izašli ste	izašle ste
oni / one	izašli su	izašle su

Izašli smo iz kina oko ponoći.

We came out of the cinema around midnight. — perfective: one completed exit, 'iz' + genitive 'kina'.

Knjiga mu je izašla prošli tjedan.

His book came out last week. — figurative: a book 'comes out' (is published).

Future I (futur prvi)

Izaći ends in -ći, so it stays full before the clitic: izaći ću (no vowel dropped). The imperfective is izlazit ću (drops -i). See future one.

Person	izaći	izlaziti
ja	izaći ću	izlazit ću
ti	izaći ćeš	izlazit ćeš
on/ona/ono	izaći će	izlazit će
mi	izaći ćemo	izlazit ćemo
vi	izaći ćete	izlazit ćete
oni/one/ona	izaći će	izlazit će

Izaći ću na minutu po svjež zrak.

I'll step out for a minute for some fresh air.

Imperative

Built on the izađ- stem with i-class endings: izađi, izađimo, izađite. Said sharply, Izađi! means "Get out!".

Person	izaći	izlaziti
ti	izađi	izlazi
mi	izađimo	izlazimo
vi	izađite	izlazite

Izađi iz sobe i pusti me da radim.

Get out of the room and let me work. — 'iz' + genitive 'sobe'.

Molim vas, izađite na stražnja vrata.

Please exit through the back door (pl./formal).

Conditional I (kondicional prvi)

bih-clitics + l-participle.

Person	izaći (masc.)
ja	izašao bih
ti	izašao bi
on/ona/ono	izašao/izašla/izašlo bi
mi	izašli bismo
vi	izašli biste
oni/one/ona	izašli bi

Izašao bih večeras, ali sam prebolestan.

I'd go out tonight, but I'm too ill.

Other forms

Passive participle: none — izaći is intransitive (no direct object), so it forms no passive participle. The related noun is izlaz ("exit").
Verbal adverbs: the imperfective gives the present verbal adverb izlazeći ("[while] going out"); the perfective gives the past verbal adverb izašavši ("having gone out"), literary.

Izašavši iz zgrade, sjetio se da je zaboravio kišobran.

Having left the building, he remembered he'd forgotten his umbrella. — past verbal adverb 'izašavši' (literary).

Government — direction

1. izaći iz + genitive — "come out of"

This is the headline case point: source-of-motion ("out of X") takes iz + the genitive, not the accusative. The prefix iz- and the preposition iz harmonise — and iz governs the genitive. So izaći iz kuće "leave the house" (genitive kuće), in deliberate contrast with ući u kuću "enter the house" (accusative kuću). This in/out asymmetry of case is exactly what English speakers forget. See genitive after prepositions.

Izašla je iz auta i zaključala vrata.

She got out of the car and locked the door. — 'iz' + genitive 'auta'.

Izašli su iz kuće u žurbi.

They left the house in a hurry. — 'iz' + genitive 'kuće'.

2. izaći na + accusative — "go out onto"

For going out onto an open or surface destination, use na + the accusative: izaći na ulicu "go out onto the street", izaći na zrak "go out for air", izaći na sunce "go out into the sun". This is goal-of-motion, hence the accusative. See accusative for motion.

Izađimo na terasu, prelijepa je večer.

Let's go out onto the terrace, it's a beautiful evening. — 'na' + accusative 'terasu'.

3. izlaziti — "go out socially / date"

The imperfective, used absolutely or with s(a) + instrumental, means going out for fun or being romantically involved.

Već pola godine izlaze.

They've been dating for half a year now. — 'izlaze' = are in a relationship.

Common Mistakes

❌ Izašao sam iz kuću.

Wrong case — 'iz' is a genitive preposition: 'iz kuće', not the accusative 'kuću'. Out-of takes the genitive, even though into takes the accusative.

✅ Izašao sam iz kuće.

I left the house.

❌ Izađem za pet minuta, čekaj me.

Aspect error — for the in-progress / 'about to' sense use the imperfective 'izlazim'; perfective 'izađem' can't mean 'right now'.

✅ Izlazim za pet minuta.

I'm coming out in five minutes.

❌ Izašao sam se iz sobe.

Wrong — 'izaći' is not reflexive; there is no 'se': 'izašao sam iz sobe'.

✅ Izašao sam iz sobe.

I came out of the room.

❌ Izaćit ću kasnije.

Wrong future — verbs in '-ći' keep the full infinitive: 'izaći ću', with no dropped vowel and no extra 't'.

✅ Izaći ću kasnije.

I'll go out later.

Key Takeaways

Izaći (also izići; pf, "go out") / izlaziti (impf, "be going out; go out socially") — the perfective is the base form (Izađi! Izaći ću).
Irregular l-participle izašao / izašla / izašlo; future izaći ću (no -i drop, because of -ći).
Government asymmetry: out of = iz
- genitive (izaći iz kuće), but onto = na
  - accusative (izaći na ulicu). Contrast ući u kuću (accusative).
Only the imperfective izlaziti means "go out socially / date".
Izaći is not reflexive (no se) and forms no passive participle.

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