Partir is the verb to leave, to depart, to set off. It is the default verb of departure when no specific destination or starting point is foregrounded — je pars demain (I'm leaving tomorrow). It is also a canonical maison-d'être verb: it takes être as its auxiliary, and the past participle parti agrees with the subject. Partir belongs to a small set of irregular -ir verbs (also called the partir-sortir-dormir group) that share the same present-tense pattern: a stem-truncated singular and a fully expressed plural.
This page is the verb-reference entry: every paradigm, every compound tense, the major uses with examples, and the contrasts with related verbs (sortir, quitter, s'en aller) that English speakers routinely confuse with partir.
The simple tenses
These are the tenses formed without an auxiliary. Partir is irregular only in the present indicative; the rest of its paradigms are regular.
Présent de l'indicatif
The signature pattern of the partir-sortir-dormir group: in the singular, the final consonant of the stem is dropped (the -t- of part- disappears, leaving par-); in the plural it returns (partons, partez, partent).
| Person | Form | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| je | pars | /paʁ/ |
| tu | pars | /paʁ/ |
| il / elle / on | part | /paʁ/ |
| nous | partons | /paʁtɔ̃/ |
| vous | partez | /paʁte/ |
| ils / elles | partent | /paʁt/ |
The singular forms are perfectly homophonous (/paʁ/). The same pattern appears across the group: je sors / nous sortons, je dors / nous dormons, je mens / nous mentons, je sens / nous sentons, je sers / nous servons. Memorize the pattern and you have six verbs.
Je pars dans dix minutes, dépêche-toi.
I'm leaving in ten minutes, hurry up.
On part en vacances vendredi soir.
We're leaving for vacation Friday evening.
Le train part de la voie cinq dans une heure.
The train leaves from track five in an hour.
Ils partent toujours les premiers, eux.
They're always the first to leave.
Imparfait
Built on the part- stem (from nous partons) plus the regular imparfait endings.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | partais |
| tu | partais |
| il / elle / on | partait |
| nous | partions |
| vous | partiez |
| ils / elles | partaient |
Quand on était petits, on partait toujours en Bretagne en juillet.
When we were little, we always used to go to Brittany in July.
Passé simple (literary)
Used in literary writing and historical narration. Regular -is pattern. Note the circumflex on partîmes and partîtes.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | partis |
| tu | partis |
| il / elle / on | partit |
| nous | partîmes |
| vous | partîtes |
| ils / elles | partirent |
Il partit sans dire un mot.
He left without a word. (literary)
Futur simple
Regular: built on the infinitive partir- + futur endings. No irregular stem.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | partirai |
| tu | partiras |
| il / elle / on | partira |
| nous | partirons |
| vous | partirez |
| ils / elles | partiront |
On partira tôt demain matin pour éviter les embouteillages.
We'll leave early tomorrow morning to avoid the traffic.
Conditionnel présent
Same partir- base as the futur, with the imparfait endings.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | partirais |
| tu | partirais |
| il / elle / on | partirait |
| nous | partirions |
| vous | partiriez |
| ils / elles | partiraient |
À ta place, je partirais avant la pluie.
If I were you, I'd leave before the rain.
Subjonctif présent
Built on the same part- stem as the indicative plural. Regular endings.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| (que) je | parte |
| (que) tu | partes |
| (qu')il / elle / on | parte |
| (que) nous | partions |
| (que) vous | partiez |
| (qu')ils / elles | partent |
The nous / vous subjunctive forms are identical to the imparfait — context distinguishes them.
Il faut que je parte avant minuit.
I have to leave before midnight.
Je suis triste qu'elle parte si vite.
I'm sad she's leaving so soon.
Impératif
Three forms, drawn from the indicative.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| (tu) | pars |
| (nous) | partons |
| (vous) | partez |
Pars vite, sinon tu vas rater ton train.
Leave quickly, or you'll miss your train.
Partons avant qu'il ne soit trop tard.
Let's go before it's too late.
Participles and gérondif
- Participe passé: parti (agrees with the subject in compound tenses since the auxiliary is être: parti, partie, partis, parties)
- Participe présent: partant
- Gérondif: en partant
En partant tôt, on évitera la circulation.
By leaving early, we'll avoid traffic.
À partir de demain, j'arrête le sucre.
Starting tomorrow, I'm quitting sugar.
The fixed expression à partir de (= starting from / from... onwards) is one of the most useful idioms built on this verb.
The compound tenses
Partir uses être as its auxiliary — it is one of the canonical maison-d'être verbs. The past participle agrees with the subject in gender and number.
Passé composé
être (présent) + parti(e)(s)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | suis parti / partie |
| tu | es parti / partie |
| il / elle / on | est parti / partie |
| nous | sommes partis / parties |
| vous | êtes parti(s) / partie(s) |
| ils / elles | sont partis / parties |
Elle est partie sans rien dire.
She left without saying anything.
Vous êtes partis quand exactement ?
When exactly did you leave?
On est partis à sept heures pile.
We left at seven on the dot.
Plus-que-parfait
être (imparfait) + parti(e)(s)
Quand je suis arrivée, ils étaient déjà partis.
When I arrived, they had already left.
Futur antérieur
être (futur) + parti(e)(s)
Quand tu te réveilleras, je serai déjà partie.
When you wake up, I'll already have left.
Conditionnel passé
être (conditionnel) + parti(e)(s)
Sans cette tempête, on serait partis hier.
Without that storm, we would have left yesterday.
Subjonctif passé
être (subjonctif) + parti(e)(s)
Je regrette qu'il soit parti si vite.
I'm sorry he left so quickly.
The core uses
1. Partir — to leave (no destination specified)
The most frequent use. Je pars simply means I'm leaving — focus is on the act of departure, not where you're going.
Je pars, à demain.
I'm off, see you tomorrow.
Bon, on part ! Tout le monde a ses affaires ?
Right, we're going! Everyone got their things?
2. Partir de — to leave from / depart from
To specify the point of origin, use de.
Le bus part de la place de la République à dix heures.
The bus leaves from place de la République at ten.
L'avion part de Roissy à seize heures.
The plane leaves from Roissy at four p.m.
3. Partir pour / partir à / partir en — to leave for a destination
To specify a destination, French uses pour, à, or en depending on the destination type. Pour + place name foregrounds the trip; à / en foreground the arrival.
| Preposition | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| partir pour | journey to a destination (often longer trip) | partir pour Tokyo |
| partir à | leave for a city / specific point | partir à Lyon, partir à la mer |
| partir en | leave for a feminine country / activity | partir en France, partir en vacances |
| partir au | leave for a masculine country | partir au Canada |
| partir aux | leave for a plural country | partir aux États-Unis |
Mes parents partent en Italie cet été.
My parents are going to Italy this summer.
Je pars à Toulouse pour le week-end.
I'm going to Toulouse for the weekend.
On part au Maroc dans deux semaines.
We're going to Morocco in two weeks.
Elle est partie pour New York sans prévenir personne.
She left for New York without telling anyone.
4. Figurative uses: things "leaving"
Partir is also used non-literally for stains coming out, machines starting, and other "things going."
Cette tache ne part pas, j'ai tout essayé.
This stain won't come out — I've tried everything.
La voiture est partie au premier coup, pour une fois.
The car started on the first try, for once.
5. À partir de — starting from
The fixed adverbial phrase à partir de is extremely high-frequency: it means starting from / from... onwards, both temporally and spatially.
À partir de lundi, le restaurant sera fermé pour rénovation.
Starting Monday, the restaurant will be closed for renovation.
À partir de vingt euros, on a droit au menu enfant gratuit.
From twenty euros up, you get the free kids' menu.
Partir, sortir, quitter, s'en aller — choosing the right verb
This is where most English speakers stumble. All four can translate to leave, but each has its own niche.
| Verb | Sense | Auxiliary | Direct object? |
|---|---|---|---|
| partir | depart, set off (default) | être | no — intransitive |
| sortir | go out (of an enclosed space) | être (or avoir if transitive) | only when transitive ("take out") |
| quitter | leave a person, place, job (transitive) | avoir | yes — required |
| s'en aller | be off (informal, focuses on the speaker) | être (reflexive) | no — intransitive |
The decision tree:
- Are you specifying what or whom you're leaving as a direct object? Use quitter. Je quitte mon mari (I'm leaving my husband). Elle a quitté Paris en 2020.
- Are you focused on going out of an enclosed space? Use sortir. Je sors du bureau à dix-sept heures (I'm leaving the office at five).
- Are you simply departing, with no specific source or object foregrounded? Use partir. Je pars demain matin.
- Do you want to emphasize the act of getting up and going (often as a polite or grumpy exit)? Use s'en aller. Bon, je m'en vais.
Elle a quitté son emploi pour faire le tour du monde.
She quit her job to travel the world.
Je sors faire les courses, je reviens dans une heure.
I'm going out to do the shopping, I'll be back in an hour.
Bon, je m'en vais, il se fait tard.
Right, I'm off — it's getting late.
High-frequency idioms
Partir en vacances / partir en voyage — to go on vacation / on a trip
On part en vacances dans deux jours, je n'arrive pas à y croire.
We're going on vacation in two days, I can't believe it.
Partir de zéro — to start from scratch
Après l'incendie, ils ont dû partir de zéro.
After the fire, they had to start from scratch.
C'est mal parti / c'est bien parti — things are off to a bad / good start
Avec ce ciel gris, c'est mal parti pour la randonnée.
With this gray sky, the hike is off to a bad start.
Partir à la retraite — to retire
Mon père part à la retraite l'année prochaine.
My dad is retiring next year.
Comparison with English
Three friction points:
- Partir takes être. English uses to have as the universal auxiliary; French splits between avoir and être, and partir is firmly on the être side. J'ai parti is impossible. Je suis parti(e) is the only option.
- Quitter requires a direct object*. To leave in English is happily intransitive (I'm leaving). In French, if you have an object, you use quitter. Beginners often try je pars Paris — wrong; it must be je quitte Paris or je pars de Paris.
- Direction prepositions are obligatory. I'm leaving for Italy is je pars en Italie, je pars pour l'Italie. The bare je pars Italie is impossible. Choose the right preposition based on the destination type (city → à, feminine country → en, masculine country → au, plural country → aux).
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Using avoir as the auxiliary.
❌ J'ai parti tôt ce matin.
Wrong — *partir* takes *être*: *je suis parti(e) tôt ce matin*.
✅ Je suis parti tôt ce matin.
I left early this morning.
Mistake 2: Forgetting participle agreement with être.
❌ Elle est parti hier.
Wrong — with *être*, the participle agrees: *partie* for feminine singular.
✅ Elle est partie hier.
She left yesterday.
Mistake 3: Treating partir as transitive.
❌ Je pars Paris demain.
Wrong — *partir* cannot take a place as a direct object. Use *quitter* (transitive) or *partir de* / *partir pour*.
✅ Je quitte Paris demain. / Je pars de Paris demain.
I'm leaving Paris tomorrow.
Mistake 4: Using partir for going out of an enclosed space.
❌ Je pars du bureau à dix-sept heures.
Acceptable but *sortir* is more idiomatic for leaving an enclosed workplace: *je sors du bureau*.
✅ Je sors du bureau à dix-sept heures.
I leave the office at five.
Mistake 5: Wrong preposition with the destination.
❌ On part à Italie en juillet.
Wrong — *à* is for cities; for feminine countries use *en*: *en Italie*.
✅ On part en Italie en juillet.
We're going to Italy in July.
Key takeaways
Partir is the default verb of departure when no destination or object is specified. It takes être as its auxiliary, and the participle parti agrees with the subject. The present-tense singular drops the final consonant of the stem (pars, pars, part) and the plural restores it (partons, partez, partent) — this is the signature pattern shared with sortir, dormir, mentir, sentir, servir.
The futur and conditional are regular: partirai, partirais. The subjunctive uses the same part- stem as the plural indicative: que je parte. Note the circumflex in the literary passé simple partîmes, partîtes.
For destinations, choose the preposition by destination type: à (city), en (feminine country / activity), au (masculine country), aux (plural country). For points of origin, use de. The fixed expression à partir de (= starting from) is high-frequency and worth memorizing on its own.
Above all, distinguish partir (depart, intransitive) from quitter (leave + direct object), sortir (go out of an enclosed space), and s'en aller (informal "be off"). These four together cover the semantic territory of English to leave; choosing among them is one of the cleanest signs of intermediate-level French.
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