Partire (to leave, to depart, to set off) is a high-frequency motion verb you'll need from your first trip in Italy. It's a regular pure -ire verb — same family as sentire, dormire, aprire — built on the predictable stem part-, with no -isc- infix and no irregular forms anywhere in the paradigm. The pedagogical weight of partire lies in three things: choosing the right auxiliary (essere, not avere — the most common A1 mistake), choosing the right preposition (partire per for destination, not partire a), and distinguishing it from the close-cousin verbs andare and uscire.
Etymologically, Italian partire descends from Latin partīre (to divide, to share, to apportion), preserved in Italian parte (part) and English partition. The departure sense is a Romance development: in Old Italian, partirsi (the reflexive) meant "to separate oneself from a place" — to "part" from somewhere — and over time the reflexive marker dropped while the meaning of "depart" stuck. The original "divide" sense survives in compounds like spartire (to share, to split) and in certain literary phrases. So when an Italian says parto domani, they're saying something like "I separate-myself tomorrow" with the etymological residue intact.
Partire differs from andare (to go) and uscire (to go out) in one specific way: it foregrounds the moment of departure, the breaking-off itself, rather than the trajectory or the act of exiting an enclosed space. Vado a Roma describes the trajectory ("I'm going to Rome"); parto per Roma describes the leaving ("I'm setting off for Rome," with attention on the departure point and the act of leaving). At the train station, you say parto alle nove (I leave at nine) — the verb names the moment the train departs.
Indicativo presente
| Person | Form | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| io | parto | /ˈparto/ |
| tu | parti | /ˈparti/ |
| lui / lei / Lei | parte | /ˈparte/ |
| noi | partiamo | /parˈtjamo/ |
| voi | partite | /parˈtite/ |
| loro | partono | /ˈpartono/ |
A textbook pure -ire present — no -isc- infix. Stress falls on the stem in the singular and 3pl (PAR-to, PAR-ti, PAR-te, PAR-to-no) and shifts to the ending in noi and voi (par-TIA-mo, par-TI-te). Compare finire → finisco, finisci, finisce, finiscono: partire does not behave that way. It's a model verb for the pure -ire pattern.
Parto domani mattina alle sette.
I'm leaving tomorrow morning at seven.
A che ora parte il treno per Milano?
What time does the train for Milan leave?
Partiamo tutti insieme dalla stazione.
We're all leaving together from the station.
Partite anche voi questo fine settimana?
Are you guys leaving this weekend too?
I miei genitori partono per la Sicilia in agosto.
My parents are leaving for Sicily in August.
Imperfetto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | partivo |
| tu | partivi |
| lui / lei / Lei | partiva |
| noi | partivamo |
| voi | partivate |
| loro | partivano |
Standard -ire imperfect endings on the regular part- stem. Used for habitual past departures (partivo sempre presto) and for ongoing states cut off by another action (partiva proprio quando squillò il telefono, "she was just about to leave when the phone rang").
Da ragazzo partivo per il mare ogni estate con i miei zii.
As a boy I would set off for the seaside every summer with my aunt and uncle.
Il treno partiva sempre puntuale, anche con la nebbia.
The train always left on time, even in the fog.
Passato remoto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | partii |
| tu | partisti |
| lui / lei / Lei | partì |
| noi | partimmo |
| voi | partiste |
| loro | partirono |
Fully regular -ire passato remoto. Note partii (with the double-i: stem part- + ending -ii) and the obligatory grave on partì (3sg). Without the accent, parti would just be the indicative or imperative tu. The double mm in partimmo distinguishes the noi passato remoto from the present partiamo.
Partì da casa all'alba senza svegliare nessuno.
He left home at dawn without waking anyone.
Futuro semplice
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | partirò |
| tu | partirai |
| lui / lei / Lei | partirà |
| noi | partiremo |
| voi | partirete |
| loro | partiranno |
Regular -ire future built on partir- + standard endings. Grave accents on partirò (1sg) and partirà (3sg).
Partirò venerdì sera con il volo delle nove.
I'll leave Friday evening on the nine o'clock flight.
Partiremo presto per evitare il traffico del rientro.
We'll leave early to avoid the traffic on the way back.
Condizionale presente
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | partirei |
| tu | partiresti |
| lui / lei / Lei | partirebbe |
| noi | partiremmo |
| voi | partireste |
| loro | partirebbero |
The single-m / double-m pair: partiremo (future) versus partiremmo (conditional). The condizionale of partire is heavily used in soft requests and counterfactuals — partirei volentieri ("I'd happily leave"), al posto tuo, partirei subito ("if I were you, I'd leave right away").
Partirei domani stesso, ma il lavoro non me lo permette.
I'd leave tomorrow itself, but work doesn't allow it.
Partiremmo volentieri con voi se avessimo le ferie.
We'd happily leave with you if we had the time off.
Congiuntivo presente
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| (che) io | parta |
| (che) tu | parta |
| (che) lui / lei | parta |
| (che) noi | partiamo |
| (che) voi | partiate |
| (che) loro | partano |
The three singulars collapse into parta. Note that partiamo does triple duty (indicative noi, subjunctive noi, imperative noi).
Voglio che tu parta presto, evitiamo il traffico.
I want you to leave early, let's avoid the traffic.
Bisogna che partano entro mezzogiorno.
They need to leave by noon.
Congiuntivo imperfetto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| (che) io | partissi |
| (che) tu | partissi |
| (che) lui / lei | partisse |
| (che) noi | partissimo |
| (che) voi | partiste |
| (che) loro | partissero |
Se partissi adesso, arriveresti in tempo per cena.
If you left now, you'd arrive in time for dinner.
Imperativo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | parti! |
| Lei (formal) | parta! |
| noi | partiamo |
| voi | partite |
| loro (formal pl.) | partano |
The imperative noi partiamo! ("let's go!", "let's set off!") is the most-used form here — the natural call to action when leaving a place. Negative tu uses non + infinitive: non partire, never non parti.
Partiamo, è tardi!
Let's go, it's late!
Non partire senza salutare la nonna.
Don't leave without saying goodbye to grandma.
Forme non finite
| Form | Italian |
|---|---|
| Infinito presente | partire |
| Infinito passato | essere partito/a |
| Gerundio presente | partendo |
| Gerundio passato | essendo partito/a |
| Participio passato | partito |
The participle partito is regular and agrees with the subject because partire takes essere: partito (m.sg.), partita (f.sg.), partiti (m.pl. or mixed), partite (f.pl.). The infinito passato also reflects this: essere partito/a, never avere partito.
Compound tenses (auxiliary: essere)
This is the heart of where learners get tripped up. Partire is an intransitive verb of motion, specifically a verb of departure (motion away from a place), and it takes essere as auxiliary in all compound tenses. The participle agrees with the subject in gender and number — exactly like an adjective.
| Tense | io (m.) | io (f.) | noi (m.) | noi (f.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passato prossimo | sono partito | sono partita | siamo partiti | siamo partite |
| Trapassato prossimo | ero partito | ero partita | eravamo partiti | eravamo partite |
| Futuro anteriore | sarò partito | sarò partita | saremo partiti | saremo partite |
| Condizionale passato | sarei partito | sarei partita | saremmo partiti | saremmo partite |
| Congiuntivo passato | sia partito | sia partita | siamo partiti | siamo partite |
| Congiuntivo trapassato | fossi partito | fossi partita | fossimo partiti | fossimo partite |
Sono partita alle cinque per evitare il traffico.
I (fem.) left at five to avoid the traffic.
Maria e Giulia sono partite ieri per Parigi.
Maria and Giulia left for Paris yesterday. (partite, fem. pl.)
Quando sono arrivata, lui era già partito.
When I arrived, he had already left.
Se foste partiti prima, avreste preso il treno.
If you guys had left earlier, you would have caught the train.
Constructions: prepositions
The right preposition is critical, and it differs from English.
| Construction | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| partire da + place | departure point — "leave from" | Parto da Milano |
| partire per + place | destination — "leave for" | Parto per Roma |
| partire alle + time | time of departure | Parto alle sette |
| partire in + means | by means of | Parto in treno / in aereo / in macchina |
| partire con + person/flight | accompanied by / on (flight) | Parto con Marco / con il volo delle dieci |
The hardest one for English speakers is partire per for destination. English maps "leave" to "leave for," which suggests partire per — but English also says "leave to Rome" colloquially, which would suggest partire a Roma by analogy. Don't use partire a: it's not standard Italian. Always partire per.
Parto da Roma alle dieci e arrivo a Napoli a mezzogiorno.
I'm leaving from Rome at ten and arriving in Naples at noon.
Domani parto per la Spagna con un amico.
Tomorrow I'm leaving for Spain with a friend.
Sono partiti in treno perché c'era nebbia all'aeroporto.
They left by train because there was fog at the airport.
Partire vs andare vs uscire
Three motion verbs that all overlap in places. The cleanest way to draw the lines:
| Verb | Focus | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| partire | moment of departure, breaking-off | trips, journeys, trains/flights leaving |
| andare | trajectory, going somewhere | everyday going (to school, to work, on holiday) |
| uscire | going out, exiting an enclosed space | leaving the house, going out socially, leaving a building |
Examples that highlight the contrast:
Esco di casa alle otto e vado al lavoro.
I leave the house at eight and go to work. (uscire = exit; andare = trajectory)
Sabato parto per le vacanze.
Saturday I leave for holiday. (partire = departure for a trip)
Stasera esco con gli amici.
Tonight I'm going out with friends. (uscire = social going-out)
For a fuller treatment, see Partire vs andare vs uscire.
Compound and related verbs
- ripartire — to leave again, to set off again, to restart. Same paradigm as partire, takes essere. Used metaphorically: ripartire da zero (to start over from scratch).
- spartire — to share, to divide up. Same Latin root partīre with prefix ex- (Vulgar Latin expartīre → Italian spartire); preserves the original "divide" sense of partīre that modern partire has largely lost. Takes avere, since it's transitive: abbiamo spartito i compiti (we divided up the tasks).
- dipartire (literary, archaic) — to depart, to die. Found in Dante; not used in modern speech.
Dopo la pausa caffè, ripartiamo con la riunione.
After the coffee break, let's restart the meeting.
Hanno spartito l'eredità tra i tre fratelli.
They split the inheritance among the three siblings.
Idiomatic uses
A rich set of idioms hangs off partire — many metaphorical extensions of the "departure" sense.
- partire in quarta — to start full-throttle (lit. "to take off in fourth gear")
- partire con il piede sbagliato — to start on the wrong foot
- partire male — to get off to a bad start
- partire da zero — to start from scratch
- a partire da + time/place — starting from
- partire alla volta di + place — to set off for (more formal)
- partire lancia in resta — to charge in (lit. "with lance at the ready" — chivalric)
- partire per la tangente — to go off on a tangent
- far partire qualcosa — to start something (a machine, a song): fai partire la musica ("put the music on")
- partire (di brutto) — to lose one's temper, to fly off the handle (slang/informal)
Quel progetto è partito in quarta e poi si è fermato.
That project took off full-throttle and then stalled.
Siamo partiti con il piede sbagliato, ma poi le cose sono migliorate.
We got off to a bad start, but then things got better.
A partire da lunedì, l'orario cambia.
Starting from Monday, the schedule changes.
Fai partire la canzone, dai!
Put the song on, come on!
Common mistakes
❌ Ho partito alle sette.
Incorrect — partire takes essere, not avere. This is the single most common error on this verb.
✅ Sono partito alle sette.
Correct — essere is the auxiliary for verbs of departure.
❌ Domani parto a Roma.
Incorrect — partire takes 'per' for destination, not 'a'. (English 'leave to Rome' is unidiomatic too.)
✅ Domani parto per Roma.
Correct — partire per + destination.
❌ Maria è partito ieri.
Incorrect — with essere, the participle agrees with the subject. Maria is feminine.
✅ Maria è partita ieri.
Correct — partita agrees with feminine singular Maria.
❌ Io partisco domani mattina.
Incorrect — partire is a pure -ire verb, no -isc- infix. The -isc- pattern belongs to capire, finire, preferire.
✅ Io parto domani mattina.
Correct — pure -ire verbs conjugate without -isc-.
❌ Quando sono arrivato, lui ha già partito.
Incorrect — both auxiliary (must be essere) and tense formation are wrong.
✅ Quando sono arrivato, lui era già partito.
Correct — trapassato prossimo with essere ('he had already left').
Key takeaways
Pure -ire verb, fully regular. Same family as sentire, dormire, aprire. No -isc-, no irregular forms anywhere.
Auxiliary is essere with full agreement. Sono partito/partita/partiti/partite. Get this wrong and the sentence sounds non-Italian.
Partire per (not partire a) for destination. Parto per Roma, never parto a Roma. English speakers default to a by analogy with English "to" — resist that instinct.
Partire vs andare vs uscire. Partire foregrounds the departure (the leaving itself), andare foregrounds the trajectory (the going), uscire foregrounds the exit (going out of a space).
Imperativo partiamo! ("let's go!") is the most natural way to call others to leave with you. The simple parti! (sing.) and partite! (pl.) are more common with trains, vehicles, athletes — anything where there's a starting moment.
The companion verbs to drill alongside partire are andare and uscire. All three take essere; mastering the contrast in their meaning is more useful than treating them as interchangeable.
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Open the Italian course →Related Topics
- Andare: Full ConjugationA1 — Complete paradigm of andare (to go) — a high-frequency motion verb with a famously irregular va- stem in the presente and the truncated imperative va'.
- Uscire: Full ConjugationA1 — Complete paradigm of uscire (to go out, to leave) — a third-conjugation verb with the distinctive u→e vowel shift in stressed forms, full essere agreement, and the di casa idiom.
- Auxiliary Selection: Essere vs Avere (The Critical Decision)A1 — The single grammatical decision that determines how every Italian compound tense works — when to use essere, when to use avere, and how to predict the right answer for any verb.