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Elle part de la gare.

Elle part de la gare.
She is leaving from the station.
From Lesson 36:The preposition from/of (de, du, des)·French

Questions & Answers about Elle part de la gare.

Why does this sentence use de la instead of one of the contracted forms like du or des?
In French, the preposition de (from/of) combines with the masculine article le to make du, and with the plural article les to make des. However, it never combines with the feminine article la. Because gare (station) is a feminine noun, the words do not contract and stay separate as de la.
Could I just say Elle part la gare without using de?
No, the verb partir means 'to leave' or 'to depart' in a general sense. If you want to mention the specific place you are leaving, you must include de (meaning 'from'). If you want to say 'she leaves the station' directly without the word 'from', you would use a completely different verb: quitter (Elle quitte la gare).
The word part means 'leaves', but isn't the dictionary form partir? Why does it end in a 't'?
Yes, the base dictionary form (infinitive) is partir. It is an irregular verb, meaning it doesn't follow the standard -ir ending rules you might have learned. When conjugated for il, elle, or on (he, she, it/we), the spelling drops the 'ir' and adds a 't', giving us part.
Do I pronounce the 't' at the end of part?
No, the final 't' in part is completely silent. It sounds exactly like the English word 'par'.

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