'Salir' means to leave a place with emphasis on the act of departing or going through a door. 'Irse' means to depart from a place with emphasis on the decision not to stay, often resulting in being absent. Both can refer to leaving a place, but they shift the focus of the sentence.

'Salir' is usually used with 'de' to indicate where one departs from. 'Irse' is typically used with 'de' or without a complement, and it almost always appears with a reflexive pronoun. The correct structure depends on the verb you choose.

With 'salir' the focus is usually on the moment of departure or on the physical movement. With 'irse' the focus is usually on the decision to leave and on the change of state from being to not being. The difference is a matter of perspective, not just dictionary meaning.

'Salir' usually goes with the place of origin ('de') and can be combined with a destination using 'a'. 'Irse' can go with 'de' for the place left and with 'a' for the destination, but in many contexts it is enough to just 'irse' if the destination isn't relevant. Choosing complements changes what information the sentence highlights.

'Irse' functions as a pronominal verb and requires the appropriate reflexive pronoun: me, te, se, nos, os, se. 'Salir' is not pronominal in its normal use and is conjugated without a pronoun. Forgetting the pronoun with 'irse' changes the meaning or sounds incomplete.

In the present tense, 'salir' is irregular in the first person singular: 'yo salgo'. 'Irse' is conjugated as 'ir' plus the reflexive pronoun, and 'yo me voy' is the key form. These forms are used daily to talk about schedules and immediate decisions.

In the simple past, 'salir' is regular and used for completed actions of leaving a place. 'Irse' is conjugated like 'ir' plus the reflexive pronoun, and 'me fui' is the key form to narrate that someone left. These forms appear frequently in narratives and explanations of the day.

'Salir' appears frequently with transportation, schedules and activities involving physical movement. 'Irse' appears frequently in closings of meetings, farewells and decisions to leave for a reason. Recognizing these contexts helps to choose the verb naturally.

Use 'salir' to emphasize the act of departure and the place of origin, often with 'de'. Use 'irse' with a reflexive pronoun to emphasize that someone leaves and ceases to be, with or without 'de' depending on the context. The forms 'yo salgo' and 'yo me voy' are essential for clear communication.