Meaning and Usage
The French verb partir means to leave or to go away. It is commonly used to describe leaving a place, often implying a departure for a destination. It is an irregular verb that belongs to the third group and is conjugated with the auxiliary verb être in compound tenses.
Conjugation Pattern
Partir is an irregular -ir verb. Its stem changes in different tenses, particularly in the present indicative and subjunctive. It is important to learn its distinct conjugation forms as they differ from regular -ir verbs like finir.
Present Tense Conjugation
The present tense of partir expresses actions happening now or general truths about leaving.
| French Pronoun | French Conjugation | English Conjugation | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| je | pars | I leave | Je pars à huit heures. | I leave at eight o'clock. |
| tu | pars | you leave | Tu pars en vacances demain. | You leave on vacation tomorrow. |
| il/elle/on | part | he/she/one leaves | Il part pour Paris ce soir. | He leaves for Paris tonight. |
| nous | partons | we leave | Nous partons ensemble. | We leave together. |
| vous | partez | you leave (formal/pl.) | Vous partez bientôt ? | Are you leaving soon? |
| ils/elles | partent | they leave | Elles partent après le déjeuner. | They leave after lunch. |
Passé Composé Conjugation
The passé composé indicates completed actions in the past. Partir uses être as its auxiliary verb, so agreement in gender and number applies.
| French Pronoun | French Conjugation | English Conjugation | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| je | suis parti / partie | I left | Je suis parti à midi. | I left at noon. |
| tu | es parti / partie | you left | Tu es partie hier. | You left yesterday. |
| il | est parti | he left | Il est parti tôt. | He left early. |
| elle | est partie | she left | Elle est partie en avance. | She left early. |
| nous | sommes partis / parties | we left | Nous sommes partis ensemble. | We left together. |
| vous | êtes partis / parties | you left | Vous êtes partis à l'heure. | You left on time. |
| ils | sont partis | they left | Ils sont partis sans dire au revoir. | They left without saying goodbye. |
| elles | sont parties | they left | Elles sont parties en vacances. | They left for vacation. |
Imperfect Tense
The imperfect tense is used for ongoing or repeated actions in the past and descriptions.
| French Pronoun | French Conjugation | English Conjugation | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| je | partais | I was leaving / used to leave | Je partais souvent en été. | I used to leave often in summer. |
| tu | partais | you were leaving / used to leave | Tu partais tous les matins. | You left every morning. |
| il/elle/on | partait | he/she/one was leaving | Il partait quand tu es arrivé. | He was leaving when you arrived. |
| nous | partions | we were leaving | Nous partions ensemble chaque fois. | We used to leave together each time. |
| vous | partiez | you were leaving | Vous partiez sans prévenir. | You were leaving without warning. |
| ils/elles | partaient | they were leaving | Ils partaient très tôt chaque jour. | They left very early every day. |
Future Tense
The future tense expresses what will happen.
| French Pronoun | French Conjugation | English Conjugation | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| je | partirai | I will leave | Je partirai demain matin. | I will leave tomorrow morning. |
| tu | partiras | you will leave | Tu partiras bientôt. | You will leave soon. |
| il/elle/on | partira | he/she/one will leave | Il partira en voyage vendredi. | He will leave on a trip Friday. |
| nous | partirons | we will leave | Nous partirons à midi. | We will leave at noon. |
| vous | partirez | you will leave | Vous partirez en vacances cet été. | You will leave on vacation this summer. |
| ils/elles | partiront | they will leave | Ils partiront ensemble. | They will leave together. |
Subjunctive Present
The subjunctive mood expresses doubt, necessity, or emotion related to leaving.
| French Pronoun | French Conjugation | English Conjugation | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| que je | parte | that I leave | Il faut que je parte maintenant. | It is necessary that I leave now. |
| que tu | partes | that you leave | Il est important que tu partes tôt. | It is important that you leave early. |
| qu’il/elle/on | parte | that he/she/one leave | Il veut qu’elle parte. | He wants her to leave. |
| que nous | partions | that we leave | Nous souhaitons que nous partions ensemble. | We wish that we leave together. |
| que vous | partiez | that you leave | Il faut que vous partiez à l’heure. | It is necessary that you leave on time. |
| qu’ils/elles | partent | that they leave | Il est possible qu’ils partent demain. | It is possible that they leave tomorrow. |
Additional Notes
Because partir uses être as the auxiliary verb in compound tenses, it requires agreement with the subject in gender and number, e.g., elle est partie (she left) vs. ils sont partis (they left).
It is commonly used in reflexive verbs such as se partir or combined with prepositions to indicate leaving a specific place or situation.
