The verb sortir means "to go out" or "to leave." It is irregular and belongs to the third group of French verbs. When using sortir in compound tenses, it generally takes the auxiliary verb être, but if it's followed by a direct object, it uses avoir.
Usage and Meaning
Sortir can be used in various contexts:
- To go out (e.g., sortir avec des amis — to go out with friends)
- To leave a place (e.g., sortir de la maison — to leave the house)
- To take something out (e.g., sortir la poubelle — to take out the trash)
- To date someone (e.g., sortir avec quelqu’un — to date someone)
Conjugation Patterns
Present Tense Endings
- Je sors
- Tu sors
- Il/Elle sort
- Nous sortons
- Vous sortez
- Ils/Elles sortent
Past Participle
- sorti
Auxiliary Verbs
- être (most cases, e.g., Je suis sorti(e))
- avoir (with direct object, e.g., J’ai sorti la poubelle)
I go out with my friends every Friday night.
Je sors avec mes amis tous les vendredis soir.
The first-person singular present tense of sortir is sors. The correct sentence is Je sors avec mes amis tous les vendredis soir.
Common Phrases
- sortir avec quelqu’un (to date someone)
- sortir de/du (to leave from)
- sortir en boîte (to go clubbing)
- sortir la poubelle (to take out the trash)
Examples
| French Example | English Example |
|---|---|
| Je sors ce soir avec des amis. | I’m going out tonight with friends. |
| Elle est sortie de la maison tôt. | She left the house early. |
| Nous sortons au restaurant demain. | We’re going out to a restaurant tomorrow. |
| Il a sorti les bagages. | He took out the luggage. |
I’m going out tonight with friends.
Je sors ce soir avec des amis.
The French sentence uses sortir: Je sors ce soir avec des amis.
Summary
- Meanings: to go out, to leave, to take out, to date
- Auxiliaries: être (intransitive), avoir (with direct objects)
- Irregularities: stem changes in present (sors, sort, sortons), past participle sorti
Sortir is a versatile but irregular verb that appears frequently in everyday French.
Flashcards (1 of 4)
- English Example: I’m going out tonight with friends.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
