In Spanish, both salir and irse express ideas related to leaving, but they are used in distinct contexts and carry different nuances.
- Salir: to go out, to leave (depart), to exit; emphasizes the act of leaving from a specific place or situation, often with the destination implicit.
- Irse: to leave, to go away; emphasizes departing for good or with a sense of separation, often focusing on the subject's movement away from the current place.
Understanding when to use each verb is essential for expressing departure appropriately in Spanish.
- Real-life context: You might use salir when telling someone to leave work at 5 PM (salir del trabajo), but irse if you're talking about someone moving out of town permanently.