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FRENCH VERB

partir

to leave

  • #26 most used
  • Irregular -ir verb
  • Past participle: parti
  • Present participle: partant

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

  1. je I leave
  2. tu you leave
  3. il, elle, on he/she leaves
  4. nous we leave
  5. vous you leave
  6. ils, elles they leave

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

  1. je I left
  2. tu you left
  3. il, elle, on he/she left
  4. nous we left
  5. vous you left
  6. ils, elles they left

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

  1. je I used to leave
  2. tu you used to leave
  3. il, elle, on he/she used to leave
  4. nous we used to leave
  5. vous you used to leave
  6. ils, elles they used to leave

Future

Futur simple · plans; in speech, “je vais parler” is just as common

  1. je I will leave
  2. tu you will leave
  3. il, elle, on he/she will leave
  4. nous we will leave
  5. vous you will leave
  6. ils, elles they will leave

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

  1. je I would leave
  2. tu you would leave
  3. il, elle, on he/she would leave
  4. nous we would leave
  5. vous you would leave
  6. ils, elles they would leave

Present subjunctive

Subjonctif présent · wishes, doubts, “il faut que …”

  1. je (that) I leave
  2. tu (that) you leave
  3. il, elle, on (that) he/she leave
  4. nous (that) we leave
  5. vous (that) you leave
  6. ils, elles (that) they leave

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

  1. tu leave!
  2. nous leave! (let’s)
  3. vous leave! (plural, or formal)

How to use partir

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present

    Le train part à sept heures dix.

    The train leaves at ten past seven.

  2. Past

    Ils sont partis en vacances en Espagne.

    They've gone on holiday to Spain.

  3. Imperfect

    Chaque été, on partait trois semaines à la montagne.

    Every summer, we went to the mountains for three weeks.

  4. Future

    Je partirai tôt demain pour éviter les bouchons.

    I'll leave early tomorrow to avoid the traffic.

  5. Conditional

    On partirait samedi matin, si ça te va.

    We'd leave Saturday morning, if that's OK with you.

  6. Present subjunctive

    Il faut que je parte, mon bus arrive.

    I have to go, my bus is coming.

  7. Imperative

    Partez devant, je vous rejoins.

    Go on ahead, I'll catch up with you.

Good to know

  • Partir takes être in the passé composé : je suis parti. You leave for a place with pour.

Where you hear partir

The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.

French · Beginner Level 1

  • Le train part à seize heures. The train leaves at four o'clock.
  • Le dernier train est parti. The last train has left.
  • Le prochain train va partir dans dix minutes. The next train is going to leave in ten minutes.

French · Beginner Level 2

  • Le train part à seize heures. The train leaves at four o'clock.
  • Le dernier train est parti. The last train has left.
  • Le prochain train va partir dans dix minutes. The next train is going to leave in ten minutes.
12
A Ticket to Lyon

Beginner Level 1 · il part

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When Are You Leaving?

Beginner Level 1 · je pars

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Back from Annecy

Beginner Level 2 · on est parties · je suis partie · il est parti

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The First Argument

Beginner Level 3 · partir

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Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: irregular -ir verb.