How to Conjugate Partir in French: Complete Conjugation Charts and Examples

Key takeaways

• Partir (to leave) is an irregular -IR verb and does not follow the regular -IR conjugation pattern.
• In the passé composé, partir uses être (not avoir) as the auxiliary verb.
• The past participle is parti(e) and must agree with the subject in gender and number.
• Partir is often confused with sortir (to go out). Similar conjugation, different meanings.
• Learning partir gives you the template for sortir, dormir, mentir, and sentir.

This guide covers the full conjugation of partir across six major tenses: présent, passé composé, imparfait, futur simple, conditionnel présent, and subjonctif présent. italki connects you with native French tutors from our community of 30,000+ professional tutors who can drill partir and its related verb family in real conversation.

Partir vs. Sortir

Partir equals to leave/depart (a journey; implies not staying). Sortir equals to go out (temporary; implies returning). Je pars pour Paris. (leaving for a journey). Je sors acheter du pain. (going out briefly). Elle est partie à huit heures. (departed). Elle est sortie à huit heures. (went out). Clarify the subtle distinction between these two verbs by working with a French tutor who can show you how native speakers choose between partir, sortir, quitter, and laisser in authentic contexts.

Présent

Person	Conjugation
je	pars
tu	pars
il/elle/on	part
nous	partons
vous	partez
ils/elles	partent

Je pars dans cinq minutes. We are leaving on vacation tomorrow: Nous partons en vacances demain. Master the present tense of irregular -IR verbs by drilling with an online French teacher who can show you how departures and movements are naturally expressed in everyday speech.

Passé composé

Auxiliary: être. Past participle: parti (m.sg.) / partie (f.sg.) / partis (m.pl.) / parties (f.pl.)

Person	Conjugation
je (m/f)	suis parti / suis partie
tu (m/f)	es parti / es partie
il / elle	est parti / est partie
nous	sommes partis / sommes parties
vous	êtes partis / êtes parties
ils / elles	sont partis / sont parties

Il est parti hier soir. She left without saying goodbye: Elle est partie sans dire au revoir. Always use être. “J’ai parti” is incorrect. Internalize être conjugation and gender agreement by practicing passé composé narratives with a French online tutor so agreement becomes automatic in past tense storytelling.

Imparfait

Person	Conjugation
je	partais
tu	partais
il/elle/on	partait
nous	partions
vous	partiez
ils/elles	partaient

Quand j’étais enfant, je partais en vacances en Bretagne. He always left for work before seven o’clock: Il partait toujours au travail avant sept heures. Build fluency with ongoing past actions by practicing imparfait descriptions with a French teacher online who can show you how to describe habitual departures and recurring travel patterns.

Futur simple

Person	Conjugation
je	partirai
tu	partiras
il/elle/on	partira
nous	partirons
vous	partirez
ils/elles	partiront

Je partirai à six heures du matin. We will leave as soon as everything is ready: Nous partirons dès que tout sera prêt. Practice making future travel plans and predictions by working with an online French tutor who can show you how departures are announced and scheduled in natural conversation.

Conditionnel présent

Person	Conjugation
je	partirais
tu	partirais
il/elle/on	partirait
nous	partirions
vous	partiriez
ils/elles	partiraient

Je partirais plus tôt si j’avais une voiture. Use conditionals to express hypothetical departures and propose alternative travel plans with a French teacher who can show you how if-then scenarios about leaving sound natural.

Subjonctif Présent

Person	Conjugation
que je	parte
que tu	partes
qu’il/elle/on	parte
que nous	partions
que vous	partiez
qu’ils/elles	partent

Je veux que tu partes maintenant. It is important that she leave before the meeting: Il est important qu’elle parte avant la réunion. Master subjunctive expressions of desire and necessity involving departure by drilling with an online French teacher who can show you when wishes and requirements trigger the subjunctive.

Common errors

Error 1: Using avoir in passé composé.“J’ai parti” is wrong. Always: “Je suis parti(e).” Error 2: Forgetting past participle agreement.“Elles sont parti” is wrong. “Elles sont parties” is correct. Error 3: Confusing partir and quitter. Quitter takes a direct object (quitter la maison). Partir is intransitive: partir de la maison. Avoid these mistakes by having a French tutoring specialist correct your constructions in real sentences until the distinctions become habitual. Master all six tenses of partir with guided practice on italki from 30,000+ expert tutors trusted by over 10 million learners worldwide.Book a trial lesson today.

FAQ

What is the difference between “partir” and “s’en aller”?

Both mean “to leave.” S’en aller is slightly more emphatic or final. “Je m’en vais” is common in spoken French. Partir is the more neutral choice in most contexts. Which other verbs are conjugated like partir? Sortir, dormir, mentir, servir, and sentir follow the same present tense pattern. Dropping the last three letters of the stem in singular forms. How do you say “I am about to leave” in French? Use “être sur le point de” plus infinitive: “Je suis sur le point de partir.”