Partir Conjugation in French: Complete Tables and Tenses Guide

The verb partir is one of the most frequently used verbs in everyday French. Whether you want to talk about leaving a party, catching a flight, or going on vacation, partir (meaning to leave, to depart, or to go away) is an essential vocabulary item.

However, partir can present a few challenges for non-native speakers: it belongs to the irregular third group of French verbs and requires the auxiliary verb être in compound tenses. This comprehensive guide breaks down the conjugation patterns, full tense tables, and key grammar distinctions you need to speak with confidence.

1. Key Grammatical Traits of Partir

Before diving into the charts, keep these essential rules in mind:

  • The 3rd Group Pattern: Unlike regular -ir verbs (such as finir or choisir), partir does not add -iss- in its plural stems. It shares its conjugation pattern with verbs like sortir (to go out), dormir (to sleep), and sentir (to feel/smell). At the present tense, the stem drops the letter t for the singular forms (je pars, tu pars, il part) and restores it for the plural forms (nous partons).
  • The Auxiliary Être: In compound tenses like the passé composé, partir always uses être as its helping verb. Consequently, the past participle parti must agree in gender and number with the subject.

    • 2. Complete Conjugation Tables

    Present Tense (Présent de l'indicatif)

Used for general truths, current actions, or habitual behavior.

Subject Pronoun French Form English Equivalent
Je pars I leave / I am leaving
Tu pars You leave (informal)
Il / Elle / On part He / She / One leaves
Nous partons We leave
Vous partez You leave (formal/plural)
Ils / Elles partent They leave

Example: Nous partons en vacances demain matin. (We are leaving on vacation tomorrow morning.)

Passé Composé (Compound Past)

Used to express completed past actions. Make sure to match the ending of the participle (-e for feminine, -s for plural).

Subject Pronoun French Form English Equivalent
Je suis parti(e) I left / I have left
Tu es parti(e) You left
Il / On est parti He / One left
Elle est partie She left
Nous sommes parti(e)s We left
Vous êtes parti(e)(s) You left
Ils sont partis They left (masc.)
Elles sont parties They left (fem.)

Example: Claire est déjà partie pour l'aéroport. (Claire has already left for the airport.)

Imperfect Tense (Imparfait)

Used to set the scene, describe ongoing past states, or refer to repeated past habits.

Subject Pronoun French Form English Equivalent
Je partais I used to leave / was leaving
Tu partais You used to leave
Il / Elle / On partait He / She used to leave
Nous partions We used to leave
Vous partiez You used to leave
Ils / Elles partaient They used to leave

Example: Tous les vendredis, il partait plus tôt du bureau. (Every Friday, he used to leave the office earlier.)

Simple Future (Futur Simple)

Formed by taking the infinitive partir and attaching regular future endings.

Subject Pronoun French Form English Equivalent
Je partirai I will leave
Tu partiras You will leave
Il / Elle / On partira He / She will leave
Nous partirons We will leave
Vous partirez You will leave
Ils / Elles partiront They will leave

Example: Vous partirez à quelle heure ? (What time will you leave?)

Present Conditional (Conditionnel Présent)

Used to express hypotheses, polite inquiries, or hypothetical outcomes.

Subject Pronoun French Form English Equivalent
Je partirais I would leave
Tu partirais You would leave
Il / Elle / On partirait He / She would leave
Nous partirions We would leave
Vous partiriez You would leave
Ils / Elles partiraient They would leave

Example: À ta place, je partirais immédiatement. (In your shoes, I would leave immediately.)

Present Subjunctive (Subjonctif Présent)

Required after clauses expressing necessity, feelings, wishes, or uncertainties.

Subject Pronoun French Form English Equivalent
Que je parte That I leave
Que tu partes That you leave
Qu'il / elle / on parte That he / she leave
Que nous partions That we leave
Que vous partiez That you leave
Qu'ils / elles partent That they leave

Example: Il est impératif que nous partions à l'heure. (It is imperative that we leave on time.)

Imperative (Impératif)

For giving direct commands or suggestions:

  • Pars ! (Leave! - singular/informal)
  • Partons ! (Let's leave!)
  • Partez ! (Leave! - plural/formal)

    • 3. Common Pitfall: Partir vs. Quitter vs. Laisser

English learners frequently confuse these three verbs because all translate loosely to "to leave":

1. Partir is intransitive. You never place a direct object right after it. You leave from somewhere (partir de Paris) or for a destination (partir en vacances).

2. Quitter is transitive. It always takes a direct object (a place or a person you leave behind).

Correct: J'ai quitté mon emploi. (I left my job.) Incorrect: J'ai parti mon emploi.

3. Laisser means to physically leave an object behind or let something remain in a place.

Example: J'ai laissé mon parapluie dans la voiture. (I left my umbrella in the car.)

Review these charts regularly, practise writing sample sentences, and you will master the conjugation and correct usage of partir in no time!