In French, depending on context, you use one of these four verbs to express to leave: partir, laisser, quitter or sortir.
How to express "to leave" in French
Here's how to use each of them correctly:
Partir
- partir means to leave / to go away.
You can use it on its own (I leave = Je pars).
When you use it with a place (or a city), it is always followed by a preposition (I leave from / for ... = Je pars de / pour ...).
You can use it on its own (I leave = Je pars).
When you use it with a place (or a city), it is always followed by a preposition (I leave from / for ... = Je pars de / pour ...).
Special case:
It's very colloquial to say partir en vacances for to go on holiday:
Sortir
- sortir actually means to go/come out.
But when used with de, as in sortir de + [place], it can express the idea of leaving [somewhere], in the sense of going/coming out of a place.
But when used with de, as in sortir de + [place], it can express the idea of leaving [somewhere], in the sense of going/coming out of a place.
Sortir de + [city]
The context in which you could use sortir de [ville] to express to leave [city] is very specific in French (note that it doesn't apply to countries,states,regions etc). It would only refer to an action in progress, for example speaking to someone as you're driving out of the city: I'm leaving Paris as we speak.
Quitter
- quitter generally means to leave a place/somewhere, whether it be temporarily or for good.
You cannot use it on its own: it always needs an object.
Quitter can be used with cities, countries, states, regions etc
You cannot use it on its own: it always needs an object.
Quitter can be used with cities, countries, states, regions etc
In the context of work, quitter can have two meanings. Like in English, it can mean to quit a job for good, but it can also simply mean leaving one's place of work (on that day).
Laisser
- laisser means to leave something / to let. You cannot use it on its own. However, this one is NOT used for places, only to leave people or things in places.
Grammar Jargon:
partir is an intransitive verb, whereas quitter and laisser are always transitive verbs (i.e. have a direct object) and sortir can be either.
Want to make sure your French sounds confident? We’ll map your knowledge and give you free lessons to focus on your gaps and mistakes. Start your Brainmap today »
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
(I left the house around 9.)
- Je sors de Paris là, je serai à la maison dans 20 minutes.- Where are you ?
- I'm leaving Paris now, I'll be home in 20 minutes.
(He leaves work at 7pm.)
(You left the room before us.)
(We've just left the metro.)
