Partir is probably the first verb that comes to mind when you want to say "to leave" in French. But just like in English, there are many nuanced ways to express the act of leaving, depending on the context, the reason, or even the destination.

Mastering these different verbs will not only make your French sound more natural but also allow you to express yourself with greater precision and elegance.

Ready to expand your vocabulary? Let's explore 9 versatile ways to say "to leave" in French!

The general 'to leave' (a place, for a destination) – partir

The general 'to leave' (a place, for a destination) – partir

Partir is one of the most common French verbs meaning 'to leave'. It generally implies leaving from a place for a destination, or simply setting off on a journey.

Like many verbs of movement, partir uses the auxiliary verb être in compound tenses (e.g., passé composé). This means its past participle (parti) must agree in gender and number with the subject.

When specifying a destination, partir is usually followed by the preposition pour (for/to). To indicate the place being left, use de (from).

You'll frequently encounter partir in expressions related to travel and departure, such as partir en vacances (to go on vacation) or partir en voyage (to go on a trip).

Often, partir carries the nuance of leaving for a certain period or with a specific purpose, implying a longer absence or a journey, rather than just a momentary exit.

Don't forget the agreement! The past participle parti will change to partie (feminine singular), partis (masculine plural), or parties (feminine plural) to match the subject when used with être.

💡 * Je pars demain matin. (I'm leaving tomorrow morning.)

• Nous sommes partis pour Paris. (We left for Paris.)
• Elle est partie en vacances. (She went on vacation.)
• Quand pars-tu? (When are you leaving?)
• Ils sont partis de la maison à six heures. (They left the house at six o'clock.)

To leave (a person, a place, a job), often implying separation – quitter

The verb quitter is a fundamental French verb meaning 'to leave,' but it carries specific nuances that differentiate it from other verbs like partir or sortir.

At its core, quitter means to leave something or someone, often with a strong implication of separation, abandonment, or a definitive departure.

Unlike partir (which means 'to depart' and doesn't take a direct object), quitter always takes a direct object. You always quitter something or someone.

When applied to people, quitter means to break up with, to leave a partner, or to abandon someone. It signifies the end of a relationship, romantic or otherwise.

For places, quitter refers to leaving a location, a city, a country, or a job permanently or for an extended period. It implies a departure from that specific entity.

The key takeaway with quitter is its sense of finality or significant change. It's not just a temporary departure but often a severing of ties or a major transition.

While partir simply means 'to leave' (to depart) without needing an object (e.g., Je pars – I'm leaving), quitter specifies what or who you are leaving (e.g., Je quitte mon travail – I'm leaving my job).

💡 * Elle a quitté son mari. (She left her husband.)

• Nous quittons la ville demain. (We are leaving the city tomorrow.)
• Il a quitté son emploi pour voyager. (He quit his job to travel.)
• Ne quittez jamais vos rêves. (Never give up on your dreams.)
• Je dois quitter la réunion tôt. (I have to leave the meeting early.)

To go out, to leave (a building, a room) – sortir

The verb sortir is a highly versatile French verb that most commonly means 'to go out' or 'to leave' (a place).

Sortir can be used both intransitively (meaning 'to go out' or 'to leave' without a direct object) and transitively (meaning 'to take out' or 'to bring out' something or someone).

This is crucial: when sortir is used intransitively (to go out, to leave a place), it conjugates with the auxiliary verb être in compound tenses (e.g., Je suis sorti). However, when used transitively (to take something out), it conjugates with avoir (e.g., J'ai sorti le chien).

One of its primary meanings is 'to go out', often implying going out for social reasons, an event, or generally leaving one's home for an activity. In this sense, it's always intransitive and uses être.

Another common intransitive use is 'to leave' a specific place, such as a building, a room, or a city. Again, it uses être as its auxiliary.

When sortir is followed by a direct object, it means 'to take out' or 'to bring out' something or someone. In this transitive usage, it takes avoir as its auxiliary verb.

💡 * Je sors ce soir avec mes amis. (I'm going out tonight with my friends.)

• Elle est sortie de la maison. (She left the house.)
• J'ai sorti la poubelle. (I took out the trash.)
• Nous sortons le chien tous les jours. (We take the dog out every day.)
• Il est sorti de l'hôpital hier. (He left the hospital yesterday.)

To go away, to leave (often emphasizing departure or disappearance) – s'en aller

S'en aller is a pronominal verb in French that translates to 'to go away,' 'to leave,' or 'to depart.' It often implies a more definitive or complete departure than simply partir or quitter.

This verb carries a nuance of moving away from a place or disappearing. While partir means 'to leave,' s'en aller suggests leaving a situation or place behind, sometimes with an added sense of finality or even vanishing.

As a pronominal verb, s'en aller requires a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) and is conjugated with the auxiliary verb être in compound tenses. The 'en' particle remains constant.

It's frequently used in both formal and informal contexts. For instance, Va-t'en ! is a common, direct way to say 'Go away!' or 'Get out!' It can also refer to things going away or disappearing, like a headache or a bad mood.

💡 * Je m'en vais. (I'm leaving / I'm going away.)

• Ils s'en sont allés sans dire un mot. (They left without saying a word.)
• Mon mal de tête s'en va. (My headache is going away.)
• Il faut que je m'en aille maintenant. (I have to go now.)
• Elle s'en est allée pour toujours. (She went away forever.)

To move away, to distance oneself (from a place or person) – s'éloigner

To move away, to distance oneself (from a place or person) – s'éloigner

The verb s'éloigner means 'to move away,' 'to distance oneself,' or 'to get further away from' something or someone. It implies a separation, either physical or metaphorical.

As a reflexive verb, s'éloigner always uses a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) before the verb. This indicates that the subject is performing the action on itself, for example, Je m'éloigne (I move myself away).

It is almost always followed by the preposition de (or d') to specify what or whom one is moving away from. For example, s'éloigner de la ville (to move away from the city) or s'éloigner de ses amis (to distance oneself from one's friends).

You can use s'éloigner to describe physical movement away from a location, a person, or even to express distancing oneself from an idea, a group, or a difficult situation. Its usage is quite broad.

In compound tenses like the passé composé, s'éloigner conjugates with the auxiliary verb être, not avoir. Remember that the past participle will agree with the subject (e.g., Elle s'est éloignée, Ils se sont éloignés).

💡 * Il s'éloigne de la foule. (He is moving away from the crowd.)

• Nous nous sommes éloignés du danger. (We distanced ourselves from the danger.)
• Elle s'est éloignée de ses amis après la dispute. (She distanced herself from her friends after the argument.)
• Ne t'éloigne pas du chemin ! (Don't stray from the path!)
• Les idées de l'artiste s'éloignent de la tradition. (The artist's ideas are moving away from tradition.)

To flee, to run away, to escape (from danger or an unpleasant situation) – fuir

The French verb fuir means "to flee," "to run away," or "to escape." It implies a rapid departure from a place, person, or situation, often due to danger, fear, or a desire to avoid something unpleasant. Unlike simply partir (to leave), fuir always carries a connotation of urgency or avoidance.

Fuir is an irregular verb, which means its conjugation doesn't follow typical patterns for -ir verbs. It's often conjugated like a regular -ir verb in some forms (e.g., nous fuyons, vous fuyez) but has stem changes in others (e.g., je fuis, tu fuis, il/elle/on fuit, ils/elles fuient).

Its most straightforward use is to describe physically running away from a dangerous situation, a pursuer, or a place. Think of a literal escape where safety is the primary motivation. It can also refer to liquid or gas leaking or escaping from a container, though this is a more specific context.

Fuir is also frequently used in a more figurative sense to mean avoiding responsibilities, problems, reality, or an unpleasant conversation. In these cases, it's about mental or emotional evasion rather than physical flight.

💡 * Les animaux fuient le feu de forêt. (The animals are fleeing the forest fire.)

• Il fuit toujours les problèmes au lieu de les affronter. (He always runs away from problems instead of facing them.)
• Tu ne peux pas fuir la réalité indéfiniment. (You can't escape reality indefinitely.)
• L'eau fuit du robinet. (The water is leaking from the tap.)

To be absent, to leave (temporarily from a place where one is expected) – s'absenter

The verb s'absenter means 'to be absent' or 'to leave (temporarily)'. It's a reflexive verb, indicating that the subject is absenting themselves.

It is typically used when someone is expected to be in a particular place (like work, school, or a meeting) but is not there, or when they temporarily remove themselves from that expected location.

You'll often hear it in phrases like s'absenter du bureau (to be absent from the office) or s'absenter de l'école (to be absent from school).

💡 * Je dois m'absenter du bureau cet après-midi. (I have to be absent from the office this afternoon.)

• Elle s'est absentée pendant une semaine à cause d'une grippe. (She was absent for a week because of the flu.)
• Les élèves ne doivent pas s'absenter sans permission. (Students must not be absent without permission.)
• Il s'est absenté un instant pour prendre un appel. (He left for a moment to take a call.)

To move house, to leave a residence permanently – déménager

The French verb déménager means 'to move house' or 'to move out'. It specifically refers to the act of permanently changing one's residence.

This verb encompasses the entire process of relocating from one home to another, including packing belongings, transporting them, and settling into a new place. It always implies a definitive change of address.

As a regular -er verb, déménager is often used intransitively with the auxiliary verb être when a person or family changes residence (e.g., Je suis déménagé(e)). If you are moving items, it can be transitive with avoir (e.g., J'ai déménagé mes meubles).

It's crucial to differentiate déménager from verbs like bouger (to move a body part, to stir) or se déplacer (to travel, to move oneself temporarily). Déménager exclusively refers to changing your permanent home.

💡 * Nous allons déménager le mois prochain. (We are going to move next month.)

• Ils ont déménagé à Paris l'année dernière. (They moved to Paris last year.)
• J'ai déménagé mes affaires hier. (I moved my belongings yesterday.)
• Quand vas-tu déménager de cet appartement? (When are you going to move out of this apartment?)

To escape, to get away (from captivity, a difficult situation, or a place) – s'échapper

The French verb s'échapper is the primary way to express 'to escape' or 'to get away' in various contexts. As a pronominal verb, it always uses a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) that agrees with the subject.

This versatile verb can be used when someone or something escapes from captivity, gets away from a difficult or unpleasant situation, or simply leaves a place to avoid something. It implies a successful act of evasion or departure, often from confinement or trouble.

When specifying what one is escaping from, s'échapper is almost always followed by the preposition de (or d' before a vowel). For example, s'échapper de prison (to escape from prison) or s'échapper d'une situation difficile (to escape from a difficult situation).

Remember that as a pronominal verb, s'échapper is conjugated with the auxiliary verb être in compound tenses. For instance, Il s'est échappé (He escaped) or Elles se sont échappées (They (f.) escaped).

💡 *Le prisonnier a réussi à s'échapper de sa cellule. (The prisoner managed to escape from his cell.)
*Nous devons nous échapper de cette situation dangereuse. (We must escape from this dangerous situation.)
*Le chat s'est échappé par la fenêtre ouverte. (The cat escaped through the open window.)
*Elle a essayé de s'échapper à la routine quotidienne. (She tried to escape the daily routine.)

Are there other ways to say 'to leave' in French?

Are there other ways to say 'to leave' in French?

Our list covers the most common and versatile ways to say 'to leave' in French. However, the French language, rich in nuance, offers many more verbs and expressions to convey departure, exit, or abandonment, each with its own subtle context.

To explore further, you can search online for phrases like 'comment dire partir en ___' followed by a specific Francophone country or region, as local dialects might have unique expressions.

You might discover interesting synonyms for partir, quitter, or sortir on other lists. As with any new vocabulary, always verify the meaning and observe how these verbs are used in different contexts before incorporating them into your speech.

By immersing yourself in French media — books, films, podcasts — you'll naturally encounter a wider array of verbs for 'to leave' and understand their subtle distinctions, often tied to specific situations or emotions.

For a deeper dive into the conjugations and nuances of these verbs, the WordReference entries for partir, quitter, and sortir are excellent resources, often providing synonyms and contextual examples.

I hope this article has shed light on the various ways to express 'to leave' in French. To conclude, here's a beautiful thought from Guy de Maupassant that speaks to the essence of departure: "Le voyage est une espèce de porte par où l'on sort de la réalité comme pour pénétrer dans une réalité inexplorée qui semble un rêve." (Travel is a kind of door through which one leaves reality as if to enter an unexplored reality that seems like a dream.)