Partir Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb partir means to leave, to depart, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Partir means to leave or to depart, and it is used for leaving on a journey, a train departing and, with de, leaving a place. It also means to split or divide something, as in partir el pan, so the context tells you which sense is meant. It is a regular -ir verb. Like every Spanish verb, partir changes its ending for each person and tense, and this page gives you the complete picture: every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle, all from the verified conjugation tables. For example, in the present tense you say parto de Madrid a las ocho, and in the preterite you say partí el pan en dos mitades. Work through the tables below, read the notes for each tense, and then test yourself with the examples, the common mistakes and the quiz at the end of the page.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: partir
- English: to leave, to depart
- Verb type: regular -ir verb
- Ending: -ir
- Gerund: partiendo
- Past participle: partido
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + partido)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for partir, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Partir is a regular -ir verb: partí, partía, partiré. Partir de Madrid means to leave Madrid; partir el pan means to break the bread.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for partir. The imperfect subjunctive is shown in its -ra forms; the -se forms use the same stem. For reflexive verbs, the pronoun column shows the reflexive pronoun that goes before each form.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | parto |
| tú | partes |
| él/ella/Ud. | parte |
| nosotros/as | partimos |
| vosotros/as | partís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | parten |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | partí |
| tú | partiste |
| él/ella/Ud. | partió |
| nosotros/as | partimos |
| vosotros/as | partisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | partieron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | partía |
| tú | partías |
| él/ella/Ud. | partía |
| nosotros/as | partíamos |
| vosotros/as | partíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | partían |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | partiré |
| tú | partirás |
| él/ella/Ud. | partirá |
| nosotros/as | partiremos |
| vosotros/as | partiréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | partirán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | partiría |
| tú | partirías |
| él/ella/Ud. | partiría |
| nosotros/as | partiríamos |
| vosotros/as | partiríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | partirían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he partido |
| tú | has partido |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha partido |
| nosotros/as | hemos partido |
| vosotros/as | habéis partido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han partido |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había partido |
| tú | habías partido |
| él/ella/Ud. | había partido |
| nosotros/as | habíamos partido |
| vosotros/as | habíais partido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían partido |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré partido |
| tú | habrás partido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá partido |
| nosotros/as | habremos partido |
| vosotros/as | habréis partido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán partido |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría partido |
| tú | habrías partido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría partido |
| nosotros/as | habríamos partido |
| vosotros/as | habríais partido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían partido |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | parta |
| tú | partas |
| él/ella/Ud. | parta |
| nosotros/as | partamos |
| vosotros/as | partáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | partan |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | partiera |
| tú | partieras |
| él/ella/Ud. | partiera |
| nosotros/as | partiéramos |
| vosotros/as | partierais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | partieran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | parte |
| él/ella/Ud. | parta |
| nosotros/as | partamos |
| vosotros/as | partid |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | partan |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | partas |
| él/ella/Ud. | parta |
| nosotros/as | partamos |
| vosotros/as | partáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | partan |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | partiendo | with estar for the progressive: estoy partiendo |
| Past participle | partido | with haber for the perfect tenses: he partido |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For partir, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Parto de Madrid a las ocho. Learn the present forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Preterite
Use the preterite for finished actions with a clear end, often with ayer, el año pasado or anoche. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For partir, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, partí mañana por la mañana. Learn the preterite forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperfect
Use the imperfect for background, habits and actions in progress in the past, often with de niño, antes or mientras. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For partir, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, partía el pan en dos mitades. Learn the imperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Future
Use the future for plans, predictions and promises, often with mañana, el año que viene or pronto. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For partir, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, partiré hacia el aeropuerto temprano. Learn the future forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Conditional
Use the conditional for polite requests, hypotheticals and what would happen, often with si clauses. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For partir, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Partiría de Madrid a las ocho si pudiera. Learn the conditional forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Present perfect
Use the present perfect for recent actions and experiences, often with hoy, esta semana or ya. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For partir, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he partido mañana por la mañana. Learn the present perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Pluperfect
Use the pluperfect when one past action happened before another past action. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For partir, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había partido el pan en dos mitades antes de salir. Learn the pluperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Future perfect
Use the future perfect for something that will already be finished by a future time. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For partir, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré partido hacia el aeropuerto temprano. Learn the future perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Conditional perfect
Use the conditional perfect for what would have happened under different conditions. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For partir, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría partido de Madrid a las ocho con más tiempo. Learn the conditional perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Present subjunctive
Use the present subjunctive after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and hope, such as espero que or quiero que. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For partir, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él parta mañana por la mañana. Learn the present subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
Use the imperfect subjunctive after past wishes and in si clauses about the past, and note the -ra forms shown here; the -se forms use the same stem. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For partir, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él partiera el pan en dos mitades, todo cambiaría. Learn the imperfect subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperative (affirmative)
Use the affirmative imperative for direct commands, instructions and invitations. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For partir, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Parte hacia el aeropuerto temprano! Learn the affirmative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperative (negative)
Use the negative imperative, always with no, to tell someone not to do something. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For partir, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No partas de Madrid a las ocho. Learn the negative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with partir, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Parto de Madrid a las ocho. — I leave from Madrid at eight.
- Parte mañana por la mañana. — He/she leaves tomorrow morning.
- Ayer, partí el pan en dos mitades. — Yesterday, I left the bread in two halves.
- Antes, nosotros partíamos hacia el aeropuerto temprano. — Before, we used to leave for the airport early.
- Mañana, tú partirás de Madrid a las ocho. — Tomorrow, you will leave from Madrid at eight.
- Yo partiría mañana por la mañana si tuviera más tiempo. — I would leave tomorrow morning if I had more time.
- Él ha partido el pan en dos mitades. — He has left the bread in two halves.
- Espero que él parta hacia el aeropuerto temprano. — I hope he leaves for the airport early.
- Yo ya había partido de Madrid a las ocho antes de salir. — I had already left from Madrid at eight before leaving.
- Ellos partían mañana por la mañana cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to leave tomorrow morning when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo parte de Madrid a las ocho. — Right: Yo parto de Madrid a las ocho. — The person matters: parte is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is parto. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Vosotros partis mañana por la mañana. — Right: Vosotros partís mañana por la mañana. — The vosotros present form carries a written accent: partís, not partis. The accent marks the stressed vowel.
- Wrong: Treating partir and salir as identical in every context. — Right: Partir means to leave, to depart, while salir means to go out or leave a place. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: partir fits sentences such as Parto de Madrid a las ocho, while salir belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy partido mañana por la mañana. — Right: Yo he partido mañana por la mañana. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he partido, has partido, ha partido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo partí el pan en dos mitades todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo partía el pan en dos mitades todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (partía), not the preterite. The preterite (partí) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on partir. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ de Madrid a las ocho. (present tense) A. parto B. partes C. parte D. partimos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ mañana por la mañana. (preterite) A. partí B. partiste C. partieron D. partió
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ el pan en dos mitades. (imperfect) A. partías B. partían C. partíamos D. partía
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ hacia el aeropuerto temprano. (future) A. partiremos B. partirás C. partiré D. partirá
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ de Madrid a las ocho si pudiera. (conditional) A. partiría B. partirías C. partirían D. parto
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ mañana por la mañana. (present subjunctive) A. partas B. partamos C. parto D. parta
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ el pan en dos mitades, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. partiéramos B. parto C. partiera D. partieras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ hacia el aeropuerto temprano. (present perfect) A. han partido B. hemos partido C. he partido D. has partido
Complete the command: ¡___ de Madrid a las ocho! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. parte B. parta C. partamos D. partid
Which is the gerund of partir, used with estar for the progressive? A. partido B. parto C. partí D. partiendo
Answer key
- parto — The first-person present of partir is parto. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- partió — The third-person preterite of partir is partió, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- partíamos — The nosotros imperfect of partir is partíamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- partirás — The second-person future of partir is partirás.
- partiría — The first-person conditional of partir is partiría, the form for what would happen.
- parta — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of partir is parta.
- partiera — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of partir is partiera.
- hemos partido — The nosotros present perfect of partir is hemos partido: hemos + partido.
- parte — The affirmative tú imperative of partir is parte.
- partiendo — The gerund of partir is partiendo: estoy partiendo. The participle partido is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does partir mean in English?
Partir means to leave, to depart. It is used in everyday situations such as Parto de Madrid a las ocho. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is partir regular or irregular?
Partir is a fully regular -ir verb, so every tense follows the standard endings for its class. Once you know the regular pattern, you can produce every form on this page, including parto in the present and partí in the preterite.
What is the difference between partir and salir?
Partir means to leave, to depart, while salir means to go out or leave a place. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use partir when you mean to leave, to depart, as in Parto de Madrid a las ocho, and use salir for to go out or leave a place. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I leave” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo partí mañana por la mañana. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo partía el pan en dos mitades. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he partido mañana por la mañana.
How do I practise partir?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the partir examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Partir in the present tense — the full present-tense table for partir.
- Partir examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for partir.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Subir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with partir.
- Esculpir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with partir.
- Discutir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with partir.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.