Partir Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Portuguese

partir — to leave — is one of the verbs you will use every day in Portuguese. It is a regular -ir verb, and it comes up in conversation, at work and at home. It means to leave and to depart, especially on a journey, and it is completely regular. It is the model verb for the -ir conjugation in the tables of this guide, and it is different from deixar, which means to leave something behind. On this page you will find partir in real sentences, grouped by meaning and tense, two short texts that show it in context, the mistakes learners actually make with it, and a ten-question quiz with explained answers. Start with the examples, say them aloud, and then test yourself. The full conjugation tables are on the partir conjugation page, and the deep dive into its most practised tense is on the partir pretérito perfeito tense page.

Example sentences with partir

In the present tense

  • “Eu parto para Lisboa todos os dias.” — “I leave for Lisbon”
  • “Tu partes para Lisboa todos os dias.” — “You leave for Lisbon”
  • “Ele parte para Lisboa todos os dias.” — “He leaves for Lisbon”
  • “Nós partimos para Lisboa todos os dias.” — “We leave for Lisbon”
  • “Vós partis para Lisboa todos os dias.” — “You leave for Lisbon”
  • “Eles partem para Lisboa todos os dias.” — “They leave for Lisbon”

In the pretérito perfeito

  • “Eu parti para Lisboa ontem.” — “I left for Lisbon”
  • “Tu partiste para Lisboa ontem.” — “You left for Lisbon”
  • “Ele partiu para Lisboa ontem.” — “He left for Lisbon”
  • “Nós partimos para Lisboa ontem.” — “We left for Lisbon”
  • “Vós partistes para Lisboa ontem.” — “You left for Lisbon”
  • “Eles partiram para Lisboa ontem.” — “They left for Lisbon”

In other tenses

The same verb in the pretérito imperfeito, the futuro do presente, the futuro do pretérito, the presente do subjuntivo and the imperative — the tenses that complete the picture. All forms come from the verified tables.

  • “Eu partia para Lisboa antigamente.” — “I used to leave for Lisbon”
  • “Tu partirás para Lisboa amanhã.” — “You will leave for Lisbon”
  • “Ele partiria para Lisboa um dia.” — “He would leave for Lisbon”
  • “É importante que nós partamos para Lisboa.” — “It is important that we leave for Lisbon”
  • “Parte para Lisboa!” — “Leave for Lisbon!”

How partir is used

The first thing to know about partir is its core meaning: to leave. It means to leave and to depart, especially on a journey, and it is completely regular. It is the model verb for the -ir conjugation in the tables of this guide, and it is different from deixar, which means to leave something behind. In everyday speech it appears most often in the present and the pretérito perfeito, the two tenses on this page, because most of what we say is either what we do every day or what we have just done. Learn those two tenses first and the rest of the conjugation becomes a matter of adding forms one at a time. The second thing to know is the company partir keeps. The present eu form is parto, and it pairs naturally with the time words todos os dias and sempre for habits, and with agora for what is happening right now. The pretérito perfeito composto eu form is tenho partido, and it pairs with ontem and esta semana for finished actions. When you learn a verb form, learn its time words with it, and choosing the tense becomes automatic. The third thing to know is what partir does not do. It never appears as a bare infinitive after a subject pronoun — after eu you need parto, never partir. It never takes the wrong auxiliary in the perfect tenses: the pretérito perfeito composto is tenho partido, built with ter, and the other auxiliary does not belong here. And its participle partido is given in the masculine singular form in the tables, with agreement depending on the sentence, not on the verb table.

Partir in context

Eu parto para Lisboa todos os dias. Tu partes para Lisboa todos os dias. Ele parte para Lisboa todos os dias. Nós partimos para Lisboa todos os dias. That is a normal part of the routine, and that is why the present of partir is the first form worth learning. Each sentence uses a different person, so read them aloud and notice how the form changes — parto, partes, parte, partimos — while the meaning stays the same: to leave. Eu parti para Lisboa ontem. Tu partiste para Lisboa ontem. Ele partiu para Lisboa ontem. Nós partimos para Lisboa ontem. That was a normal day, but it is exactly on days like this that the pretérito perfeito of partir appears constantly: a finished action, a precise moment, and the story goes on. Compare these sentences with the present ones above: the verb changes tense, but the basic meaning — to leave — does not change. That is the difference between a habit and a finished event.

Common mistakes

1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

✗ Wrong: “Eu partir para Lisboa.”

✓ Right: “Eu parto para Lisboa todos os dias.”

The infinitive partir never takes a subject. After eu you need the conjugated present form parto.

2. Using the wrong person

✗ Wrong: “Eu partes para Lisboa.”

✓ Right: “Eu parto para Lisboa todos os dias.”

partes is the tu form, not the eu form. The eu form is parto — check the person before you write the form.

3. Using the present for a finished past action

✗ Wrong: “Eu parto para Lisboa ontem.”

✓ Right: “Eu parti para Lisboa ontem.”

Ontem points to the past, so use the pretérito perfeito parti here, not the present parto.

4. Mixing up the auxiliary

✗ Wrong: “Eu sou partido para Lisboa.”

✓ Right: “Eu tenho partido para Lisboa esta semana.”

partir takes ter in the pretérito perfeito composto. The eu form is tenho partido — the other auxiliary never belongs with this verb.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on partir across the tenses. Answers with explanations follow each question.

  1. What is the tu form of partir in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) parto
    • B) partes
    • C) parte
    • D) partimos

  2. What is the eu form of partir in the Pretérito perfeito composto?

    • A) tens partido
    • B) tem partido
    • C) tenho partido
    • D) temos partido

  3. What is the ele/ela form of partir in the Pretérito imperfeito?

    • A) partias
    • B) partíamos
    • C) partíeis
    • D) partia

  4. What is the nós form of partir in the Futuro do presente?

    • A) partiremos
    • B) partirei
    • C) partirás
    • D) partirá

  5. What is the tu form of partir in the Futuro do pretérito?

    • A) partiria
    • B) partirias
    • C) partiríamos
    • D) partiríeis

  6. What is the eu form of partir in the Pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples?

    • A) partiras
    • B) partíramos
    • C) partira
    • D) partíreis

  7. What is the nós form of partir in the Presente do subjuntivo?

    • A) parta
    • B) partas
    • C) partais
    • D) partamos

  8. What is the gerund of partir?

    • A) partindo
    • B) partido
    • C) partir
    • D) parto

  9. What is the past participle of partir?

    • A) partindo
    • B) partido
    • C) partir
    • D) parto

  10. What does partir mean in English?

  • A) to be
  • B) to have
  • C) to leave
  • D) —

Answer key

  1. B) partes — the correct form is partes. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  2. C) tenho partido — the correct form is tenho partido. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  3. D) partia — the correct form is partia. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  4. A) partiremos — the correct form is partiremos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  5. B) partirias — the correct form is partirias. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  6. C) partira — the correct form is partira. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  7. D) partamos — the correct form is partamos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  8. A) partindo — the correct form is partindo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  9. B) partido — the correct form is partido. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  10. C) to leave — the correct form is to leave. The other options are other forms of the same verb.

Frequently asked questions

What does partir mean in English?

partir means “to leave”. You use it whenever you talk about to leave in Portuguese, in the present, the past and the future.

Is partir regular or irregular?

partir is regular. partir is regular: every form follows the standard -ir endings, so once you know the pattern you can build every tense from the stem.

What are the gerund and past participle of partir?

The gerund is partindo and the past participle is partido. The perfect tenses use ter + partido.

Where can I see the full conjugation of partir?

On the partir conjugation page — every tense, every person, with tables. The partir pretérito perfeito tense page goes deeper into its most practised tense.

Pronunciation

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.

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