A small figure walking away down a dirt path, leaving a brightly colored, cozy house behind them, illustrating the action of departure.

irme

/EER-meh/

VerbA1irregular ir

to leave?departing from a place,to go away?departing from a place

Also:to be off?informal, announcing departure

Quick Reference

infinitiveirse

gerundyéndose

past Participleido

📝 In Action

Tengo que irme ahora.

I have to leave now.

No quiero irme todavía.

I don't want to leave yet.

Decidí irme de la fiesta temprano.

I decided to leave the party early.

Para no llegar tarde, es mejor irme ya.

In order not to be late, it's better for me to leave now.

Word Connections

Synonyms

marcharse (to leave, to go away)
partir (to depart, to leave)
salir (to go out, to exit)

Antonyms

quedarse (to stay)
permanecer (to remain)
llegar (to arrive)

Common Collocations

irse de vacaciones – to go on vacation
irse a la cama – to go to bed
irse de compras – to go shopping
irse de las manos – to get out of hand

Idioms & Expressions

irse por las ramas– to beat around the bush, to get sidetracked

💡 Grammar Points

'Ir' vs. 'Irse': Going vs. Leaving

Think of 'ir' as 'to go TO a place' (destination). Think of 'irse' as 'to go FROM a place' (departure). The little 'se' part signals you're leaving. So, 'Voy al cine' means 'I'm going to the movies.' But 'Me voy del cine' means 'I'm leaving from the movies.'

What is 'irme'?

'Irme' is a combo of the base verb 'ir' (to go) and the pronoun 'me' (myself). You use this 'infinitive' form after another verb, like 'Quiero irme' (I want to leave) or 'Tengo que irme' (I have to leave).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Forgetting the 'me/te/se' Part

Mistake: "To say 'I'm leaving the party,' a learner might say: 'Yo voy de la fiesta.'"

Correction: The correct way is: 'Yo me voy de la fiesta.' To say you're leaving, you always need the little word (me, te, se, etc.) that matches who is doing the leaving.

⭐ Usage Tips

How to Announce Your Departure

A very common and natural way to say you're leaving is simply 'Bueno, me voy' (Well, I'm off) or 'Ya me voy' (I'm leaving now). It's a perfect, friendly way to signal the end of a conversation or visit.

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

yome voy

túte vas

él/ella/ustedse va

nosotrosnos vamos

vosotrosos vais

ellos/ellas/ustedesse van

preterite

yome fui

túte fuiste

él/ella/ustedse fue

nosotrosnos fuimos

vosotrosos fuisteis

ellos/ellas/ustedesse fueron

imperfect

yome iba

túte ibas

él/ella/ustedse iba

nosotrosnos íbamos

vosotrosos ibais

ellos/ellas/ustedesse iban

subjunctive

present

yome vaya

túte vayas

él/ella/ustedse vaya

nosotrosnos vayamos

vosotrosos vayáis

ellos/ellas/ustedesse vayan

imperfect

yome fuera

túte fueras

él/ella/ustedse fuera

nosotrosnos fuéramos

vosotrosos fuerais

ellos/ellas/ustedesse fueran

View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: irme

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly says 'I want to leave at ten'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

ir(to go) - verb

ida(one-way trip, departure) - noun

venida(arrival, coming) - noun

vamos(let's go) - interjection/verb

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'me voy' and 'salgo'?

They are very similar! 'Me voy' means 'I'm leaving' and emphasizes your departure from a place. 'Salgo' means 'I'm going out' or 'I'm exiting.' You could say 'Salgo de la casa' (I'm leaving the house) or 'Me voy de la casa' (I'm leaving the house). 'Me voy' often feels a bit more general or final.

Why do you say 'vámonos' instead of 'nos vamos' for 'let's go'?

'Vámonos' is the command form for 'we'. It's a direct suggestion: 'Let's leave now!' 'Nos vamos' is a simple statement: 'We are leaving.' Both are very common, but 'vámonos' has a bit more energy and urgency, like an invitation to leave together.