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A colorful illustration showing a person walking away from a brightly colored doorway and beginning to travel down a path, emphasizing the action of leaving.

irte

EER-teh

Verb (Pronominal Infinitive)A2Irregular (from ir) ir
to leave (you, informal)?when referring to the action of 'going away' for the person you address as 'tú',to go away (you, informal)?in phrases like 'you need to go away'
Also:to depart (yourself)?formal synonym for leaving

Quick Reference

infinitiveirse
gerundyéndose
past Participleido

📝 In Action

Necesitas irte ahora si quieres llegar a tiempo.

A2

You need to leave now if you want to arrive on time.

Antes de irte, ¿puedes cerrar la ventana?

B1

Before you go, can you close the window?

Si no paras de molestar, te voy a pedir que te vayas... o mejor dicho, te voy a pedir irte.

B2

If you don't stop bothering me, I'm going to ask you to leave... or rather, I'm going to ask you to go.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • marcharse (to depart)
  • partir (to leave/split)

Antonyms

  • quedarte (to stay (you))
  • venir (to come)

Common Collocations

  • tener que irte – to have to leave
  • decidir irte – to decide to go away

💡 Grammar Points

The 'Infinitive + Pronoun' Rule

When a sentence has two verbs (like 'I must leave'), the reflexive pronoun ('te') can attach directly to the end of the second, unconjugated verb (irse), forming irte. Alternatively, it can go before the conjugated verb: 'Te tienes que ir'.

Ir vs. Irse

Ir means 'to go' (often toward a place). Irse (which gives us irte) means 'to leave' or 'to go away' from a place. The extra 'se' changes the meaning to departure.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Leaving the Pronoun Off

Mistake: "Es hora de ir."

Correction: Es hora de irte. (Correction: If you mean 'to leave' or 'to depart,' you need the 'se' and the person's pronoun 'te.' Saying 'ir' just means 'to go,' which usually sounds incomplete in this context.)

⭐ Usage Tips

Using the Gerund Form

You can also attach the pronoun 'te' to the -ing form (gerund): 'Estás yéndote' (You are leaving right now). Remember to add an accent mark over the 'e' of 'yendo' to keep the correct stress: 'yéndote'.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: irte

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'irte'?

📚 More Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does 'irte' look like one word when it means 'ir' and 'te'?

In Spanish, when a pronoun refers to the person performing the action (like 'te' referring to 'tú'), and it's attached to an unconjugated verb (infinitive, gerund, or affirmative command), it is always written as one word. This helps the reader know the pronoun belongs with the verb.

Can I use 'irse' instead of 'irte'?

No. *Irse* is the general infinitive ('to leave'). *Irte* specifies that the person leaving is 'tú' (you, informal). You must match the pronoun (*te*) to the person you are talking to.