To Leave - which is used most commonly

Portuguese Questions Verbs
1

I hear many “choices” here

deixar
sair
partir
ir embora

Which if any is most used?
Some examples of use

I am leaving
She/He left
I left
We are going to leave
He left with her

Thanks!

2

All are commonly used, in different contexts.

“Deixar” is mostly used when you want to say that you left someone/something in a certain place. Also used for breakups.

  • Eu deixo sempre o livro aqui. (I always leave the book here)
  • Ela deixou o marido. (She left her husband)

Sair and ir embora are pretty much synonyms. Both mainly used when you’re talking about people or animals abandoning a place.

  • Quando é que tu vais embora? (When are you leaving?)
  • Vou-me embora daqui a pouco. (I’m leaving soon)
  • Eu saio de casa às 15h. (I leave home at 3pm)
  • A atriz já saiu do palco. (The actress has already left the stage)

Partir can be used as a synonym of sair and ir embora, but it sounds more sophisticated, so it’s not used all that often in that context. It also sounds more… final, let’s say. It’s also the verb of choice to refer to plane/train/other transport departures.

  • Eles partiram para sempre. (They left forever)
  • O comboio parte às 11. (The train departs at 11)

Hope this helps :slight_smile: In your examples at the end, I’d personally always use “ir embora”.

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