Emily Monaco
Last updated:
Sortir Conjugation: How to Use One of French’s Most Versatile Verbs
Sortir is one of the most versatile and multifaceted verbs in the French language.
In general, it can be seen as a French equivalent of “to go out.”
By learning how to use this verb, you can expand your ability to express yourself in many ways.
With this guide, you’ll learn everything you need about sortir, from its basic definition down to its advanced usage.
And as a bonus, you’ll get a great dose of language knowledge you can apply to other French verbs as well!
Contents
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
Conjugating the French Verb Sortir
Below is a guide to the conjugations in different moods and tenses of sortir. Don’t worry if you don’t know all of these yet—this page can be a reference guide as you learn new moods and tenses.
As a refresher, here are the different subject pronouns in French:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| je | I |
| tu | you (singular & informal) |
| il, elle, on
| he/it, she/it, one/we |
| nous | we |
| vous | you (plural or singular & formal) |
| ils, elles | they (masculine or mixed group), they (feminine) |
Sortir Conjugation in Simple Tenses and Moods
The Present
| Subject | Sortir conjugated |
|---|---|
| je | sors |
| tu | sors |
| il/elle/on | sort |
| nous | sortons |
| vous | sortez |
| ils/elles | sortent |
Example:
Nous sortons en boîte ce soir. (We’re going out to a club tonight.)
The Imperfect
| Subject | Sortir conjugated |
|---|---|
| je | sortais |
| tu | sortais |
| il/elle/on | sortait |
| nous | sortions |
| vous | sortiez |
| ils/elles | sortaient |
Example:
Quand on était au lycée, on sortait souvent au cinéma. (When we were in high school, we often went out to the movies.)
The Imperative
| Subject | Sortir conjugated |
|---|---|
| (tu) | sors |
| (nous) | sortons |
| (vous) | sortez |
Sortez d’ici tout de suite ! (Get out of here immediately!)
The Future
| Subject | Sortir conjugated |
|---|---|
| je | sortirai |
| tu | sortiras |
| il/elle/on | sortira |
| nous | sortirons |
| vous | sortirez |
| ils/elles | sortiront |
Example:
Le film se termine à 17h, donc ils sortiront bientôt. (The film ends at 5pm, so they’ll come out [of the cinema] soon.)
The Conditional
| Subject | Sortir Conjugated |
|---|---|
| je | sortirais |
| tu | sortirais |
| il/elle/on | sortirait |
| nous | sortirions |
| vous | sortiriez |
| ils/elles | sortiraient |
Example:
Je sortirais avec toi si tu me demandais gentiment. (I would go out with you if you asked me nicely.)
The Subjunctive
| Subject | Sortir conjugated |
|---|---|
| ...que je | sorte |
| ...que tu | sortes |
| ...qu'il/elle/on | sorte |
| ...que nous | sortions |
| ...que vous | sortiez |
| ...qu'ils/elles | sortent |
Example:
Je pense qu’elle déprime depuis la rupture—il faut qu’elle sorte de chez elle. (I think she’s depressed since her breakup—she needs to get out of the house.)
Sortir Conjugation in Compound Tenses and Moods
When conjugating with compound tenses and moods, the most important thing to be aware of is using the appropriate auxiliary verb. As sortir is a member of the Dr. Mrs. Vandertramp verb club, it’s conjugated with être.
As a result, the passé composé and other compound tenses such as the past conditional and the pluperfect are all conjugated with être.
In these cases, sortir is either followed by a preposition or has no object after it and is usually used to mean “to go/come out” of somewhere or “to be released”(when talking about a movie).
The Passé Composé
| Subject | Sortir conjugated |
|---|---|
| je suis | sorti/sortie |
| tu es | sorti/sortie |
| il/elle/on est | sorti/sortie |
| nous sommes | sortis/sorties |
| vous êtes | sortis/sorties |
| Ils/elles sont | sortis/sorties |
Example:
Nous sommes sortis par derrière. (We went out through the back [door].)
Note that the past participle agrees with the subject when using être as an auxiliary. If you’re female, you would write, “Je suis sortie.”
Compound Tenses with Prepositions
This is French grammar, so of course, there will be exceptions! When conjugating sortir as an intransitive verb, the above holds true. However, when using sortir as a transitive verb, this is not always the case.
Sortir uses avoir as the auxiliary when it’s used to mean “to take (something) out and is followed immediately by a noun.
For example:
J’ai sorti les poubelles. (I took out the trash.)
Note that the past participle does not agree with the subject or the object of the verb.
In the following sections, we’ll go over some more examples of how to use sortir as an intransitive verb, a transitive verb and with various prepositions.
How to Use the French Verb Sortir
Sortir as an Intransitive Verb
As mentioned above, sortir can be used as an intransitive verb—that is to say, a verb with no direct object. Remember: when used as an intransitive verb, it’s conjugated with être.
It can be used in the physical sense of “to go out,” as in “to go outside.”
Je suis sorti. (I went outside.)
Sortir can be used in a more figurative sense as well, such as when speaking about dating.
Jeanne et Marc sortent ensemble. (Jeanne and Marc are dating/going out.)
As we’ve already seen, sortir can also be used in the imperative, or as a command, to mean, “Leave!” or “Get out!”
Sors d’ici ! (Get out of here!)
Sortir as a Transitive Verb
Sortir can also be used as a transitive verb, i.e., a verb that has a direct object. Again, when used as a transitive verb, it’s conjugated with avoir.
Je sors les poubelles. (I’m taking out the trash.)
Fais sortir le chien. (Let the dog out.)
Sortir with Prepositions
Sortir is one of a handful of verbs whose meanings change when used with certain French prepositions:
| Sortir + Preposition | Usage | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| sortir de | Used to refer to the place from whence a person is leaving. | Je sors de la douche.
(I'm getting out of the shower.) Marie est sortie de l'école. (Marie has left school [for the day].) |
| sortir à | Used most frequently when referring to travel, e.g., which highway exit you’re “getting off” at or which train stop you’re “getting out” at. | On sort à Pigalle, puis on change de ligne de métro.
(We'll get off at Pigalle and change metro lines.) Il faut sortir à la sortie pour Tours. (You need to get off [the highway] at the Tours exit.) |
| sortir avec | Means to "go out with" in the romantic sense. As in English, this is usually used for more juvenile relationships. Can also be used to refer to "going out" as in "going out on the town," i.e., with friends. | Luc sortait avec Marie au lycée.
(Luc went out with Marie in high school.) Tu sors en boîte avec qui ce soir ? (Who are you going to the club with tonight?) |
| sortir par | Refers to the manner in which one physically leaves a space. | On entendait mon père arriver, alors Charles est sorti par la fenêtre.
(We heard my father coming, so Charles went out through the window.) Sors par derrière ; la porte de devant est fermée à clef. (Go out through the back door; the front door is locked.) |
Studying one individual French verb in-depth, especially a multi-use one like sortir, can greatly improve your general understanding of other French verbs.
Bookmark this article so that you can refer to it as you take a closer look at other verbs, and watch your understanding and use of French grow!
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)