In this article I want to shed light on four Italian verbs that my students mix up all the time: lasciare, partire, uscire and andare via. They can all be translated as “to leave,” but they’re used in different situations and they’re not interchangeable.
In short
- Lasciare + something or someone: to leave behind, to quit, to break up: Ho lasciato il lavoro.
- Partire: to leave on a trip, to depart: Domani parto per Roma.
- Uscire: to go out of a place, to go out (socially): Esco di casa alle 8.
- Andare via: to leave, to go away: È tardi, andiamo via!
| Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| lasciare + noun | to leave something/someone behind, to quit, to break up | Ho lasciato le chiavi a casa. |
| partire (per / da) | to leave on a trip, to depart | Parto per Napoli domani. |
| uscire (da / di casa) | to go out of a place; to go out | Esco dall’ufficio alle 6. |
| andare via (da) | to leave, to go away | Sono stanca, vado via. |
Lasciare: to leave behind, to quit, to break up
Lasciare always needs an object: you leave something or someone. It means to leave something behind, to quit (a job, a city) or to break up with someone.
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| Ho lasciato la macchina in garage. | I left the car in the garage. |
| Maria ha lasciato il suo ragazzo. | Maria broke up with her boyfriend. |
| Ho lasciato il lavoro. | I quit my job. |
| Ha lasciato l’Italia quando era piccolo. | He left Italy when he was little. |
Partire: to leave on a trip, to depart
Partire is very similar to the English “to leave for / from” when you’re going on a trip: a vacation, a journey, a move. It’s used with per (destination) and da (starting point).
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| Domani parto per Roma. | Tomorrow I’m leaving for Rome. |
| I miei amici sono partiti per le vacanze. | My friends left on vacation. |
| Il treno parte dalla stazione centrale. | The train leaves from the central station. |
Partire is also the verb for trains, buses, planes and ferries that depart:
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| Il treno è partito due minuti fa. | The train left two minutes ago. |
| L’autobus è già partito. | The bus has already left. |
Partire or uscire?
Don’t use partire when you simply go out of a place, like your home. The mistake I hear all the time is ❌ parto la casa. The right way is ✅ esco di casa.
Uscire: to go out, to leave a place, to hang out
Uscire means to leave in the sense of going out of a place (your home, the office, the gym, a shop), usually knowing you’ll come back. When you say which place you’re leaving, use da. The exception is the fixed expression uscire di casa (to leave the house).
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| Esco di casa ogni giorno alle 8. | I leave the house every day at 8. |
| A che ora sei uscito ieri? | What time did you leave yesterday? |
| Esco sempre dall’ufficio alle 6. | I always leave the office at 6. |
Uscire also means “to go out” or “to hang out”:
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| Stasera esco con gli amici. | Tonight I’m going out with friends. |
| Usciamo a bere qualcosa? | Shall we go out for a drink? |
And uscire con someone can mean to date them:
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| Esco con Marco da un po’. | I’ve been dating Marco for a while. |
Andare via: to leave, to go away
Andare via means to leave a place, to go away. The focus is on leaving, not on going out of a building. You can use it on its own or with da + the place.
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| È tardi, dobbiamo andare via. | It’s late, we have to go. |
| Andiamo via? Sono un po’ stanco. | Shall we go? I’m a bit tired. |
| Sono andata via da Roma dopo dieci anni. | I left Rome after ten years. |
| Vai via! | Go away! |
A very common, more colloquial alternative is andarsene: Me ne vado! (I’m leaving!). Read my guide to andarsene.
Andare via or uscire?
- Uscire = to go out of a closed place, often coming back: Siamo usciti dalla palestra alle 9. (We left the gym at 9.)
- Andare via = to leave, to go away from where you are: Siamo andati via dalla festa presto. (We left the party early.)
Exercise: which verb?
Complete with the right form of lasciare, partire, uscire or andare via.
- Ieri sera sono ______ con i miei colleghi. (passato prossimo)
- Il volo per New York ______ alle 10. (present)
- Giulia ha ______ il suo ragazzo dopo tre anni.
- La festa era noiosa, così siamo ______ presto.
- Ogni mattina ______ di casa alle 7:30. (io, present)
- Ho ______ l’ombrello al bar!
Show the answers
- uscita / uscito
- parte
- lasciato
- andati via
- esco
- lasciato
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between partire and uscire?
Partire means to leave on a trip or to depart (Parto per Roma, Il treno parte). Uscire means to go out of a place like your home or office (Esco di casa alle 8), or to go out socially.
How do you say “I left my keys” in Italian?
Ho lasciato le chiavi. Lasciare is used when you leave something or someone behind.
What is the difference between andare via and uscire?
Uscire is going out of a closed place, often coming back (uscire dall’ufficio). Andare via is leaving or going away from where you are (andare via da una festa).
In my stories, characters are always leaving: for a trip, for a new life, or just to go out with friends. It’s the best way to see these verbs in context. Here are three to try:
Due Amiche e una Bufera di Neve
Level A1/A2
Costanza and Anna get stuck in a snowstorm, with a surprise.
Dive deeper: andarsene · mettersi, vestirsi, indossare · andare or venire?
