Salir Conjugation 101: Conjugate Salir in Spanish

‘Salir’ is one of the most common -IR verbs that you’ll use in Spanish. For that reason, this guide contains all the conjugations of salir. On top of providing you with conjugation charts, I’ve also included some examples of how to use this verb. Here is an overview of the topics you’ll learn:

• Salir Overview 
• Indicative Tenses of Salir Conjugations
  • Present tense
  • Preterite tense
  • Imperfect tense
  • Near Future tense
  • Future tense
  • Conditional tense
  • Present Perfect tense
  • Past Perfect tense
  • Future Perfect tense
  • Conditional Perfect tense
  • Progressive tenses
• Subjunctive Tenses of Salir Conjugations 
  • Present Subjunctive tense
  • Present Perfect Subjunctive tense
  • Imperfect Subjunctive tense
  • Past Perfect Subjunctive tense
• Imperative (Commands) of Salir Conjugations
  • Affirmative Commands
  • Negative Commands
• Uses & Examples
• Download Salir Conjugation Tables & Uses Cheat sheets
• Salir Conjugation Practice Quiz

Take Note: There are many tenses in Spanish. However, we don’t use them all. Many are simply old and outdated. As a result, in this guide, you’ll only learn the tenses you need to know to become fluent in Spanish. 

Overview of Salir

Take Note: Salir is the direct translation of ‘to leave’ or ‘to get out’. However, this verb can have additional meanings depending on the sentence and context.

Indicative Conjugations of Salir

Present tense

In the present tense, salir is irregular only in the ‘yo’ form. In other words, the form yo is conjugated with the stem ‘salg-’. In this tense, salir can be used to talk about the time someone leaves a place. For example, Cindy sale a las 8.

Preterite tense

The Spanish preterite expresses that you left a place or went out with someone at a specific moment in the past. For instance, el sábado salí con Mindy.

Imperfect tense

 The imperfect tense communicates the places you used to leave. For example, los domingos salíamos temprano. The imperfect form of salir can be translated as ‘used to leave’ or ‘left’.

Near future

 The near future in Spanish is used to talk about people you’re going out with or places you’ll leave in the immediate future. This tense is formed with ir (present) + a + salir and can be translated as “going to leave”.

Future simple tense

All the future tense forms of ‘salir’ are irregular. To conjugate this tense, you must add the future endings to the irregular stem ‘saldr-’. The simple future allows you to express that you will go out with someone or leave a place at some point in the future. For example, creo que saldremos el lunes.

Conditional tense

 Salir in the conditional tense is irregular. This tense is formed with the stem ‘saldr-’. The conditional of ‘salir’ conveys that someone would go out with another person or would leave a place if certain circumstances are met. For example: si fueras más amable, saldría contigo.

Present perfect tense

To form the Spanish present perfect, you should use the formula haber (present) + salido. In the present perfect tense, salir is used to talk about leaving a place or going out with someone in a moment close to the present. For example, todavía no he salido de la oficina.

Past perfect

To conjugate to the past perfect tense, you need to use the imperfect form of haber + salido, which is the past participle form of ‘salir’. The past perfect of ‘salir’ expresses that you left or went out with someone before some other reference point in the past. Cuando llegué, Sandra todavía no había salido.

Future perfect

Haber in future form + past participle of salir is the formula to conjugate the future perfect. With this tense, ‘salir’ communicates you will leave by or before a certain time in the future.

Conditional perfect

‘Salir’ conjugated to the conditional perfect communicates that would have left somewhere or would have gone out with someone if a past condition was met. For example, si hubiera podido, habría salido más temprano.

Progressive tenses

The Spanish progressive tenses describe actions in progress. The progressive forms of salir are formed with estar (conjugated) + present participle of salir (saliendo).

Salir Subjunctive Conjugations

In Spanish, the subjunctive is used to talk about wishes, hypothetical situations or express uncertainty. The conjugation charts below show the subjunctive forms of salir. 

Present subjunctive

In the present subjunctive, salir is a verb with consonant changes. In other words, the present subjunctive of ‘salir’ uses the irregular stem ‘salg-’ . The present subjunctive of ‘salir’ is used to talk about the expectation or possibility of someone leaving or going out with someone. For example: ojalá hoy salgas más temprano. 

Present perfect subjunctive

Haber in the present subjunctive + salido is the structure you should use to build the present perfect subjunctive form of ‘salir’. The present perfect subjunctive of ‘salir’ is used to talk about wishes and probabilities. For example, espero que todo haya salido bien.

Imperfect subjunctive

We use the imperfect subjunctive of ‘salir’ to talk about what would happen if we left a place or went out with someone. This tense expresses wishes or hypothetical situations that are difficult to accomplish. Me gustaría que salieras conmigo. 

The imperfect subjunctive has two conjugation models depending on which type of Spanish you’re using:

Latin American Spanish version

Note: The table above doesn’t include the conjugation for vosotros because this pronoun is not used in Latin American Spanish.

Castilian Spanish version

Past perfect subjunctive

The past perfect subjunctive of ‘salir’ is used to talk about hypothetical situations in the past. In other words, things that can no longer happen because their time has passed. For example si hubiera salido temprano…(If I had left early).

Salir Imperative Conjugations

The Spanish imperative is used to tell people what to do (affirmative commands) or what not to do (negative commands)

Affirmative commands

With the exception of ‘vosotros’, the affirmative commands of salir are irregular. The affirmative command of ‘tú’ is sal, ‘usted’ and ‘ustedes’ use the present subjunctive conjugations of ‘salir’. The imperative of salir can be used to ask people to leave a place. Salga de la oficina, señora.

Negative commands

Salir negative commands use the present subjunctive conjugations. This means that both formal and informal commands of salir are irregular. The negative imperative of salir is used to command people to not tell something to someone. For instance: no salgas con ella.

Meanings of Salir & Examples

Now that you’ve studied the conjugation charts of ‘salir’, it’s time to learn how to use this verb. Although ‘salir’ means ‘to leave’, it has other applications: 

• As a synonym of ‘to leave’ or ‘get out’

¡Sal de mi cuarto!
Get out of my room!

Ojalá saliéramos más temprano de la oficina. 
I wish we left the office earlier. 

• Talking about dating or going out 

[‘Salir’ conjugated] + con + [person]

El sábado saldré con mis amigos. 
I’ll go out with my friends on Saturday. 

¿Estás saliendo con Paco?
Are you dating Paco?

• Describing outcomes and results 

La operación salió bien. 
The surgery went well. 

• Describing the origin or source of something

El agua estaba saliendo de aquí. 
The water was coming from here. 

Download Salir Conjugation Tables & Uses Cheat sheets

I’ve created a PDF for you to download containing all of the conjugation tables, characteristics, and uses of salir so you can study it at your own pace!

Download Conjugations PDF

Practice Quiz: Salir Conjugation

Practice your ‘salir’ conjugation skills by taking the verb conjugation quiz! Choose any combination of tenses and whether or not you want to practice Latin American or Castilian Spanish.