The Differences Between Retourner, Revenir, Rentrer and Repartir

The French verbs retourner, revenir, rentrer and repartir can be confusing because they can all express the idea of returning, going back or leaving again. In English, several of them may be translated as to come back or to go back, but they are not interchangeable in French. And the correct verb depends on the direction of the movement and the speaker’s point of view.

Mastering these distinctions will help you speak more precisely and naturally. During my French conversation lessons, you can practise using these verbs in real-life situations adapted to your level and goals.

In this guide, you will learn the key differences between retourner, revenir, rentrer and repartir through clear explanations and practical examples from everyday French.

Start with the main idea behind each verb:

Here is a simple way to remember the difference:

• Use retourner when you go back there.
• Use revenir when you come back here or return to your starting point.
• Use rentrer when you go home or go back inside.
• Use repartir when you leave again.

Context can sometimes make more than one verb possible, but the speaker’s perspective will change the nuance.

Retourner has several important meanings. It can be intransitive, transitive or reflexive. An intransitive verb does not take a direct object, whereas a transitive verb acts directly on an object.

Returning to a Place

When retourner is intransitive, it means to go back to a place where you have already been. The destination is generally somewhere other than the speaker’s current location.

• Je retourne chaque été à Saint-Tropez. (I go back to Saint-Tropez every summer).
• Elle retourne vivre chez ses parents. (She is going back to live with her parents).
• Est-ce que tu es retourné à Sydney ? (Have you been back to Sydney?)
• J’ai oublié mon téléphone au bureau, alors je dois y retourner. (I left my phone at the office, so I have to go back there).
• Tu peux retourner à la boulangerie pour m’acheter un croissant ? (Can you go back to the bakery and get me a croissant?)

Notice the contrast:

• You are at home and need to go back to the office : Je retourne au bureau.
• You are at the office and tell someone there that you will come back: Je reviens au bureau demain.

When retourner describes movement, it is generally conjugated with être in compound tenses: Elle est retournée en France. (She went back to France).

Turning Over or Returning an Object : The Transitive Verb Retourner

As a transitive verb, retourner acts on a direct object. It can mean to turn something over, rotate it or return it.

• Il a retourné la crêpe. (He flipped the crêpe over).
• Nous retournons le matelas au printemps. (We rotate the mattress in spring).
• Elle a retourné la photo pour lire le message au dos. (She turned the photograph over to read the message on the back).
• Vous devez retourner les livres avant mardi prochain. (You must return the books before next Tuesday).
• Je vais retourner cet article au magasin. (I am going to return this item to the shop).

In these transitive uses, retourner is conjugated with avoir in compound tenses:

• J’ai retourné la crêpe. (I flipped the crêpe over).

Retourner can also be used figuratively to mean to upset or shake someone deeply:

• La nouvelle de cet accident l’a vraiment retourné. (The news of the accident really shook him).

The Reflexive Verb Se Retourner

The reflexive form se retourner can mean to turn over, turn around or look back:

• Il se retourne souvent dans son lit. (He often turns over in bed).
• Elle s’est retournée quand elle a entendu son prénom. (She turned around when she heard her name).
• Mon ami est parti sans se retourner. (My friend left without looking back).

The expression se retourner contre quelqu’un means to turn against someone:

• Les propriétaires se sont retournés contre lui. (The owners turned against him).

If you would like to review this type of construction, see my guide to French reflexive verbs.

Revenir means to come back or return to a place where you were before. It often describes movement back towards the speaker, the starting point or a place treated as the point of reference.

• Je reviens dans cinq minutes. (I’ll be back in five minutes).
• À quelle heure est-ce que tu reviens ? (What time are you coming back?)
• Vous devez revenir à votre place après l’entracte. (You must return to your seat after the interval).
• Les oiseaux migrateurs reviennent ici tous les ans. (Migratory birds come back here every year).

Unlike the transitive form of retourner, revenir is intransitive and is conjugated with être in compound tenses:

• Ils sont revenus hier soir. (They came back yesterday evening).

Revenir can also describe something that appears or happens again:

• La canicule est revenue. (The heatwave has returned).
• La douleur revient chaque hiver. (The pain comes back every winter).
• Ce sujet revient souvent dans nos conversations. (This subject often comes up in our conversations)

The construction revenir à also has several common meanings. It can mean to return to a subject, to cost or to amount to something:

• Revenons à notre discussion. (Let’s return to our discussion).
• Cela vous revient à 150 euros. (That comes to 150 euros).
• Cela revient au même. (It amounts to the same thing).

The preposition changes with the construction, so my guide to French verbs with à, de or no preposition may also be helpful.

Rentrer is commonly used when someone returns home, to their usual place or inside a building. Depending on the context, it can mean either to go home or to come home.

• Les enfants, rentrez à la maison. Il commence à pleuvoir ! (Children, come inside. It’s starting to rain!)
• Chéri, je rentre à huit heures ce soir. (Darling, I’ll be home at eight tonight).
• Il est tard, je vais rentrer. (It’s late; I’m going to go home).
• Elle rentre des États-Unis demain. (She is coming back from the United States tomorrow).
• Nous sommes rentrés de vacances dimanche. (We came home from holiday on Sunday).

In everyday French, the destination does not always need to be stated because rentrer often implies returning home:

• Tu rentres quand ? (When are you coming home?)

Repartir means to leave again or set off again after arriving, returning or stopping somewhere.

• Tu repars déjà ? Tu viens d’arriver ! (Are you leaving already? You’ve only just arrived!)
• Nous repartons demain matin. (We are leaving again tomorrow morning).
• Je rêve de repartir en Thaïlande. (I dream of going back to Thailand).
• Après le déjeuner, ils sont repartis vers Bordeaux. (After lunch, they set off again towards Bordeaux).

It can also describe something that starts moving, working or developing again after an interruption:

• Après une heure d’arrêt, le train est reparti. (After a one-hour stop, the train set off again).
• La voiture est enfin repartie. (The car finally started again).
• Après une période difficile, l’activité est repartie. (After a difficult period, business picked up again).

Like the other intransitive verbs of movement in this article, repartir is conjugated with être in compound tenses:

• Ils sont repartis après le dîner. (They left again after dinner).