quitter/sortir

Question

I'm a little confused here because I understand quitter to mean to leave something for good and sortir is merely to leave a place. in the question to translate: They leave their work at 7 o'clock - It seems the correct answer should be - Ils sortent leur travail à 19h, but the correct answer is giving me: Ils quittent leur travail à 19h. Why then is this correct?

Cécile Janty-Davies · Accepted Answer

Hi Lori,
Just to add to what Jim and Maarten said -
You cannot say 
Sortir quelque chose 
It has to have a de :

Sortir de son travail= to leave (your) work
Sortir de chez soi =to leave your house

So your solution is incorrect.
You would normally use ‘quitter son travail ‘ for 'to leave work' and often the ‘son travail’ is implied

Je quitte ( le travail) à 18 h tous les jours = I leave work at 6 pm every day

Hope this helps!

Jim Jones · Answer

Hi Lori,Have a look here:-https://progress.lawlessfrench.com/revision/grammar/how-to-express-leaving-partir-vs-laisser-vs-quitter-vs-sortir?rts=%252Fsearch%253Fs%253DsortirI think this will help you.Jim

Maarten Kamp · Answer

Lori, this is addressed in a number of previous answers as Jim has linked back to - worth reading through as there is a lot of detail covered. From a previous thread :

“ Adding to Jim's answer noting the grammatical difference between quitter and partir (in the context of your question),

Quitter - means 'to leave' but does not have to mean for good/ever.

However, it is the only one of the 4 verbs for leaving that can also convey 'for good', so will be the only choice in that particular situation - eg to leave someone (relationship), or somewhere.”