Quit or Leave? Why You Can’t “Quit” Your Country

A student once told me: “I quit my country.”

At first, I smiled. The meaning was clear, but something felt off. I gently explained: in English, to quit and to leave are not interchangeable. But it’s easy to make this mistake if you speak French. Why?

Because French has the word quitter, which means... to leave. So why can’t we say “I quit my country” in English?

Let’s dig into the history of these verbs—and clear up the confusion.

💬 “To Quit” and “To Leave”: What’s the Difference?

In English, to leave is the general verb:

• I left the house.

• She left her job.

• We left France in 2020.

To quit, however, is stronger. It means to stop doing something voluntarily, often permanently:

• I quit my job. (I stopped working there)

• He quit smoking. (He gave it up)

So when a student says “I quit my country,” it sounds like they broke up with it.

Unless you were elected president and publicly resigned, you didn’t “quit” your country—you just left it.

🌍 The Etymology: French “Quitter” vs English “To Quit”

Both quitter and to quit come from the same Latin root: quietare, meaning “to release” or “to make quiet.” In medieval French and English, quitter and to quit both meant to leave something behind, to free yourself from it.

Over time, though, English narrowed the meaning:

• To quit started to mean stopping an activity (e.g. quit smoking, quit working).

• Meanwhile, French kept the broader meaning with quitter quelqu’un or quitter un endroit.

So the verbs are linguistic cousins—but like many family members, they’ve grown apart.

🎬 Pop Culture Bonus: “I wish I knew how to quit you”

You might know this famous line from the film Brokeback Mountain. One of the main characters, Jack, says to Ennis:

"I wish I knew how to quit you."

Here, “to quit” doesn’t mean to leave a place. It means to stop loving someone, to let go emotionally, or even to break free from obsession. It’s a powerful example of how deep and painful “quitting” can sound.

💡 This usage highlights the emotional weight the verb “to quit” can carry in English. It’s not neutral—it often means stopping something that is difficult to stop.

So while “quitter un pays” works in French, in English, “quit” is rarely neutral. It’s dramatic. It’s final. It’s usually about actions or behaviors, not locations or people.

💡Quick Test: Quit or Leave?

Which of these sound natural?

1. I quit my country.

2. I left my job.

3. I quit smoking.

4. We left Paris last year.

Just remember: in English, we quit habits, jobs, or activities—not people or places.

Correct answers:

1. I quit my country. ❌

2. I left my job. ✅

3. I quit smoking. ✅

4. We left Paris last year. ✅

✈️ Language Tip

If you're ever unsure, use “leave”. It’s more general and almost always correct.

And if you're learning English in Vincennes, take a look at the English course with CPF in Vincennes. With private tutoring in English, you’ll spot these subtle differences and gain confidence fast!