despedido
/des-pe-DÍ-do/
fired
When used as an adjective, despedido means 'fired' or 'removed from a job.'
despedido(Adjective)
fired
?removed from a job
,dismissed
?removed from a job
laid off
?temporarily or permanently removed due to company cuts
📝 In Action
El trabajador despedido no pudo pagar el alquiler.
B1The fired worker couldn't pay the rent.
Llevaba dos meses despedido cuando encontró un nuevo empleo.
B2He had been fired for two months when he found a new job.
La noticia de ser despedido le cayó como un balde de agua fría.
C1The news of being dismissed hit him like a ton of bricks (literally: bucket of cold water).
💡 Grammar Points
Using the Past Participle as an Adjective
When used as an adjective, 'despedido' must match the person or thing it describes in gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural): 'despedida,' 'despedidos,' 'despedidas'.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Mixing up the state and the action
Mistake: "Soy despedido. (I am fired.)"
Correction: Estoy despedido. (I am in the state of being fired.) Use 'ser' only if you are defining yourself as a fired person (Soy un despedido), but 'estar' is usually better to describe the current state.
⭐ Usage Tips
The Noun Form
You can use 'un despedido' (m) or 'una despedida' (f) as a noun to refer directly to the person who lost their job, similar to saying 'a dismissed person'.
As a past participle (often used with haber), despedido means 'dismissed.'
despedido(Past Participle (Verb form))
dismissed
?used with 'haber' (e.g., 'has dismissed')
,seen off
?used with 'haber' (e.g., 'has seen off')
said goodbye
?used reflexively with 'haber' (e.g., 'se ha despedido')
📝 In Action
Han despedido a la recepcionista por llegar tarde.
A2They have dismissed the receptionist for being late.
Ya habíamos despedido a todos los invitados cuando empezó a llover.
B1We had already seen all the guests off when it started raining.
Ella se ha despedido con un abrazo cariñoso.
A2She has said goodbye with a warm hug.
💡 Grammar Points
Forming Perfect Tenses
The past participle 'despedido' never changes its ending when used with the helping verb 'haber' (to have) to form tenses like the Present Perfect: 'Yo he despedido' (I have fired).
Reflexive Use
When the action affects the person doing it ('saying goodbye'), you add 'se' (or me/te/nos/os) before 'haber': 'Me he despedido de mis amigos' (I have said goodbye to my friends).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Changing the ending with 'haber'
Mistake: "Ella ha despedida a su jefe."
Correction: Ella ha despedido a su jefe. (The past participle stays 'despedido' when used with 'haber', regardless of who is doing the action.)
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: despedido
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'despedido' as an adjective describing a state?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Does 'despedido' always mean 'fired'?
No. While 'fired' is the most common meaning when referring to a person's employment status, 'despedido' is also the past participle of 'despedir,' which means 'to see off' or 'to say goodbye.' For example, 'Hemos despedido a los invitados' means 'We have seen off the guests.'
Why does the past participle sometimes change its ending and sometimes not?
It changes its ending (despedido/despedida/despedidos/despedidas) ONLY when it acts as an adjective (describing a noun) or when used in the passive voice with 'ser' or 'estar.' It NEVER changes its ending when used with the helping verb 'haber' (he, has, ha, hemos, etc.) to form perfect tenses.