despedido
“despedido” means “fired” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
fired, dismissed
Also: laid off
📝 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).
dismissed, seen off
Also: said goodbye
📝 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.
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: despedido
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'despedido' as an adjective describing a state?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
The word comes from the verb 'despedir,' which evolved from Vulgar Latin roots meaning 'to seek out' or 'to send away.' The modern Spanish meaning focuses on removing someone, either by ending their employment or by seeing them off on a journey.
First recorded: Medieval Spanish
Cognates (Related words)
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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.