despedir
“despedir” means “to fire” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
to fire, to dismissAlso: to let go
📝 In Action
Despidieron a Juan por llegar tarde todos los días.
B2They fired Juan for being late every day.
El jefe me dijo que si no mejoro, me despide.
B2The boss told me that if I don't improve, he will fire me.
Word Connections
to say goodbye, to see offAlso: to bid farewell
📝 In Action
Fuimos al aeropuerto para despedir a mi hermano.
B1We went to the airport to see off my brother.
Es hora de irme. Me despido de todos ustedes.
A2It's time for me to go. I say goodbye to all of you.
¿Ya te despediste de la abuela?
A2Did you already say goodbye to Grandma?
Word Connections
to give off, to emitAlso: to radiate
📝 In Action
La chimenea despide mucho humo al principio.
C1The chimney gives off a lot of smoke at the beginning.
Esa flor despide un aroma muy dulce.
B2That flower gives off a very sweet aroma.
Word Connections
Indicative
Present
Imperfect
Preterite
Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
🔀 Commonly Confused With
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Words that translate to "despedir" in Spanish:
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: despedir
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'despedir' in its reflexive form (despedirse)?
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📚 Etymology
Comes from the Latin prefix 'des-' (meaning 'away from' or 'down') and the verb 'pedire' (related to 'to set free' or 'to release'). The core idea is literally 'to send away' or 'to un-foot/un-chain', leading to the modern meanings of dismissing someone from a job or seeing them off.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'despedir' and 'despedirse'?
'Despedir' without the 'se' means 'to fire someone' or 'to see someone off' (you are the one doing the action to another person). 'Despedirse' (with the 'se') means 'to say goodbye' (you are performing the action on yourself). You must use the 'se' when you are personally saying farewell.
Is 'despedir' irregular?
Yes, it is irregular because the 'e' in the middle changes to an 'i' in many tenses, such as the present tense ('yo despido') and the preterite tense for 'él/ella/usted' ('despidió').