despidieron
“despidieron” means “they fired” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
they fired
Also: they dismissed
📝 In Action
Despidieron a tres personas de mi oficina ayer.
B1They fired three people from my office yesterday.
Lamentablemente, los despidieron sin darles una razón.
B2Unfortunately, they were dismissed without being given a reason.
they gave off
Also: they emitted
📝 In Action
Aquellas flores despidieron un aroma maravilloso durante la noche.
C1Those flowers gave off a wonderful scent during the night.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: despidieron
Question 1 of 1
Which of these is the correct way to say 'They fired the manager'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Latin 'expedire', which originally meant 'to free the feet' (from shackles). In Spanish, it evolved to mean freeing someone from their job or releasing something into the air.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does 'despidieron' always mean firing someone?
Not always, but usually! If you use it with the word 'se' (Se despidieron), it means 'They said goodbye to each other.' Without 'se,' it usually means 'They fired [someone]' or 'They gave off [a smell].'