Inklingo

despidieron

des-pee-DYER-ondespiˈðjeɾon

despidieron means they fired in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

they firedAlso: they dismissed

VerbB1irregular (stem-changing) ir
A person walking away from an office building carrying a cardboard box with their belongings.
gerunddespidiendo
past Participledespedido
infinitivedespedir

📝 In Action

Despidieron a tres personas de mi oficina ayer.

B1

They fired three people from my office yesterday.

Lamentablemente, los despidieron sin darles una razón.

B2

Unfortunately, they were dismissed without being given a reason.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • echaron (they threw out/fired)
  • cesaron (they dismissed (formal))

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • lo despidieron ayerthey fired him yesterday
  • despidieron a todosthey fired everyone

they gave offAlso: they emitted

A freshly baked pie on a windowsill with visible wavy lines representing a delicious aroma.

📝 In Action

Aquellas flores despidieron un aroma maravilloso durante la noche.

C1

Those flowers gave off a wonderful scent during the night.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Subjunctive

Imperfect Subjunctive

yodespidiera
despidieras
él/ella/usteddespidiera
nosotrosdespidiéramos
vosotrosdespidierais
ellos/ellas/ustedesdespidieran

Present Subjunctive

yodespida
despidas
él/ella/usteddespida
nosotrosdespidamos
vosotrosdespidáis
ellos/ellas/ustedesdespidan

Indicative

Preterite

yodespedí
despediste
él/ella/usteddespidió
nosotrosdespedimos
vosotrosdespedisteis
ellos/ellas/ustedesdespidieron

Imperfect

yodespedía
despedías
él/ella/usteddespedía
nosotrosdespedíamos
vosotrosdespedíais
ellos/ellas/ustedesdespedían

Present

yodespido
despides
él/ella/usteddespide
nosotrosdespedimos
vosotrosdespedís
ellos/ellas/ustedesdespiden

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "despidieron" in 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)

English: expeditePortuguese: despediram

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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].'