despido
/des-PEE-doh/
dismissal
A person leaving their workplace after a dismissal.
despido(noun)
dismissal
?losing your job
,firing
?being told to leave a job
redundancy
?when a job position is eliminated
📝 In Action
El despido fue totalmente inesperado para todos los empleados.
B1The dismissal was totally unexpected for all the employees.
Recibió una indemnización tras su despido.
B2He received a compensation payment after his firing.
💡 Grammar Points
Masculine naming word
This word is always masculine, so you must use 'el' or 'un' with it (el despido).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing the noun and verb
Mistake: "Using 'el despido' to say 'I say goodbye'."
Correction: Use 'el despido' for the event (the firing) and just 'despido' without 'el' when you are performing the action (I fire/say goodbye).
⭐ Usage Tips
Professional context
In a formal office setting, use 'despido' rather than slang terms like 'patada' (the boot).
The act of firing someone from a position.
despido(verb)
I fire
?terminating someone's job
,I say goodbye
?when leaving someone or ending a conversation
I see off
?accompanying someone to their departure point
📝 In Action
Hoy me despido de mis compañeros porque es mi último día.
A2Today I say goodbye to my colleagues because it's my last day.
Yo no despido a la gente sin una buena razón.
B1I don't fire people without a good reason.
💡 Grammar Points
Spelling change
This action word changes its middle vowel from 'e' to 'i' in many of its forms, like 'despido' and 'despides'.
Using 'se'
When saying goodbye, we often use it with 'me' (Me despido) to show you are the one leaving.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: despido
Question 1 of 2
If you are leaving a party and say 'Me despido de todos', what are you doing?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'despido' always a bad thing?
As a noun, it usually refers to losing a job, which is often negative. However, as a verb form ('me despido'), it is a polite way to say goodbye.
What is the difference between 'despido' and 'adiós'?
'Adiós' is the word for 'Goodbye'. 'Despido' is the action of saying it. You would say 'Me despido' (I am saying goodbye), but you wouldn't just say 'Despido!' as a greeting.