Inklingo

How to Say "i fire" in Spanish

English → Spanish

despido

/des-PEE-doh//desˈpiðo/

verbA2
Use 'despido' when you are the one leaving a job, meaning 'I quit' or 'I resign'. It is not used to mean firing someone else.
A hand pointing firmly towards an open door.

Examples

Hoy me despido de mis compañeros porque es mi último día.

Today I say goodbye to my colleagues because it's my last day.

Yo no despido a la gente sin una buena razón.

I don't fire people without a good reason.

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.

echo

/é-cho//ˈeʧo/

verbB1informal
Use 'echo' (or 'echar') when you are talking about someone else being fired or dismissed from their job. This is the direct translation for 'my boss fires me'.
An illustration of a downtrodden person leaving an office setting while carrying a small cardboard box of personal items.

Examples

Si no cumplo la cuota, mi jefe me echo.

If I don't meet the quota, my boss fires me.

Echo a los invitados que están causando problemas.

I kick out the guests who are causing trouble.

Using 'Echar' with People

When 'echo' means to remove a person, it usually requires the preposition 'a': 'Echo a Juan' (I fire Juan/I kick Juan out).

Confusing 'I fire' (myself) vs. 'I fire' (someone else)

Learners often confuse 'despido' and 'echar' because both relate to ending employment. Remember: 'despido' is when *you* are leaving, while 'echar' is when *someone else* is fired.

Related Translations

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