Inklingo

How to Say "i fire" in Spanish

English → Spanish

despido

des-PEE-dohdesˈpiðo

verbA2general
Use 'despido' (from despedir) when you are referring to the act of dismissing someone from their job, or when you yourself are leaving a job.
A hand pointing firmly towards an open door.

Examples

Mi jefe me despido porque llegué tarde.

My boss fires me because I arrived late.

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.

disparo

dees-PAH-rohdisˈpaɾo

verbA2general
Use 'disparo' (from disparar) when you are referring to shooting a gun or projectile.
A person's hand holding a simple wooden slingshot, pulling the elastic band back with a small pebble ready to be released.

Examples

Si no tengo cuidado, disparo el arma accidentalmente.

If I'm not careful, I accidentally fire the gun.

Yo siempre disparo primero y luego pregunto, ¡es mi regla!

I always shoot first and then ask questions, it's my rule!

Cuando estoy nervioso, disparo muchas preguntas sin pensar.

When I'm nervous, I fire off lots of questions without thinking.

Regular -ar Verb

'Disparar' is a regular verb, meaning its endings follow the standard pattern for all verbs ending in -ar. Once you know the pattern, you know how to conjugate it in every tense!

Incorrect Preterite

Mistake: “Saying 'yo disparó' (he/she shot) instead of 'yo disparé' (I shot).”

Correction: The 'yo' form in the past tense (preterite) always ends in 'é' for -ar verbs: 'disparé'.

echo

é-choˈeʧo

verbB1informal
Use 'echo' (from echar) when referring to the act of dismissing or firing someone from a job, often in a more informal or forceful way.
An illustration of a downtrodden person leaving an office setting while carrying a small cardboard box of personal items.

Examples

Si no mejoras, te echo.

If you don't improve, I'll fire you.

Si no cumplo la cuota, mi jefe me echo.

If I don't meet the quota, my boss fires me. (Note: Often used reflexively, 'me echa')

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).

Firing a Person vs. Firing a Gun

The most common mistake is confusing 'despido'/'echo' (to dismiss an employee) with 'disparo' (to shoot a weapon). Remember that 'disparar' is for guns, while 'despedir' and 'echar' are for jobs.

Related Translations

Learn Spanish with Inklingo

Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.