How to Say "laid off" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “laid off” is “despedido” — B1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
El trabajador despedido no pudo pagar el alquiler.
The fired worker couldn't pay the rent.
Llevaba dos meses despedido cuando encontró un nuevo empleo.
He had been fired for two months when he found a new job.
La noticia de ser despedido le cayó como un balde de agua fría.
The news of being dismissed hit him like a ton of bricks (literally: bucket of cold water).
Using the Past Participle as an Adjective
When used as an adjective, 'despedido' must match the person or thing it describes in gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural): 'despedida,' 'despedidos,' 'despedidas'.
Mixing up the state and the action
Mistake: “Soy despedido. (I am fired.)”
Correction: Estoy despedido. (I am in the state of being fired.) Use 'ser' only if you are defining yourself as a fired person (Soy un despedido), but 'estar' is usually better to describe the current state.
Related Translations
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