The Present Tense of despedir is used to describe actions of dismissing or firing someone that are happening in the present moment. For example, Mi jefe me despide hoy. (My boss fires me today.)

Despedir is an e to i stem-changing verb, meaning the e in the verb stem changes to an i in all present tense forms except nosotros and vosotros.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Despedir (to dismiss/say goodbye) in the Present Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):

Despedir generally means to dismiss or fire someone from a job, but has several different meanings in the Present Tense, some of which might surprise you.

To dismiss or fire from employment: for example, La empresa despide a varios empleados por recortes de personal. (The company fires several employees due to downsizing.)

To say goodbye: for example, Los amigos se despiden con un abrazo antes de irse. (The friends say goodbye with a hug before leaving.)

To take leave or depart: for example, El avión despide a las 6 pm. (The plane departs at 6 pm.)

To give off or emit (informal): for example, El carro viejo despide un olor desagradable. (The old car gives off an unpleasant smell.)

To get rid of or remove (colloquial): for example, Despido las migas de la mesa con un trapo. (I remove the crumbs from the table with a cloth.)

Examples

Examples of Despedir in the Present Tense

Mi jefe despide a los empleados que llegan tarde con frecuencia. (My boss fires employees who are frequently late.)

Cuando despedimos a un miembro del equipo, siempre lo hacemos con respeto y gratitud por su servicio. (When we fire a team member, we always do it with respect and gratitude for their service.)

La empresa despide a los trabajadores que no cumplen con los estándares de calidad. (The company fires workers who do not meet quality standards.)

¿Por qué despides a tu asistente? Pensé que hacía un buen trabajo. (Why are you firing your assistant? I thought they were doing a good job.)

Ustedes despiden a demasiados empleados sin una buena razón. (You fire too many employees without good reason.)

Cada vez que despedimos a alguien, tratamos de hacerlo de la manera más profesional posible. (Whenever we fire someone, we try to do it in the most professional way possible.)

La compañía despide a los empleados que no siguen las políticas de la empresa. (The company fires employees who do not follow company policies.)

¿Por qué despiden a tantos gerentes? Eso no parece bueno para el negocio. (Why are they firing so many managers? That doesn’t seem good for business.)

Ustedes despiden a demasiada gente sin darles una oportunidad justa. (You fire too many people without giving them a fair chance.)

Cuando despedimos a alguien, siempre ofrecemos un paquete de indemnización generoso. (When we fire someone, we always offer a generous severance package.)

La empresa despide a los empleados que no cumplen con los objetivos de ventas. (The company fires employees who do not meet sales goals.)

¿Por qué despides a tu secretaria? Ella siempre ha sido muy eficiente. (Why are you firing your secretary? She has always been very efficient.)

Ustedes despiden a demasiados buenos empleados por razones insignificantes. (You fire too many good employees for insignificant reasons.)

Cuando despedimos a alguien, siempre tratamos de hacerlo de la manera más respetuosa posible. (When we fire someone, we always try to do it in the most respectful way possible.)

La empresa despide a los empleados que no cumplen con los estándares éticos. (The company fires employees who do not meet ethical standards.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Despedir (to dismiss/say goodbye) in the Present Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Present tense is also known as the Simple Present, Present Simple, Present Tense, or Present Indicative in English, and as Presente de Indicativo, Presente Simple, Tiempo Presente, or Indicativo Presente in Spanish.