The Present Tense of Despedirse is used to describe the act of saying goodbye or taking leave in the present moment. For example, Me despido de mis amigos. (I say goodbye to my friends.)

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

Conjugations

Conjugations of Despedirse (to say goodbye) in the Present Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

Despedirse generally means to say goodbye or take leave, but has several different meanings in the Present Tense, some of which might surprise you.

To say goodbye: This is the most common meaning, for example, Me despido de mis amigos antes de irme a casa (I say goodbye to my friends before going home).

To quit or resign: It can also mean to quit a job or resign from a position, for example, El gerente se despide de la empresa después de 10 años (The manager quits the company after 10 years).

To take leave: It can mean to take leave from someone or something, for example, Los estudiantes se despiden de sus profesores al final del año (The students take leave of their teachers at the end of the year).

To dismiss or fire: In some contexts, it can mean to dismiss or fire someone, for example, La empresa se despide de varios empleados por recortes (The company dismisses several employees due to cutbacks).

To break up (colloquial): In informal contexts, it can mean to break up with a romantic partner, for example, Juan se despide de su novia porque ya no la quiere (Juan breaks up with his girlfriend because he doesn’t love her anymore).

Examples

Examples of Despedirse in the Present Tense

Cuando me despido de mis amigos, siempre les digo “¡Hasta luego!”. (When I say goodbye to my friends, I always tell them “See you later!”)

Antes de irme a casa, me despido de mis compañeros de trabajo. (Before going home, I say goodbye to my coworkers.)

En la fiesta, te despides de los anfitriones antes de irte. (At the party, you say goodbye to the hosts before leaving.)

Cuando te despides de alguien, es una buena costumbre desearle un buen día. (When you say goodbye to someone, it’s a good custom to wish them a good day.)

Antes de colgar el teléfono, te despides diciendo “Adiós”. (Before hanging up the phone, you say goodbye by saying “Goodbye”.)

Cuando despides a tus invitados, les agradeces por venir. (When you say goodbye to your guests, you thank them for coming.)

Al final de la reunión, el jefe se despide de todos los empleados. (At the end of the meeting, the boss says goodbye to all the employees.)

Cuando despides a alguien, puedes decir “Hasta pronto” si planeas verlos pronto. (When you say goodbye to someone, you can say “See you soon” if you plan to see them soon.)

Antes de irme de vacaciones, me despido de mis vecinos. (Before going on vacation, I say goodbye to my neighbors.)

En la boda, la pareja se despide de los invitados al final de la noche. (At the wedding, the couple says goodbye to the guests at the end of the night.)

Cuando te despides de alguien por un tiempo prolongado, puedes decir “Cuídate”. (When you say goodbye to someone for an extended period, you can say “Take care”.)

Al final del día escolar, los estudiantes se despiden de su maestro. (At the end of the school day, the students say goodbye to their teacher.)

Cuando despides a tus amigos después de una noche de fiesta, les deseas buenas noches. (When you say goodbye to your friends after a night out, you wish them good night.)

Antes de irme de viaje, me despido de mi familia con un abrazo. (Before going on a trip, I say goodbye to my family with a hug.)

Cuando te despides de alguien por un tiempo, puedes decir “Nos vemos pronto”. (When you say goodbye to someone for a while, you can say “See you soon”.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Despedirse (to say goodbye) in the Present Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian 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.