The Present Tense of Despedir is used to describe actions happening now or that occur habitually, for example, Ella despide a los empleados que llegan tarde. (She dismisses the employees who arrive late.)

This verb follows an e to i stem-changing pattern in the present tense. The e in the stem changes to i in all forms except nosotros and vosotros.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Despedir (to dismiss/say goodbye) in the Present Tense tense (Latin American 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

Cada año, la empresa despide a algunos empleados por cuestiones presupuestarias. (Every year, the company lays off some employees due to budgetary issues.)

Mi jefe despide a cualquiera que llegue tarde con frecuencia. (My boss fires anyone who is frequently late.)

¿Por qué despides a tu asistente? Hace un gran trabajo. (Why are you firing your assistant? They do a great job.)

La compañía despide a los empleados que no cumplen con las expectativas. (The company fires employees who do not meet expectations.)

Cuando un negocio va mal, a menudo despiden a los trabajadores para reducir costos. (When a business is doing poorly, they often lay off workers to cut costs.)

Si despedimos a más personal, ¿cómo vamos a cumplir con los plazos? (If we lay off more staff, how will we meet the deadlines?)

Los gerentes despiden a los empleados que roban o violan las políticas de la empresa. (Managers fire employees who steal or violate company policies.)

Cuando una empresa se reestructura, despide a algunos trabajadores. (When a company restructures, it lays off some workers.)

Si despides a tu mejor vendedor, ¿cómo vas a alcanzar tus metas de ventas? (If you fire your top salesperson, how will you meet your sales goals?)

La empresa despide a los empleados que no se desempeñan bien en sus funciones. (The company fires employees who do not perform well in their roles.)

Cuando hay recortes de personal, despiden a los últimos en ser contratados. (When there are layoffs, they fire the most recently hired employees.)

Si despedimos a demasiados trabajadores, no podremos atender a todos los clientes. (If we lay off too many workers, we won’t be able to serve all the customers.)

Los gerentes despiden a los empleados que no siguen las reglas de la empresa. (Managers fire employees who do not follow company rules.)

Cuando una empresa se declara en quiebra, despide a todos sus empleados. (When a company goes bankrupt, it lays off all its employees.)

Si despides a tu mejor programador, ¿quién va a mantener el software? (If you fire your best programmer, who will maintain the software?)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Despedir (to dismiss/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.