The Imperfect Tense of Despedirse is used to describe an ongoing or repeated action in the past, for example, Me despedía de mis amigos cada verano. (I used to say goodbye to my friends every summer.)

Despedirse is a regular -ir verb, so its Imperfect Tense conjugations follow the typical pattern for that verb type.

Conjugations

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

The imperfect tense of despedirse is used to describe an ongoing or repeated action in the past.

To say goodbye: For example, Cuando era niño, me despedía de mis padres antes de ir a la escuela. (When I was a child, I would say goodbye to my parents before going to school.)

To take leave: For example, Los empleados se despedían de la oficina a las 6 pm. (The employees would leave the office at 6 pm.)

To quit or resign (from a job): For example, Mi hermano se despedía de su trabajo cada dos años. (My brother would quit his job every two years.)

To break up (with a romantic partner): For example, Ella se despedía de sus novios con mucha frecuencia. (She would break up with her boyfriends very frequently.) This usage can be considered rude or vulgar.

To say farewell: For example, Nos despedíamos de los familiares en el aeropuerto. (We would say farewell to our relatives at the airport.)

Examples

Examples of Despedirse in the Imperfect Tense

Cuando era niño, me despedía de mis padres todas las mañanas antes de ir a la escuela. (When I was a child, I would say goodbye to my parents every morning before going to school.)

Antes de salir de viaje, nos despedíamos de nuestros familiares en el aeropuerto. (Before leaving on a trip, we would say goodbye to our relatives at the airport.)

Cada vez que me despedía de mi novia, le daba un abrazo y un beso. (Every time I said goodbye to my girlfriend, I would give her a hug and a kiss.)

En la fiesta de graduación, nos despedíamos de nuestros compañeros de clase con lágrimas en los ojos. (At the graduation party, we would say goodbye to our classmates with tears in our eyes.)

Cuando se despedía de sus amigos, siempre les deseaba buena suerte. (When he said goodbye to his friends, he would always wish them good luck.)

Antes de colgar el teléfono, me despedía diciendo “hasta luego”. (Before hanging up the phone, I would say goodbye by saying “see you later”.)

En la oficina, nos despedíamos de nuestros compañeros de trabajo al final del día. (At the office, we would say goodbye to our coworkers at the end of the day.)

Cuando se despedía de su abuela, le daba un fuerte abrazo y un beso en la mejilla. (When she said goodbye to her grandmother, she would give her a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.)

Antes de irme de vacaciones, me despedía de mis vecinos y les deseaba un buen verano. (Before going on vacation, I would say goodbye to my neighbors and wish them a good summer.)

En la boda, nos despedíamos de los novios con lágrimas de felicidad. (At the wedding, we would say goodbye to the newlyweds with tears of joy.)

Cuando se despedía de su mejor amigo, chocaban los puños como señal de amistad. (When he said goodbye to his best friend, they would fist bump as a sign of friendship.)

Antes de mudarme, me despedía de mis vecinos y les agradecía por su amabilidad. (Before moving, I would say goodbye to my neighbors and thank them for their kindness.)

En la reunión familiar, nos despedíamos de nuestros parientes con abrazos y promesas de vernos pronto. (At the family gathering, we would say goodbye to our relatives with hugs and promises to see each other soon.)

Cuando se despedía de su jefe, le estrechaba la mano y le agradecía por la oportunidad laboral. (When he said goodbye to his boss, he would shake their hand and thank them for the job opportunity.)

Antes de terminar la llamada, me despedía diciendo “cuídate” a mi amigo. (Before ending the call, I would say goodbye to my friend by saying “take care”.)

Conjugations with English Translations

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

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

Synonyms

The Imperfect tense is also known as the Past Imperfect, Descriptive Past, Past Progressive, or Imperfect Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Imperfecto, Copretérito, Imperfecto de Indicativo, or Pasado Descriptivo in Spanish.