The Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) of Despedir is used to give direct orders or instructions, for example: Despide a los empleados. (Dismiss the employees.)

Despedir is an e to i stem-changing verb, meaning the e changes to i in certain conjugations. This affects the tú and ustedes forms of the imperative.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Despedir (to say goodbye) in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) tense (Latin American Spanish):

Despedir generally means to dismiss, fire or say goodbye, but has several different meanings in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands), some of which might surprise you.

To dismiss or fire someone: for example, ¡Despídelo! (Dismiss him/her!)

To say goodbye: for example, ¡Despídelos con un abrazo! (Say goodbye to them with a hug!)

To get rid of something: for example, ¡Despide esos malos pensamientos! (Get rid of those bad thoughts!)

To break up (colloquial): for example, ¡Despídelo ya, no te merece! (Break up with him already, he doesn’t deserve you!)

To reject or turn down (colloquial): for example, ¡Despídelo con educación! (Turn him down politely!)

Examples

Examples of Despedir in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands)

¡Despide al empleado que llegó tarde tres veces esta semana! (Fire the employee who was late three times this week!)

Antes de irnos de vacaciones, despidamos a los niños de la escuela. (Before we go on vacation, let’s say goodbye to the kids at school.)

Señor gerente, por favor despida a los trabajadores que no cumplieron con sus obligaciones. (Mr. Manager, please fire the workers who did not fulfill their duties.)

Mamá, ¿puedo despedir a la niñera? No me gusta cómo trata a mi hermanito. (Mom, can I fire the babysitter? I don’t like how she treats my little brother.)

Jefe, creo que deberíamos despedir al equipo de ventas y contratar a uno nuevo. (Boss, I think we should fire the sales team and hire a new one.)

Antes de mudarnos, despidamos a nuestros vecinos con una fiesta de despedida. (Before we move, let’s say goodbye to our neighbors with a farewell party.)

Si el mesero sigue siendo grosero, despídanlo de inmediato. (If the waiter keeps being rude, fire him immediately.)

Oye amigo, despide a tu novia, ¡es una loca! (Hey buddy, dump your girlfriend, she’s crazy!)

Señores, por favor despidan al guardia de seguridad que se quedó dormido anoche. (Gentlemen, please fire the security guard who fell asleep last night.)

Jefa, creo que debemos despedir al asistente que filtró información confidencial a la prensa. (Boss, I think we should fire the assistant who leaked confidential information to the press.)

Antes de terminar el año escolar, despidamos a la maestra con un regalo. (Before the school year ends, let’s say goodbye to the teacher with a gift.)

Si el contratista no termina el trabajo a tiempo, despídanlo y contraten a alguien más. (If the contractor doesn’t finish the job on time, fire him and hire someone else.)

Oye viejo, despide a tu roomie, ¡es un vago que no paga la renta! (Hey dude, kick out your roommate, he’s a lazy bum who doesn’t pay rent!)

Antes de jubilarnos, despidamos a nuestros colegas con una fiesta de retiro. (Before we retire, let’s say goodbye to our colleagues with a retirement party.)

Si el entrenador sigue perdiendo partidos, despídanlo y contraten a uno nuevo. (If the coach keeps losing games, fire him and hire a new one.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Despedir (to say goodbye) in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

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

Synonyms

The Imperative mood is also known as the Command Form, Affirmative Command Mood, or Direct Command Form in English, and as Modo Imperativo, Imperativo Afirmativo, Mandatos Afirmativos, or Forma de Mandato in Spanish.