The Imperfect Tense of despedir is used to describe actions in the past that were ongoing or repeated, for example, Despedía a los empleados cada año. (I used to dismiss the employees every year.)

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

Conjugations

Conjugations of Despedir (to say goodbye) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):

The imperfect tense of despedir is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

To dismiss or fire someone: For example, Mi jefe me despedía cada vez que llegaba tarde. (My boss used to fire me every time I was late.)

To say goodbye: For example, Siempre despedía a mis amigos con un abrazo. (I always used to say goodbye to my friends with a hug.)

To emit or give off (slang): For example, El coche viejo despedía un humo negro. (The old car used to give off black smoke.)

To get rid of or dismiss (rude): For example, Despedía a las personas que no me caían bien. (I used to get rid of people I didn’t like.)

Examples

Examples of Despedir in the Imperfect Tense

Cuando era niño, mi padre siempre despedía a los empleados con mucha amabilidad. (When I was a child, my father always dismissed employees very kindly.)

El año pasado, la empresa despedía a varios trabajadores debido a recortes presupuestarios. (Last year, the company was dismissing several employees due to budget cuts.)

En la fiesta, mi amigo despedía a todos los invitados con un abrazo. (At the party, my friend was bidding farewell to all the guests with a hug.)

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

Cada vez que despedía a su novia, él le enviaba un ramo de flores. (Every time he said goodbye to his girlfriend, he would send her a bouquet of flowers.)

La empresa despedía a los empleados de manera respetuosa y les ofrecía un paquete de indemnización. (The company was dismissing employees respectfully and offering them a severance package.)

Cuando despedíamos el año viejo, hacíamos una gran fiesta con amigos y familiares. (When we were bidding farewell to the old year, we would have a big party with friends and family.)

En la obra de teatro, el actor despedía a su amada con un monólogo emotivo. (In the play, the actor was bidding farewell to his beloved with an emotional monologue.)

Antes de mudarnos, despedíamos a nuestros vecinos con una cena de despedida. (Before moving, we used to say goodbye to our neighbors with a farewell dinner.)

Cuando despedía a sus clientes, el camarero siempre les deseaba un buen día. (When the waiter was saying goodbye to his customers, he would always wish them a good day.)

En la graduación, el director despedía a los estudiantes con un discurso inspirador. (At the graduation, the principal was bidding farewell to the students with an inspiring speech.)

Cada vez que despedíamos a un familiar en el aeropuerto, nos abrazábamos con fuerza. (Every time we said goodbye to a relative at the airport, we would hug each other tightly.)

Cuando despedía a sus compañeros de trabajo, ella les deseaba lo mejor en sus futuros proyectos. (When she was saying goodbye to her coworkers, she would wish them the best in their future endeavors.)

En la boda, el novio despedía a su soltería con un brindis emotivo. (At the wedding, the groom was bidding farewell to his bachelorhood with an emotional toast.)

Antes de partir, el capitán despedía a su tripulación con palabras de aliento. (Before departing, the captain was bidding farewell to his crew with words of encouragement.)

Conjugations with English Translations

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

This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American 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.