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"Despedir" is a transitive verb which is often translated as "to say goodbye to", and "destituir" is a transitive verb which is often translated as "to dismiss". Learn more about the difference between "despedir" and "destituir" below.
despedir(
dehs
-
peh
-
deer
)A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
a. to say goodbye to
Despidió a su amiga para irse a clase.She said goodbye to her friend and headed to class.
b. to see off
Mi hermana va a viajar por Europa, así que vamos a despedirla al aeropuerto.My sister's going traveling around Europe, so we're seeing her off at the airport.
a. to fire (colloquial)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Despidieron al empleado acusado de acoso sexual.They fired the employee accused of sexual harassment.
b. to dismiss
Un empleador no puede despedir a un empleado fijo sin tener un motivo de peso.An employer can't dismiss a permanent employee without good reason.
c. to lay off
Despidieron a miles de trabajadores durante la crisis financiera.Thousands of employees were laid off during the financial crisis.
d. to sack (colloquial)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
No entiendo por qué me despidieron. Yo hacía exactamente lo que me pedían que hiciera.I don't understand why they sacked me. I was doing exactly what they asked me to do.
e. to give the sack (colloquial)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Descubrieron que su contable les estaba robando y lo despidieron.They found out their accountant was stealing from them and they gave him the sack.
f. to let go
Me temo que tenemos que despedirte porque necesitamos hacer recortes.I'm afraid we're going to have to let you go because we need to make cutbacks.
g. to make redundant (United Kingdom)
Regionalism used in the United Kingdom
En 2015 la empresa hizo una reestructuración de personal y despidió a 50 empleados.In 2015 the company restructured its workforce and made 50 employees redundant.
3. (to emit)
a. to give off
El hedor que despedía era como el de una tumba.The stench he gave off was like that of a tomb.
despedirse
A pronominal verb always uses a reflexive pronoun. (e.g., Te ves cansado.).
a. to say goodbye
¡Nos despedimos del 2023 con muchos fuegos artificiales!We said goodbye to 2023 with a lot of fireworks!
destituir(
dehs
-
tee
-
tweer
)A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
1. (formal) (to fire)
A word or phrase used to refer to the second person formal “usted” by their conjugation or implied context (e.g., usted).
a. to dismiss
El presidente destituyó a su mano derecha por estar implicado en casos de corrupción.The president dismissed his right-hand man for being involved in instances of corruption.
b. to remove
El policía fue destituido de su cargo en espera de la investigación.The police officer was removed from his post pending the investigation.
c. to oust
El vicepresidente fue destituido como resultado del juicio político.The vice president was ousted as a result of the impeachment.
2. (formal) (old-fashioned) (to divest)
A word or phrase used to refer to the second person formal “usted” by their conjugation or implied context (e.g., usted).
A word or phrase that is seldom used in contemporary language and is recognized as being from another decade, (e.g., cat, groovy).
a. to deprive
No permitiré que nadie me destituya de mi derecho a visitar a mi hija.I will not let anyone deprive me of my right to visit my daughter.
