despedirse — Spanish conjugation

to say goodbye (oneself)

IrregularReflexivedespedir → despedirse

Indicative

Present (Presente) Irregular

The present tense is the most versatile tense in Spanish. It covers actions happening right now, habitual actions, and even near-future plans. One form does the work of three English constructions.

Ella habla inglés — She speaks / is speaking English

PronounSpanish
yome despido
te despides
voste despedís
él/ella/Ud.se despide
nosotrosnos despedimos
vosotrosos despedís
ellos/ellas/Uds.se despiden

Preterite (Pretérito indefinido) Irregular

Used for completed past actions with a defined endpoint — a single event, a series of events, or an action that interrupted another. Common with time expressions like ayer, el lunes, una vez.

Ella habló de ti ayer — She spoke about you yesterday

PronounSpanish
yome despedí
te despediste
voste despediste
él/ella/Ud.se despidió
nosotrosnos despedimos
vosotrosos despedisteis
ellos/ellas/Uds.se despidieron

Imperfect (Pretérito imperfecto) Regular

Describes ongoing or habitual past states — what things were like, background context, what used to happen. Contrasts with the preterite which marks completed events.

Cuando era niño vivía en Valencia — When I was a child I lived in Valencia

PronounSpanish
yome despedía
te despedías
voste despedías
él/ella/Ud.se despedía
nosotrosnos despedíamos
vosotrosos despedíais
ellos/ellas/Uds.se despedían

Conditional (Condicional) Regular

Expresses hypothetical actions, polite requests, and what would happen under certain conditions. Also used for reported speech about the future from a past perspective.

¿Podrías ayudarme? — Could you help me?

PronounSpanish
yome despediría
te despedirías
voste despedirías
él/ella/Ud.se despediría
nosotrosnos despediríamos
vosotrosos despediríais
ellos/ellas/Uds.se despedirían

Future (Futuro) Regular

Expresses future actions, predictions, and probability about the present. Formed with the full infinitive as stem for most verbs. In spoken Spanish, ir a + infinitive is often preferred for near future.

Ella hablará en conferencia mañana — She will speak at the conference tomorrow

PronounSpanish
yome despediré
te despedirás
voste despedirás
él/ella/Ud.se despedirá
nosotrosnos despediremos
vosotrosos despediréis
ellos/ellas/Uds.se despedirán

Present perfect (Pretérito perfecto) Regular

A compound past tense linking a past action to the present moment — something that has happened and still feels recent or relevant. More common in Spain than Latin America where preterite is preferred.

Hoy he hablado con el jefe — Today I have spoken with the boss

PronounSpanish
yome he despedido
te has despedido
voste has despedido
él/ella/Ud.se ha despedido
nosotrosnos hemos despedido
vosotrosos habéis despedido
ellos/ellas/Uds.se han despedido

Pluperfect (Pretérito pluscuamperfecto) Regular

The past of the past — describes an action that was already completed before another past event happened. Always implies a reference point in the past.

Ya había hablado cuando llegaste — She had already spoken when you arrived

PronounSpanish
yome había despedido
te habías despedido
voste habías despedido
él/ella/Ud.se había despedido
nosotrosnos habíamos despedido
vosotrosos habíais despedido
ellos/ellas/Uds.se habían despedido

Conditional perfect (Condicional perfecto) Regular

Expresses what would have happened — actions that were possible but did not occur, or regrets about the past. Formed with conditional of haber + past participle.

Habría hablado, pero no me dejaron — I would have spoken, but they did not let me

PronounSpanish
yome habría despedido
te habrías despedido
voste habrías despedido
él/ella/Ud.se habría despedido
nosotrosnos habríamos despedido
vosotrosos habríais despedido
ellos/ellas/Uds.se habrían despedido

Future perfect (Futuro perfecto) Regular

Describes an action that will have been completed by a certain point in the future, or expresses probability about a recent past action.

Para el lunes habré terminado — By Monday I will have finished

PronounSpanish
yome habré despedido
te habrás despedido
voste habrás despedido
él/ella/Ud.se habrá despedido
nosotrosnos habremos despedido
vosotrosos habréis despedido
ellos/ellas/Uds.se habrán despedido

Subjunctive

Present subjunctive (Subjuntivo presente) Irregular

Used in subordinate clauses after expressions of desire, doubt, emotion, necessity, or impersonal statements. Triggered by a change of subject between the main and subordinate clause.

Espero que hable — I hope she speaks

PronounSpanish
yome despida
te despidas
voste despidas
él/ella/Ud.se despida
nosotrosnos despidamos
vosotrosos despidáis
ellos/ellas/Uds.se despidan

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra) (Subjuntivo imperfecto (-ra)) Irregular

The past subjunctive used after past main verbs, in if-clauses with conditional, and for polite softening. The -ra form is more common in everyday speech than the -se form.

Si pudiera, lo haría — If I could, I would do it

PronounSpanish
yome despidiera
te despidieras
voste despidieras
él/ella/Ud.se despidiera
nosotrosnos despidiéramos
vosotrosos despidierais
ellos/ellas/Uds.se despidieran

Imperfect subjunctive (-se) (Subjuntivo imperfecto (-se)) Regular

The alternative past subjunctive form. Interchangeable with -ra in most contexts but slightly more literary or formal. Both forms are grammatically correct in all regions.

Si pudiese, lo haría — If I could, I would do it

PronounSpanish
yome despidiese
te despidieses
voste despidieses
él/ella/Ud.se despidiese
nosotrosnos despidiésemos
vosotrosos despidieseis
ellos/ellas/Uds.se despidiesen

Perfect subjunctive (Pretérito perfecto de subjuntivo) Regular

A compound subjunctive that expresses completed actions in a subjunctive context — used after present or future main verbs expressing doubt, emotion or desire.

Dudo que ya haya llegado — I doubt she has already arrived

PronounSpanish
yome haya despedido
te hayas despedido
voste hayas despedido
él/ella/Ud.se haya despedido
nosotrosnos hayamos despedido
vosotrosos hayáis despedido
ellos/ellas/Uds.se hayan despedido

Pluperfect subjunctive (Pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo) Regular

Expresses what had happened in hypothetical or unreal past contexts — the subjunctive equivalent of the pluperfect. Common in contrary-to-fact past conditions.

Si hubiera hablado, lo habrían creído — If she had spoken, they would have believed her

PronounSpanish
yome hubiera despedido
te hubieras despedido
voste hubieras despedido
él/ella/Ud.se hubiera despedido
nosotrosnos hubiéramos despedido
vosotrosos hubierais despedido
ellos/ellas/Uds.se hubieran despedido

Other forms

Present progressive (Presente progresivo) Regular

Emphasises that an action is happening right now at this very moment. Less common than in English since the present tense already covers ongoing actions in Spanish.

Estoy hablando contigo — I am speaking with you

PronounSpanish
yome estoy despidiendo
te estás despidiendo
voste estás despidiendo
él/ella/Ud.se está despidiendo
nosotrosnos estamos despidiendo
vosotrosos estáis despidiendo
ellos/ellas/Uds.se están despidiendo

Preterite progressive (Pretérito indefinido progresivo) Regular

Describes an action that was in progress throughout a completed past period. Uses the preterite of estar + gerund to emphasise the ongoing nature within a defined timeframe.

Estuvo hablando toda la tarde — He was talking all afternoon

PronounSpanish
yome estuve despidiendo
te estuviste despidiendo
voste estuviste despidiendo
él/ella/Ud.se estuvo despidiendo
nosotrosnos estuvimos despidiendo
vosotrosos estuvisteis despidiendo
ellos/ellas/Uds.se estuvieron despidiendo

Imperfect progressive (Pretérito imperfecto progresivo) Regular

Emphasises an ongoing background action using the imperfect of estar + gerund. Layered on top of the imperfect which already conveys continuity — used for extra emphasis on the progressive nature.

Estaba hablando cuando entró — I was speaking when he came in

PronounSpanish
yome estaba despidiendo
te estabas despidiendo
voste estabas despidiendo
él/ella/Ud.se estaba despidiendo
nosotrosnos estábamos despidiendo
vosotrosos estabais despidiendo
ellos/ellas/Uds.se estaban despidiendo

Conditional progressive (Condicional progresivo) Regular

Expresses what would be in progress under hypothetical conditions. Uses the conditional of estar + gerund. Less common but used for emphasis on the ongoing nature of a hypothetical action.

Estaría hablando ahora si pudiera — I would be speaking now if I could

PronounSpanish
yome estaría despidiendo
te estarías despidiendo
voste estarías despidiendo
él/ella/Ud.se estaría despidiendo
nosotrosnos estaríamos despidiendo
vosotrosos estaríais despidiendo
ellos/ellas/Uds.se estarían despidiendo

Future progressive (Futuro progresivo) Regular

Describes an action that will be in progress at a future point, or expresses probability about an ongoing present action. Uses the future of estar + gerund.

Mañana a esta hora estaré viajando — At this time tomorrow I will be travelling

PronounSpanish
yome estaré despidiendo
te estarás despidiendo
voste estarás despidiendo
él/ella/Ud.se estará despidiendo
nosotrosnos estaremos despidiendo
vosotrosos estaréis despidiendo
ellos/ellas/Uds.se estarán despidiendo