despachar

Portuguese

Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese [Term?], borrowed from Old French despechier (compare modern dépêcher).

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /des.paˈʃa(ʁ)/ [des.paˈʃa(h)], /d͡ʒis.paˈʃa(ʁ)/ [d͡ʒis.paˈʃa(h)]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /des.paˈʃa(ʁ)/ [des.paˈʃa(h)], /d͡ʒis.paˈʃa(ʁ)/ [d͡ʒis.paˈʃa(h)]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /des.paˈʃa(ɾ)/, /d͡ʒis.paˈʃa(ɾ)/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /deʃ.paˈʃa(ʁ)/ [deʃ.paˈʃa(χ)], /d͡ʒiʃ.paˈʃa(ʁ)/ [d͡ʒiʃ.paˈʃa(χ)]
  • (Caipira) IPA^(key): /des.paˈʃa(ɻ)/, /d͡ʒis.paˈʃa(ɻ)/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /des.paˈʃa(ʁ)/ [des.paˈʃa(h)]

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /dɨʃ.pɐˈʃaɾ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /dɨʃ.pɐˈʃaɾ/
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /dɨʃ.pɐˈt͡ʃaɾ/
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /dɨʃ.pɐˈʃa.ɾi/

Verb

despachar (first-person singular present despacho, first-person singular preterite despachei, past participle despachado)

1. to dispatch, despatch
2. to expedite
3. (transitive, colloquial) to assassinate, to murder, to kill

   Synonyms: assassinar, matar

   • 1890, Aluizio Azevedo, O Cortiço, Rio de Janeiro: B. L. Garnier:

     Além disso, como?... Sim, como poderia despachá-la, sem deixar sinais comprometedores do crime?... Envenenando-a?... Dariam logo pela coisa! Matá-la a tiro?... Pior!

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Conjugation

    Conjugation of despachar (See Appendix:Portuguese verbs)

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (tu)	Third-person (ele / ela / você)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / vocês)
Infinitive
Impersonal	despachar
Personal	despachar	despachares	despachar	despacharmos	despachardes	despacharem
Gerund
	despachando
Past participle
Masculine	despachado			despachados
Feminine	despachada			despachadas
Indicative
Present	despacho	despachas	despacha	despachamos	despachais	despacham
Imperfect	despachava	despachavas	despachava	despachávamos	despacháveis	despachavam
Preterite	despachei	despachaste	despachou	despachamos1, despachámos2	despachastes	despacharam
Pluperfect	despachara	despacharas	despachara	despacháramos	despacháreis	despacharam
Future	despacharei	despacharás	despachará	despacharemos	despachareis	despacharão
Conditional	despacharia	despacharias	despacharia	despacharíamos	despacharíeis	despachariam
Subjunctive
Present	despache	despaches	despache	despachemos	despacheis	despachem
Imperfect	despachasse	despachasses	despachasse	despachássemos	despachásseis	despachassem
Future	despachar	despachares	despachar	despacharmos	despachardes	despacharem
Imperative
Affirmative		despacha	despache	despachemos	despachai	despachem
Negative (não)		não despaches	não despache	não despachemos	não despacheis	não despachem

¹Brazilian Portuguese.
²European Portuguese.

Derived terms

• despacho

Further reading

• “despachar”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “despachar”, in Dicionário infopédia da Lingua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2026
• “despachar”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Provençal despachar, from Old French despeechier (“to remove impediments”) (compare modern French dépêcher), from des- + empeechier (“to obstruct, to impede”), from Late Latin impedicāre (“to impede”), from pedica (“shackle”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /despaˈt͡ʃaɾ/ [d̪es.paˈt͡ʃaɾ]
• Rhymes: -aɾ
• Syllabification: des‧pa‧char

Verb

despachar (first-person singular present despacho, first-person singular preterite despaché, past participle despachado)

1. (transitive) to complete, conclude
2. (transitive) to send or ship
3. (transitive) to attend to, serve (a client)
4. (transitive) to dismiss

   Despacharon los estudiantes ― They dismissed the students

5. (transitive) to finish off
6. (transitive) to kill off

Conjugation

    Conjugation of despachar (See Appendix:Spanish verbs)

infinitive			despachar
gerund			despachando
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		despachado		despachada
		plural		despachados		despachadas
		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
indicative		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	despacho	despachastú despachásvos	despacha	despachamos	despacháis	despachan
	imperfect	despachaba	despachabas	despachaba	despachábamos	despachabais	despachaban
	preterite	despaché	despachaste	despachó	despachamos	despachasteis	despacharon
	future	despacharé	despacharás	despachará	despacharemos	despacharéis	despacharán
	conditional	despacharía	despacharías	despacharía	despacharíamos	despacharíais	despacharían
subjunctive		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	despache	despachestú despachésvos2	despache	despachemos	despachéis	despachen
	imperfect (ra)	despachara	despacharas	despachara	despacháramos	despacharais	despacharan
	imperfect (se)	despachase	despachases	despachase	despachásemos	despachaseis	despachasen
	future1	despachare	despachares	despachare	despacháremos	despachareis	despacharen
imperative		—	tú vos	usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ustedes
	affirmative		despachatú despachávos	despache	despachemos	despachad	despachen
	negative		no despaches	no despache	no despachemos	no despachéis	no despachen

¹Rare; now chiefly used in legal language.
²Argentine and Uruguayan voseo prefers the tuteo-form for the present subjunctive.

    Selected combined forms of despachar

These forms are generated automatically and may not actually be used. Pronoun usage varies by region.

		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
with infinitive despachar	dative	despacharme	despacharte	despacharle, despacharse	despacharnos	despacharos	despacharles, despacharse
	accusative	despacharme	despacharte	despacharlo, despacharla, despacharse	despacharnos	despacharos	despacharlos, despacharlas, despacharse
with gerund despachando	dative	despachándome	despachándote	despachándole, despachándose	despachándonos	despachándoos	despachándoles, despachándose
	accusative	despachándome	despachándote	despachándolo, despachándola, despachándose	despachándonos	despachándoos	despachándolos, despachándolas, despachándose
with informal second-person singular tuteo imperative despacha	dative	despáchame	despáchate	despáchale	despáchanos	not used	despáchales
	accusative	despáchame	despáchate	despáchalo, despáchala	despáchanos	not used	despáchalos, despáchalas
with informal second-person singular voseo imperative despachá	dative	despachame	despachate	despachale	despachanos	not used	despachales
	accusative	despachame	despachate	despachalo, despachala	despachanos	not used	despachalos, despachalas
with formal second-person singular imperative despache	dative	despácheme	not used	despáchele, despáchese	despáchenos	not used	despácheles
	accusative	despácheme	not used	despáchelo, despáchela, despáchese	despáchenos	not used	despáchelos, despáchelas
with first-person plural imperative despachemos	dative	not used	despachémoste	despachémosle	despachémonos	despachémoos	despachémosles
	accusative	not used	despachémoste	despachémoslo, despachémosla	despachémonos	despachémoos	despachémoslos, despachémoslas
with informal second-person plural imperative despachad	dative	despachadme	not used	despachadle	despachadnos	despachaos	despachadles
	accusative	despachadme	not used	despachadlo, despachadla	despachadnos	despachaos	despachadlos, despachadlas
with formal second-person plural imperative despachen	dative	despáchenme	not used	despáchenle	despáchennos	not used	despáchenles, despáchense
	accusative	despáchenme	not used	despáchenlo, despáchenla	despáchennos	not used	despáchenlos, despáchenlas, despáchense

Derived terms

• despachaderas
• despachador
• despachamiento
• despachante
• despacho

Further reading

• “despachar”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025