Introduction

Dimitir means “to resign”, and this page covers exactly one thing: dimitir in the present tense. The present is the tense Spanish speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly and what is happening now. On this page you will find the full present table for dimitir, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the preterite, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about dimitir in the present. Dimitir in the present describes a habit, a fact or something happening right now. For example: “El lunes, yo dimito” — "On monday, I resign". Everything on this page uses the forms of dimitir exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Dimitir in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
yo dimito
tú dimites
él/ella/Ud. dimite
nosotros/as dimitimos
vosotros/as dimitís
ellos/ellas/Uds. dimiten

Gerund: dimitiendo · Past participle: dimitido

The gerund is dimitiendo, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy dimitiendo” means the action of dimitir is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is dimitido, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he dimitido” is the present perfect, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the present is only one part of how dimitir is used.

How the present of dimitir is formed

Dimitir is a regular -ir verb in the present. Take the stem dimit and add the present endings for -ir verbs: -o, -es, -e, -imos, -ís, -en, giving dimito, dimites, dimite, dimitimos, dimitís, dimiten. Watch the accents: the vosotros form, dimitís, carries an accent on the á, é or í. The present of dimitir is fully regular, but two details deserve attention. First, the accents: the vosotros form dimitís carries a written accent. Second, the yo form dimito is the form the present subjunctive is built from, so learn it well — it unlocks the subjunctive too.

When to use the present of dimitir

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use dimitir in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.

1. Routines and habits

The present is the tense of what you do regularly. When something happens todos los días, cada semana or los fines de semana, dimitir goes in the present. Example: “Yo dimito de su puesto” — "I resign from his post".

2. General facts

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about dimitir does not need a time word at all. Example: “Él dimite por motivos personales” — "He resigns for personal reasons".

3. What is happening now

The present also covers what is happening at this very moment. Spanish often uses the simple present where English would use the -ing form, so dimito can mean both "I resign" and "I am resigning". Example: “El lunes, yo dimito” — "On monday, I resign".

4. Timetables and fixed plans

For a fixed plan or a timetable, Spanish uses the present: the plan is already decided, so the present states it as a fact. This is common with travel, lessons and appointments. Example: “Nosotros dimitimos de su puesto” — "We resign from his post".

5. Telling a story

Stories are sometimes told in the present to make them feel immediate, even when they happened in the past. This is the historical present, and it works with dimitir just as it does with any other verb. Example: “Él dimite por motivos personales” — "He resigns for personal reasons".

Present Tense vs Preterite: how to choose

The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and choosing between them is one of the first decisions in Spanish. The rule is simple: the present reports what happens regularly or what is happening now, while the preterite reports one finished action in the past. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is whether the action is a habit or a finished event. Time words help: todos los días and cada semana point to the present, while ayer and la semana pasada point to the preterite.

  • Present Tense: “El lunes, yo dimito” — "On monday, I resign".

  • Preterite: “El lunes, yo dimití” — "On monday, I resigned".

  • The present sentence describes a habit or something happening now; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — routine versus finished event — is the whole decision.

  • Present Tense: “Él dimite de su puesto” — "He resigns from his post".

  • Preterite: “Él dimitió de su puesto” — "He resigned from his post".

  • The present sentence describes a habit or something happening now; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — routine versus finished event — is the whole decision.

  • Present Tense: “Nosotros dimitimos por motivos personales” — "We resign for personal reasons".

  • Preterite: “Nosotros dimitimos por motivos personales” — "We resigned for personal reasons".

  • The two sentences look identical: dimitimos is the same in the present and the preterite. Only the time words around it tell you which tense is meant.

Example sentences: dimitir in the present

Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions, the objects, the other verbs — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.

  1. “Yo dimito de su puesto” — "I resign from his post"

  2. “Tú dimites por motivos personales” — "You resign for personal reasons"

  3. “El lunes, él dimite” — "On monday, he resigns"

  4. “Nosotros dimitimos de su puesto” — "We resign from his post"

  5. “Vosotros dimitís por motivos personales” — "You resign for personal reasons"

  6. “El lunes, ellos dimiten” — "On monday, they resign"

  7. “Yo dimito de su puesto” — "I resign from his post"

  8. “Él dimite por motivos personales” — "He resigns for personal reasons"

Common mistakes with dimitir in the present

These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.

  • Wrong: “Ellos dimite el lunes” Right: “El lunes, ellos dimiten” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form dimiten. The singular dimite belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

  • Wrong: “Todos los días, yo dimití” Right: “Todos los días, yo dimito” Why: Todos los días describes a habit, so the present is right. The preterite (dimití) is for one finished action, not for routines.

  • Wrong: “Yo dimite el lunes.” Right: “El lunes, yo dimito” Why: Yo needs the yo form dimito. The él form dimite belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

  • Wrong: “Ayer, yo dimito” Right: “Ayer, yo dimití” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to dimití.

Quiz: dimitir in the present

Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.

1. Complete the sentence: “Yo ___ de su puesto.” (yo form)

A. dimite B. dimitís C. dimito D. dimites

2. Complete the sentence: “Tú ___ por motivos personales.” (tú form)

A. dimiten B. dimito C. dimite D. dimites

3. Complete the sentence: “Él ___ de su puesto.” (él/ella/Ud. form)

A. dimites B. dimiten C. dimite D. dimitimos

4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ___ por motivos personales.” (nosotros/as form)

A. dimitís B. dimito C. dimite D. dimitimos

5. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ___ de su puesto.” (vosotros/as form)

A. dimitimos B. dimitís C. dimite D. dimites

6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ___ por motivos personales.” (ellos/ellas/Uds. form)

A. dimite B. dimitimos C. dimiten D. dimites

7. Which time expression points to the present tense?

A. todos los días B. ayer C. la semana pasada D. anoche

8. Which sentence is correct?

A. Todos los días, yo dimito B. Todos los días, yo dimití

Answer key

  1. dimito — The yo present of dimitir is dimito.
  2. dimites — The tú present of dimitir is dimites.
  3. dimite — The él/ella/Ud. present of dimitir is dimite.
  4. dimitimos — The nosotros/as present of dimitir is dimitimos.
  5. dimitís — The vosotros/as present of dimitir is dimitís.
  6. dimiten — The ellos/ellas/Uds. present of dimitir is dimiten.
  7. todos los días — Todos los días describes a habit, so the present is right. Ayer, la semana pasada and anoche all point to the preterite.
  8. Todos los días, yo dimito — Todos los días is a habit, so the present is correct. The preterite is for one finished action.

Frequently asked questions

When do I use the present of dimitir?

Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening now. For example: El lunes, yo dimito. If the action is a habit or happening now, the present is the right choice.

How is the present of dimitir formed?

Take the stem dimit- and add the present endings for -ir verbs (-o, -es, -e, -imos, -ís, -en), giving dimito, dimites, dimite, dimitimos, dimitís, dimiten.

What is the difference between the present and the preterite for dimitir?

The present (dimito) describes a habit or something happening now, while the preterite (dimití) counts one finished action in the past. Compare the two sentences in the contrast section above: the verb is the same, only the tense changes.

How can I practise dimitir in the present?

Say the six forms out loud — dimito, dimites, dimite, dimitimos, dimitís, dimiten — then use them in the example sentences above, changing the person each time. Then try the dimitir examples and quiz page, and the full conjugation of dimitir when you want to compare the present with the other tenses.

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