despacho
/desˈpat͡ʃo/
In Spanish, the word for dispatch is despacho.
The word despacho can mean the act of dispatching or a message sent quickly. In professional contexts, it also refers to a physical office or a practitioner's study. The related verb despachar means to dispatch or to process.
Meaning: to send with promptness (verb)
Which one should you use?
While envío refers to the physical act of sending a package, despacho often refers to the administrative processing or the official dispatch of documents.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Latin American countries, such as Mexico and Argentina, the term envío is commonly used as a synonym for dispatch.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb form of the noun despacho is despachar.
How do you pronounce it?
/desˈpatʃo/
Did you know?
- Using despachar when talking about a person can sometimes imply you are dismissing them or dealing with them quickly to get them out of the way.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, a despachador is not just a dispatcher but often the person who serves customers at a counter in a pharmacy or hardware store.
- While despacho means 'office', the word is derived from the idea of a place where official business is 'dispatched' or settled quickly.
Examples in context
- Por favor, despache este paquete lo antes posiblePlease dispatch this package as soon as possible
- Favor de enviar la orden al departamento de logísticaPlease dispatch the order to the logistics department
- El gerente mandó a los empleados a despejar el áreaThe manager dispatched the employees to clear the area
- Realicé el envío de los documentos ayerI dispatched the documents yesterday
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are working in a shipping warehouse.
- DanielElena, ¿ya despacho este envío urgente?Elena, should I dispatch this urgent shipment already?
- ElenaSí, despacho todo lo que sea prioritario.Yes, dispatch everything that is a priority.
- DanielPerfecto, yo despacho la caja ahora mismo.Perfect, I'll dispatch the box right now.
- ElenaGracias, Daniel. Buen trabajo.Thanks, Daniel. Good job.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry despacho, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
