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Uses of Acabar in Spanish

Acabar generally means to finish, but it is also used in other ways to express slightly different kinds of

finishing.

There are multiple ways to use acabar in Spanish

Standalone Acabar algo To finishsomething

Ella acab sus tareasescolares.

She finished herschoolwork.

Standalone Acabar algo To use up

something

Se acabaron los

cupones.

She used up her

coupons

Used with de +

infinitive

Acabar de

[infinitivo]

To have just

[verb]

Acabo de ir al

supermercado.

I have just gone to the

supermarket.

Used with por

+ infinitive

Acabar por[infinitivo]

To end up [-ingverb]

Acab por viajar poravin.

I ended up flying.

Used with con Acabar con algo To end or

destroy

something

El honrn acab con el

juego de bisbol.

The home run brought

an end to the baseball

game.

Used with con Acabar conalguin

To destroy, ruin,or be the end of

someone

El escndalo acab conel presidente.

The Whitewater scandalruined the president.

Used in

Reflexive form

Acabarse To end, come to

an end, havecome close to

Se acab el concierto. The concert ended.

Used with a

gerund

Acabar

[gerundio]

To finish [-ing

verb]

Acabo comiendo la

cena.

I am finishing eating

Explanation of Acabar de + infinitivo:

It is an idiomatic expression that is the equivalent of a present perfect expression in English: "to have

just [verb in past participle form]. The difference is that whereas English uses a past participle Spanish

uses the infinitive of a verb.

First of all, a note about the translation into English. When you've just done something AmericanEnglish usually uses the simple past, for example: "I just spoke to him" while UK English usually uses

the present perfect: "I've just spoken to him". Both will be used in examples.

We're talking about how to express something that you've done very recently. Here are some examples

using the "acabar de + infinitvo" structure:

I have just eaten an apple here eaten" is the past participle UK English or I just ate an apple US

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English. To express this in Spanish we use the present tense of Acabar + de + an infinitive:

Examples:

Phrase US English UK English

Acabo de llevar a mi hermana asu casa

I just took my sister to herhouse

I have just taken my sister to herhouse

Acabas de invitar a muchas

muchachas

You just invited many girls You have just invited many girls

Cristina acaba de conversar con

mi mam

Christina just spoke with my

mom

Christina has just spoken with my

mom

Acabamos de leer el libro We just read the book We have just read the book

Acabis de escribir unas cartas You all just wrote someletters

You all have just written some letters

Acaban de nadar en el mar. They just swam in the ocean. They have just swum in the ocean.

Acabo de hablar con Juan. I just spoke to Juan I have just spoken to Juan.

Ella acaba de volver del

trabajo.

She just came back from

work

She has just come back from work

Acabamos de terminar depintar la casa.

We just painted the house. We have just painted the house.

Acabo de comer una manzana I just ate an apple I have just eaten an apple

Acabo de despertarme. I just woke up I have just woken up

Acabas de ducharte. You just took a shower You have just taken a shower

Acabamos de llegar. We just arrived We have just arrived

Acabo de mirar una pelcula. I just watched a movie I have just watched a movie

Acabas de estudiar espaol. You just studied Spanish. You have just studied Spanish

Claudia acaba de llamar a su

abuela.

Claudia just called her

grandmother

Claudia has just called her

grandmother

Acabamos de leer la revista. We just read the magazine. We have just read the magazine

Acabis de jugar al tenis. You all just played tennis. You all have just played tennis

Acaban de visitar a Mxico. They just visited Mexico They have just visited Mexico

Acabar de also has a Past Tense which corresponds to the Past Perfect tense in English. For example, in

English we would say I had just eaten an apple - here "eaten" is the past participle just as before.

However this time we have conjugated "to have" in the past tense which is "had". Here both UKEnglish and US English use the same format.

In Spanish we use the Imperfecto of Acabar and NOT the Preterito (after all we are defining usuallywhich is NOT a one time use verb).

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Examples of using Acabar in the Past:

Acababa de comer una manzana I had just eaten an apple

Acababa de levantarme. I had just gotten up

Acababas de maquillarte. You had just put on your make-upAcabbamos de llegar. We had just arrived.

Acababa de cantar una cancin. I had just sung a song

Acababas de ducharte. You had just taken a shower

Mauro acababa de dormirse. Mauro had just fallen asleep

Using Acabar Por + Infinitive

Another expression using Acabar is to append por and then the infinitive to get Acabar por + infinitivo.

Use this construction to express having finally done something or it can mean to have ended up doingsomething

Acab por levantarme. I finally got up.

Acabaste por maquillarte. You finally put on your make-up.

Acabamos por llegar. We finally arrived

Acab por ir por tren. I ended up going by train.

Acabaste por decirle que no. You ended up telling him "no."

Acabamos por cenar en el restaurante hind envez del restaurante italiano.

We ended up dining at the Indian restaurantinstead of the Italian restaurant.

Acababa de hablar con Juan cuando lleg Mara. I had just spoken to Juan when Mara arrived.

Ella acababa de volver del trabajo cuando se dio

cuenta de que haba olvidado su bolso.

She had just come back from work when she

realized that she had forgotten her handbag.

Acabbamos de pintar la casa cuando empez a

llover.

We had just painted the house when it began to

rain.