Introduction

Acabar means “to finish, to end up”, and it is one of the verbs you will use every day in Spanish. Acabar is the verb for finishing something: a book, a job, a meal. It is a near-synonym of terminar, and the two are often interchangeable. Acabar de + infinitive means to have just done something. It is one of the most useful structures in Spanish, because it places an action in the immediate past. This page shows acabar in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make most often, and it finishes with a ten-question quiz so you can test yourself. Every sentence below comes with its English translation, and every form is the correct present-tense form unless the sentence is clearly marked as past or future. For a first taste: “Yo acabo el libro.” — I finish the book.

Acabar in real example sentences

The twelve sentences below are grouped by how acabar is used. Read each one out loud, then read the translation. If a sentence feels useful, copy it into your own notebook with one small change — a different time, a different person, a different place — and you have a new sentence of your own.

In the present: everyday use

These sentences use acabar in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.

  1. “Yo acabo el libro.” — I finish the book.

  2. “¿Tú acabas de comer?” — Have you just eaten?

  3. “Mi hermano acaba viviendo en Madrid.” — My brother ends up living in Madrid.

  4. “Nosotros acabamos de cenar.” — We have just had dinner.

Talking about the past

The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show acabar in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.

  1. “Ayer yo acabé el libro.” — Yesterday I finished the book. (preterite)

  2. “El curso acababa en junio siempre.” — The course always used to end in June. (imperfect)

Plans and things already done

These sentences look forward, or look back at something already finished. Notice how the verb form changes while the meaning of acabar stays the same.

  1. “Nosotros acabaremos el trabajo mañana.” — We will finish the work tomorrow. (future)

  2. “¿Tú has acabado ya de comer?” — Have you just finished eating? (present perfect)

More everyday uses

Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.

  1. “Vosotros acabáis el trabajo.” — You finish the work.

  2. “Ellos acaban la reunión.” — They finish the meeting.

  3. “Yo acabo de leer el periódico.” — I have just finished reading the newspaper.

  4. “El curso acaba en junio.” — The course ends in June.

Acabar in context

Single sentences teach you the forms. Dialogues teach you when to use them. Read the short conversation below, then the paragraph that follows, and notice how acabar appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.

A short dialogue

  • Lucía: “¿Tú acabas de comer?” — Have you just eaten?

  • Pablo: “Sí, yo acabo de leer el periódico.” — Yes, I have just finished reading the newspaper.

  • Lucía: “Nosotros acabamos de cenar.” — We have just had dinner.

  • Pablo: “Y ellos acaban la reunión.” — And they finish the meeting.

  • Lucía: “Vosotros acabáis el trabajo.” — You finish the work.

  • Pablo: “Sí, y yo acabo el libro.” — Yes, and I finish the book.

A short paragraph

Lucía acaba de comer, y su hermano acaba viviendo en Madrid. Nosotros acabamos de cenar, y ellos acaban la reunión. Yo acabo el libro, y el curso acaba en junio. Acabar is part of every day, because finishing a book, having just eaten and ending up somewhere are all part of the same verb.

Common mistakes with acabar

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

  • Wrong: “Yo acabo comer.” Right: “Yo acabo de comer.” Why: Acabar de + infinitive means to have just done something, and the de is required: acabo de comer, not acabo comer. Without de the sentence is incomplete.

  • Wrong: “Ellos acaba la reunión.” Right: “Ellos acaban la reunión.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form acaban. The singular acaba belongs with él, ella or a singular noun such as el curso.

  • Wrong: “Yo acabo el libro ayer.” Right: “Ayer yo acabé el libro.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to acabé.

  • Wrong: “Nosotros acabas de cenar.” Right: “Nosotros acabamos de cenar.” Why: Nosotros needs acabamos. The tú form acabas belongs with tú.

  • Wrong: “Ellos acabo todos los días.” Right: “Ellos acaban todos los días.” Why: The verb must agree with its subject. Ellos needs the ellos form acaban, not the yo form acabo. This is the most common agreement slip in the present tense, and it happens because learners memorise the yo form first and then reuse it for every person.

Quiz: acabar in use

Ten questions on acabar in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.

1. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ______ el trabajo.” (You finish the work.)

  • (a) acabas
  • (b) acabáis
  • (c) acabo

Answer: acabáis — The vosotros/as form of acabar in the present tense is acabáis.

2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ la reunión.” (They finish the meeting.)

  • (a) acaban
  • (b) acabo
  • (c) acabas

Answer: acaban — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of acabar in the present tense is acaban.

3. Complete the sentence (preterite): “Ayer yo ______ el libro.” (Yesterday I finished the book.)

  • (a) acabaste
  • (b) acabó
  • (c) acabé

Answer: acabé — In the preterite, the yo form of acabar is acabé.

4. Complete the sentence (imperfect): “El curso ______ en junio siempre.” (The course always used to end in June.)

  • (a) acababas
  • (b) acababa
  • (c) acababa

Answer: acababa — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of acabar is acababa.

5. Complete the sentence (future): “Nosotros ______ el trabajo mañana.” (We will finish the work tomorrow.)

  • (a) acabaremos
  • (b) acabaré
  • (c) acabarás

Answer: acabaremos — In the future, the nosotros/as form of acabar is acabaremos.

6. What does acabar mean in English?

  • (a) to finish, to end
  • (b) to serve
  • (c) to finish, to end up

Answer: to finish, to end up — Acabar means “to finish, to end up”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.

7. Which sentence is correct?

  • (a) Yo acabo de comer.
  • (b) Yo acabo comer.
  • (c) Ellos acaba la reunión.

Answer: Yo acabo de comer. — “Yo acabo de comer.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.

8. How do you say “I have just finished reading the newspaper.” in Spanish?

  • (a) Yo acaban de leer el periódico.
  • (b) Yo acabo de leer el periódico.
  • (c) El curso acaba en junio.

Answer: Yo acabo de leer el periódico. — “Yo acabo de leer el periódico.” is the correct translation. The second option means something different, and the third uses the wrong person's form.

9. What is the nosotros form of acabar in the present tense?

  • (a) acabo
  • (b) acabas
  • (c) acabamos

Answer: acabamos — The nosotros form is acabamos.

10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?

  • (a) Ayer yo acabé el libro.
  • (b) Nosotros acabaremos el trabajo mañana.
  • (c) Yo acabo el libro.

Answer: Yo acabo el libro. — “Yo acabo el libro.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.

Frequently asked questions

How do you say 'I have just eaten' in Spanish?

Say 'Acabo de comer'. The de is required, and the infinitive follows. For dinner: 'Acabamos de cenar' means we have just had dinner.

How do you say 'I finish the book' in Spanish?

Say 'Acabo el libro'. The book follows directly with no preposition. For a routine: 'Acabo el libro cada mes'.

Can acabar mean 'to end up'?

Yes. Acabar + gerund means to end up doing something: 'Mi hermano acaba viviendo en Madrid' means my brother ends up living in Madrid. It describes how a situation turns out.

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