Finalizar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish
finalizar means "to finish" in English, and this page shows it in everyday use: real example sentences in several tenses, two short dialogues, the mistakes learners actually make, and a quiz to test yourself. You will see finalizar with the project in June, the meeting at six, the book before summer and the course with an exam — the situations where Spanish speakers really use it. A good first sentence to learn is: Cada día, yo finalizo el proyecto en junio. — "Every day, I finish the project in June." Read the examples aloud, notice which tense each one uses, and then try the dialogues and the quiz.
finalizar in everyday sentences
Twelve sentences with finalizar, grouped by situation. Each one shows the verb in a different tense or person, with its English translation and a note on when to use that form.
Everyday use
- Cada día, yo finalizo el proyecto en junio. — "Every day, I finish the project in June." The present tense fits a habit here.
- Ayer, yo finalicé la reunión a las seis. — "Yesterday, I finished the meeting at six." The preterite fits one finished action.
- Antes, yo finalizaba el libro antes del verano. — "In the past, I used to finish the book before summer." The imperfect fits a repeated action in the past.
- Mañana, nosotros finalizaremos el curso con un examen. — "Tomorrow, we will finish the course with an exam." The future tense fits a plan for tomorrow.
- Si pudieras, tú finalizarías el proyecto en junio. — "If you could, you would finish the project in June." The conditional fits something that would happen.
- Yo he finalizado la reunión a las seis. — "I have finished the meeting at six." The present perfect fits an action with present relevance.
More situations
- Normalmente, él finaliza el libro antes del verano. — "Normally, he/she finishes the book before summer." The present tense fits a general truth here.
- Ayer, él finalizó el curso con un examen. — "Yesterday, he/she finished the course with an exam." The preterite fits one finished action.
- Antes, nosotros finalizábamos el proyecto en junio. — "In the past, we used to finish the project in June." The imperfect fits a repeated action in the past.
- Mañana, yo finalizaré la reunión a las seis. — "Tomorrow, I will finish the meeting at six." The future tense fits a plan for tomorrow.
- Espero que él finalice el libro antes del verano. — "I hope that he/she finishes the book before summer." The present subjunctive follows espero que.
- ¡Finaliza el curso con un examen! — "Finish the course with an exam!" The imperative fits a direct order or request.
The verb in context
Two short dialogues using finalizar naturally. Notice how the verb changes person and tense as the conversation moves, and how the complements stay the same kind of situation: the project in June, the meeting at six, the book before summer and the course with an exam.
Dialogue 1: talking about the project in June
Ana: ¿Tú finalizas el proyecto en junio? — "Do you finish the project in June?" Luis: Sí, yo finalizo el proyecto en junio. — "I finish the project in June." Ana: ¿Y ayer? — "And yesterday?" Luis: Ayer, yo finalicé la reunión a las seis. — "Yesterday, I finished the meeting at six." Ana: Mañana, nosotros finalizaremos el libro antes del verano. — "Tomorrow, we will finish the book before summer." Luis: Si pudiera, yo finalizaría el curso con un examen. — "If I could, I would finish the course with an exam." Ana: Antes, yo finalizaba la reunión a las seis. — "In the past, I used to finish the meeting at six." Luis: Yo he finalizado el proyecto en junio. — "I have finished the project in June." Ana: ¡Finaliza el libro antes del verano! — "Finish the book before summer!"
In this dialogue finalizar appears in the present, the preterite, the imperfect, the future, the conditional and the present perfect. That is the point: one verb, many tenses, and the complement tells you which situation you are in. Try the same dialogue with your own complements.
Dialogue 2: talking about the book before summer
Ana: Él finaliza el libro antes del verano. — "he/she finishes the book before summer." Luis: ¿De verdad? ¿Él finaliza el libro antes del verano todos los días? — "Really? Does he/she finishes the book before summer every day?" Ana: Sí, y ellos finalizan el curso con un examen. — "they finish the course with an exam." Luis: Ayer, ellos finalizaron el libro antes del verano. — "Yesterday, they finished the book before summer." Ana: Espero que él finalice el curso con un examen. — "I hope that he/she finishes the course with an exam." Luis: Mañana, él finalizará el libro antes del verano. — "Tomorrow, he/she will finish the book before summer." Ana: Antes, nosotros finalizábamos el curso con un examen. — "In the past, we used to finish the course with an exam." Luis: Nosotros finalizamos el proyecto en junio también. — "we finish the project in June too."
This dialogue shows finalizar in the third person and in the plural, which is where learners most often hesitate. Read it aloud with a partner, swapping the names and the complements for your own life, and the forms will start to feel automatic.
Common mistakes with finalizar
The errors learners actually make with finalizar in everyday use, each with the wrong form, the right form, and why it is wrong.
Mistake 1: Adding a reflexive pronoun that does not belong
- Wrong: Yo me finalizo el proyecto en junio.
- Right: Yo finalizo el proyecto en junio.
- Why: finalizar is not reflexive, so there is no pronoun to add: Yo finalizo el proyecto en junio. is the correct sentence.
Mistake 2: Using the infinitive as a conjugated form
- Wrong: Yo finalizar el proyecto en junio.
- Right: Yo finalizo el proyecto en junio.
- Why: The infinitive finalizar is the dictionary form, not a conjugated form. In a sentence with yo you need the present-tense form finalizo.
Mistake 3: Using the present tense for yesterday
- Wrong: Ayer, yo finalizo la reunión a las seis.
- Right: Ayer, yo finalicé la reunión a las seis.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite: Ayer, yo finalicé la reunión a las seis. — "Yesterday, I finished the meeting at six."
Mistake 4: Mixing up the gerund and the participle
- Wrong: Estoy finalizado el libro antes del verano.
- Right: Estoy finalizando el libro antes del verano.
- Why: After estar you need the gerund finalizando for the progressive. The participle finalizado goes with haber in the perfect tenses (he finalizado), never after estar.
Mistake 5: Using the él form for nosotros
- Wrong: Nosotros finaliza el proyecto en junio.
- Right: Nosotros finalizamos el proyecto en junio.
- Why: The person and the ending must match: nosotros takes finalizamos, while finaliza belongs to él and ella.
Quiz: finalizar in use
Test yourself with ten questions on finalizar. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the yo form of finalizar in the present tense?
- (a) finalizas
- (b) finaliza
- (c) finalizamos
- (d) finalizo
Answer: (d) finalizo. The yo form is finalizo.
2. What is the tú form of finalizar in the present tense?
- (a) finaliza
- (b) finalizamos
- (c) finalizas
- (d) finalizo
Answer: (c) finalizas. The tú form is finalizas.
3. What is the él/ella form of finalizar in the present tense?
- (a) finalizamos
- (b) finaliza
- (c) finalizo
- (d) finalizas
Answer: (b) finaliza. The él/ella form is finaliza.
4. Complete the sentence: Cada día, yo ___ el proyecto en junio.
- (a) finalizo
- (b) finalizas
- (c) finaliza
- (d) finalizamos
Answer: (a) finalizo. The sentence needs the yo form finalizo.
5. Complete the sentence: Ayer, yo ___ la reunión a las seis.
- (a) finalizaste
- (b) finalizó
- (c) finalizamos
- (d) finalicé
Answer: (d) finalicé. Ayer needs the preterite, and the yo form is finalicé.
6. Complete the sentence: Antes, yo ___ el libro antes del verano.
- (a) finalizábamos
- (b) finalizabais
- (c) finalizaba
- (d) finalizabas
Answer: (c) finalizaba. Antes needs the imperfect, and the yo form is finalizaba.
7. Complete the sentence: Mañana, yo ___ el curso con un examen.
- (a) finalizaremos
- (b) finalizaré
- (c) finalizarás
- (d) finalizará
Answer: (b) finalizaré. Mañana needs the future, and the yo form is finalizaré.
8. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el proyecto en junio.
- (a) hemos finalizado
- (b) he finalizado
- (c) has finalizado
- (d) ha finalizado
Answer: (b) he finalizado. The present perfect uses haber plus the participle: he finalizado.
9. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el libro antes del verano.
- (a) finalices
- (b) finalicemos
- (c) finalicéis
- (d) finalice
Answer: (d) finalice. After espero que Spanish needs the subjunctive, and the él form is finalice.
10. What does finalizar mean in English?
- (a) to stretch (oneself)
- (b) to exploit, to explode
- (c) to misplace
- (d) to finish
Answer: (d) to finish. finalizar means "to finish" in English.
Frequently asked questions about finalizar
What does finalizar mean?
finalizar means "to finish" in English. Use it when you talk about the project in June, the meeting at six, the book before summer and the course with an exam — for example: Cada día, yo finalizo el proyecto en junio. — "Every day, I finish the project in June."
Is there a reflexive form of finalizar?
No. finalizar is not reflexive, so it is used without a pronoun: Cada día, yo finalizo el proyecto en junio. — "Every day, I finish the project in June."
What is the most common mistake with finalizar?
The spelling change. Watch the spelling: the z becomes c before e, so the yo preterite is finalicé and the subjunctive forms start with c, for example finalice. Practise the yo form and the subjunctive forms until they feel automatic, and check them against the table on the conjugation page.
How can I practise finalizar?
Take the quiz above, then make your own sentences: change the person in each example, change the complement to something from your own life, and say the sentence aloud. The verb quiz and the verb translator on this site give you more practice with the same forms.