Introduction

Acabar means “to finish”, and this page covers exactly one thing: acabar in the present tense. The present is the tense Portuguese speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly, what is true in general, and what is happening right now. On this page you will find the full present table for acabar, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the pretérito perfeito, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about acabar in the present. It means to finish and to end, and it is completely regular: acabo, acabas, acaba, acabamos, acabais, acabam. Its pretérito perfeito is acabei, acabaste, acabou, and its participle is acabado. It is also used in acabar de plus an infinitive, meaning to have just done something. For example: “Ele acaba o trabalho todos os dias.” — “He finishes the work.” Everything on this page uses the forms of acabar exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Acabar in the Present — full table

Person Form
eu acabo
tu acabas
ele/ela acaba
nós acabamos
vós acabais
eles/elas acabam
Gerund: acabando · Past participle: acabado
The gerund is acabando, which you use with estar to say what is happening at the same time as the main action: “Acabando o trabalho, aprendo muito.” — “While finishing the work, I learn a lot.” The past participle is acabado, which you use with ter in the perfect tenses: tenho acabado is the pretérito perfeito composto, 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 acabar is used.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for acabar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

How the present of acabar is formed

The present tense of acabar has six forms: eu acabo, tu acabas, ele acaba, nós acabamos, vós acabais, eles acabam. Say them in order — eu, tu, ele, nós, vós, eles — and notice which forms share a stem and which do not. acabar is regular: every form follows the standard -ar endings — -o, -as, -a, -amos, -ais, -am for -ar verbs; -o, -es, -e, -emos, -eis, -em for -er verbs; and -o, -es, -e, -imos, -is, -em for -ir verbs — so once you know the pattern you can build every tense from the stem. There are no surprises in any tense — the tables below are exactly what the endings predict. The present is the tense you will use most, so learn these six forms before you learn any other tense of this verb.

Two things about the present of acabar are worth noticing. First, the nós and vós forms are the anchor of the verb: the imperfect is built from the same stem, and the present subjunctive takes its nós and vós forms from the same stem, so learning acabamos and acabais pays off in three tenses at once. Second, the present is the tense Portuguese uses where English would often use the continuous form, so acabo can mean both “I finish” and “I am finishing” — context tells the listener which one you mean.

Because acabar is regular in the present, the six forms follow the standard -ar endings exactly. Once you know the pattern for one regular -ar verb, you know it for all of them — only the stem changes. That is why the present of a regular verb is the cheapest tense to learn in the whole language.

When to use the present of acabar

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

1. Habits and routines

The present tense is the tense of routine. When something happens every day, every week or every morning, the present is the natural choice, and acabar is no exception. Use time expressions such as todos os dias, sempre or todas as semanas to make the routine explicit. Example: “Eu acabo o trabalho todos os dias.” — “I finish the work.”

2. General truths

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about acabar does not need a time expression, because it is true whenever you say it. Example: “Ele acaba o trabalho todos os dias.” — “He finishes the work.”

3. What is happening right now

The present also describes an action in progress at this very moment. Portuguese often prefers the simple present where English would use the continuous form, so a sentence with acabar in the present can mean both “I do this” and “I am doing this now”. Context tells the listener which one you mean. Example: “Nós acabamos o trabalho todos os dias.” — “We finish the work.”

4. Scheduled future events

Portuguese uses the present for something already fixed in the near future, especially with a time expression. It sounds more certain than the future tense, because the plan is already made. Example: “Tu acabas o trabalho todos os dias.” — “You finish the work.”

5. Narration and commentary

In stories, instructions and live commentary, the present brings the action into the room. A recipe, a game or a story told in the present feels immediate, and acabar in the present is the tense that carries it. Example: “Eles acabam o trabalho todos os dias.” — “They finish the work.”

Present Tense vs Pretérito Perfeito: how to choose

The closest tense to the present is the pretérito perfeito, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the present describes habits, general truths and what is happening now, while the pretérito perfeito describes one finished action in the past. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is the time frame — and with it, the tense. Notice how the present sentences use words such as todos os dias or sempre, while the pretérito perfeito sentences use ontem or na semana passada. Those time words are your best clue when you are choosing a tense.

  • Present Tense: “Ele acaba o trabalho todos os dias.” — “He finishes the work”
  • Pretérito Perfeito: “Ele acabou o trabalho ontem.” — “He finished the work”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the pretérito perfeito sentence is one finished event. Todos os dias points to the present, ontem points to the pretérito perfeito.
  • Present Tense: “Eu acabo o trabalho todos os dias.” — “I finish the work”
  • Pretérito Perfeito: “Eu acabei o trabalho ontem.” — “I finished the work”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the pretérito perfeito sentence is one finished event. Todos os dias points to the present, ontem points to the pretérito perfeito.
  • Present Tense: “Tu acabas o trabalho todos os dias.” — “You finish the work”
  • Pretérito Perfeito: “Tu acabaste o trabalho ontem.” — “You finished the work”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the pretérito perfeito sentence is one finished event. Todos os dias points to the present, ontem points to the pretérito perfeito.

Example sentences: acabar 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 and the objects — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.

  1. “Eu acabo o trabalho todos os dias.” — “I finish the work”
  2. “Tu acabas o trabalho todos os dias.” — “You finish the work”
  3. “Ele acaba o trabalho todos os dias.” — “He finishes the work”
  4. “Nós acabamos o trabalho todos os dias.” — “We finish the work”
  5. “Vós acabais o trabalho todos os dias.” — “You finish the work”
  6. “Eles acabam o trabalho todos os dias.” — “They finish the work”
  7. “Eu acabo o trabalho todos os dias.” — “I finish the work”
  8. “Ele acaba o trabalho todos os dias.” — “He finishes the work”

Common mistakes

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: “Eu acabas o trabalho.” Right: “Eu acabo o trabalho todos os dias.” Why: The eu form is acabo, not acabas. acabas is the tu form. Mixing the two persons is the most common error with this verb.
  • Wrong: “Nós acabo o trabalho.” Right: “Nós acabamos o trabalho todos os dias.” Why: Nós needs the nós form acabamos. acabo belongs with eu only. Learn the six forms as two groups — singular and plural — and the pattern becomes automatic.
  • Wrong: “Eu acabo o trabalho todos os dias ontem.” Right: “Eu acabei o trabalho ontem.” Why: Ontem points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the pretérito perfeito acabei for a finished action yesterday.
  • Wrong: “Eu acabar o trabalho.” Right: “Eu acabo o trabalho todos os dias.” Why: The infinitive acabar never takes a subject. After eu you need the conjugated form acabo.

Quiz: test yourself

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. What is the eu form of acabar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) acabas
    • B) acabo
    • C) acaba
    • D) acabamos

  2. What is the tu form of acabar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) acabo
    • B) acaba
    • C) acabas
    • D) acabamos

  3. What is the ele/ela form of acabar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) acabo
    • B) acabas
    • C) acabamos
    • D) acaba

  4. What is the nós form of acabar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) acabamos
    • B) acabo
    • C) acabas
    • D) acaba

  5. What is the vós form of acabar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) acabo
    • B) acabais
    • C) acabas
    • D) acaba

  6. What is the eles/elas form of acabar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) acabo
    • B) acabas
    • C) acabam
    • D) acaba

  7. What is the eu form of acabar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) acabas
    • B) acaba
    • C) acabamos
    • D) acabo

  8. What is the tu form of acabar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) acabas
    • B) acabo
    • C) acaba
    • D) acabamos

Answer key

  1. B) acabo — the correct form is acabo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  2. C) acabas — the correct form is acabas. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  3. D) acaba — the correct form is acaba. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  4. A) acabamos — the correct form is acabamos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  5. B) acabais — the correct form is acabais. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  6. C) acabam — the correct form is acabam. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  7. D) acabo — the correct form is acabo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  8. A) acabas — the correct form is acabas. The other options are other forms of the same verb.

Frequently asked questions

What does acabar mean in English?

acabar means “to finish”. It is a regular -ar verb.

How is the present tense of acabar formed?

The six present forms are: eu acabo, tu acabas, ele acaba, nós acabamos, vós acabais, eles acabam. acabar is regular: every form follows the standard -ar endings, so once you know the pattern you can build every tense from the stem.

When do I use the present instead of the pretérito perfeito?

Use the present for habits, general truths and what is happening now. Use the pretérito perfeito for one finished action in the past. The time words are your best clue: todos os dias points to the present, ontem points to the pretérito perfeito.

What are the gerund and past participle of acabar?

The gerund is acabando and the past participle is acabado.

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