Introduction

Terminar means “to finish, to end”, and this page covers exactly one thing: terminar in the present tense. The present is the tense Spanish 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 terminar, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the preterite, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about terminar in the present. Terminar is the verb you reach for when a task, a report or a working day comes to an end. It covers the moment the work is done, not the process of doing it, so it pairs naturally with words such as el informe, la tarea and el proyecto. For example: “Yo termino el informe antes de las cinco.” — I finish the report before five o'clock. Everything on this page uses the forms of terminar exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Terminar in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
yo termino
tú terminas
él/ella/Ud. termina
nosotros/as terminamos
vosotros/as termináis
ellos/ellas/Uds. terminan

Gerund: terminando · Past participle: terminado

The gerund is terminando, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy terminando” means the action of terminar is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is terminado, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he terminado” is the present perfect, 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 terminar is used.

How the present of terminar is formed

Terminar is a regular -ar verb, so the present follows the standard pattern with no surprises. Take the stem termin (the infinitive without its -ar ending) and add the present endings: -o for yo, -as or -es for tú, -a or -e for él/ella/Ud., -amos / -emos / -imos for nosotros, -áis for vosotros, and -an or -en for ellos/ellas/Uds.. That gives you termino, terminas, termina, terminamos, termináis and terminan. Because the verb is regular, once you know the stem and the six endings you can produce every form without memorising a list, and the same pattern works for every other regular -ar verb you learn.

When to use the present of terminar

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

1. Finishing work and tasks

Terminar is the verb you reach for when a task, a report or a working day comes to an end. It covers the moment the work is done, not the process of doing it, so it pairs naturally with words such as el informe, la tarea and el proyecto. Example: “Yo termino el informe antes de las cinco.” — I finish the report before five o'clock.

2. Ending a class, a film or an event

Terminar also describes the end of something scheduled: a class, a film, a match or a concert. When the event itself ends, Spanish uses terminar rather than a verb of stopping, because the ending is part of the event. Example: “La clase termina a las ocho de la noche.” — The class ends at eight at night.

3. Terminar de + infinitive

Terminar de followed by an infinitive means to finish doing something. It is one of the most useful structures in everyday Spanish, because it lets you say you have just completed an action without switching to the past tense. Example: “Nosotros terminamos de cenar a las nueve.” — We finish eating dinner at nine.

4. 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 terminar is no exception. Use time expressions such as todos los días, siempre or cada semana to make the routine explicit. Example: “Yo termino el informe antes de las cinco.” — I finish the report before five o'clock.

5. What is happening right now

The present also describes an action in progress at this very moment. Spanish often prefers the simple present where English would use the continuous form, so a sentence with terminar in the present can mean both “I do this” and “I am doing this now”. Context tells the listener which one you mean. Example: “Nosotros terminamos la reunión a las tres.” — We finish the meeting at three.

Present Tense vs Preterite: how to choose

The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the present describes habits, general truths and what is happening now, while the preterite 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 los días or siempre, while the preterite sentences use ayer or la semana pasada. Those time words are your best clue when you are choosing a tense.

  • Present Tense: “Yo termino el informe todos los días a las cinco.” — I finish the report every day at five.

  • Preterite: “Ayer yo terminé el informe a las ocho de la noche.” — Yesterday I finished the report at eight at night.

  • The present sentence describes a daily routine; the preterite sentence reports one finished occasion. The time words todos los días and ayer make the difference clear.

  • Present Tense: “La clase termina siempre a las ocho.” — The class always ends at eight.

  • Preterite: “La clase terminó a las ocho y media el lunes.” — The class ended at half past eight on Monday.

  • Siempre signals a routine, so the present is right; el lunes names one specific day, so the preterite is right.

  • Present Tense: “Yo termino el informe antes de las cinco.” — I finish the report before five o'clock.

  • Preterite: “Ayer, yo terminé el informe antes de las cinco.” — the same action, but finished yesterday instead of repeated as a habit.

  • The present sentence is true every day; the preterite sentence is true once, yesterday. That difference — routine versus one finished event — is the whole decision.

Example sentences: terminar 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, the objects, the other verbs — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.

  1. “Yo termino el informe antes de las cinco.” — I finish the report before five o'clock.

  2. “¿Tú terminas la tarea antes de cenar?” — Do you finish your homework before dinner?

  3. “La película termina a las diez de la noche.” — The film ends at ten at night.

  4. “Nosotros terminamos la reunión a las tres.” — We finish the meeting at three.

  5. “Vosotros termináis el proyecto esta semana.” — You finish the project this week.

  6. “Ellos terminan las clases en junio.” — They finish classes in June.

  7. “Yo termino de leer el libro esta noche.” — I finish reading the book tonight.

  8. “El partido termina con un empate a dos.” — The match ends in a two-all draw.

Common mistakes with terminar in the present

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: “Yo termino el informe ayer.” Right: “Ayer yo terminé el informe.” Why: The present tense cannot describe an action that was finished yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to terminé as well as the time word.

  • Wrong: “Yo termino leer el libro.” Right: “Yo termino de leer el libro.” Why: Terminar needs the preposition de before an infinitive. Without de the sentence is incomplete in Spanish, even though English 'I finish reading' needs no preposition at all.

  • Wrong: “Nosotros termina el proyecto.” Right: “Nosotros terminamos el proyecto.” Why: The verb must agree with its subject. Nosotros needs terminamos, not the él form termina. This slip is common because termina is the form learners hear most often.

  • Wrong: “La clase terminan a las ocho.” Right: “La clase termina a las ocho.” Why: La clase is singular, so it needs the él form termina. Terminan belongs with a plural subject such as las clases, and using it with la clase breaks agreement.

Quiz: terminar in the present

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. Complete the sentence: “Yo ______ el informe antes de las cinco.” (I finish the report before five o'clock.)

  • (a) terminas
  • (b) termina
  • (c) termino

Answer: termino — The yo form of terminar in the present is termino. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.

2. Complete the sentence: “¿Tú ______ la tarea antes de cenar?” (Do you finish your homework before dinner?)

  • (a) termina
  • (b) terminas
  • (c) termino

Answer: terminas — The tú form of terminar in the present is terminas. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.

3. Complete the sentence: “La película ______ a las diez de la noche.” (The film ends at ten at night.)

  • (a) termina
  • (b) termino
  • (c) terminas

Answer: termina — The él/ella/Ud. form of terminar in the present is termina. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.

4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ______ la reunión a las tres.” (We finish the meeting at three.)

  • (a) termino
  • (b) terminas
  • (c) terminamos

Answer: terminamos — The nosotros/as form of terminar in the present is terminamos. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.

5. What is the vosotros/as form of terminar in the present?

  • (a) terminas
  • (b) termináis
  • (c) termino

Answer: termináis — From the table above: vosotros/as takes termináis. Say it with the example sentence “Vosotros termináis el proyecto esta semana.” to fix it in your memory.

6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ las clases en junio.” (They finish classes in June.)

  • (a) termino
  • (b) terminas
  • (c) terminan

Answer: terminan — The subject needs the ellos/ellas/Uds. form, which is terminan.

7. Which is the correct yo form of terminar in the present?

  • (a) termino
  • (b) termina
  • (c) terminan

Answer: termino — The yo form is termino. The other two options are the él/ella and ellos/ellas forms.

8. Which sentence describes a habit, something that happens regularly?

  • (a) Yo termino el informe todos los días a las cinco.
  • (b) Ayer yo terminé el informe a las ocho de la noche.
  • (c) Ayer yo terminé el libro a medianoche.

Answer: Yo termino el informe todos los días a las cinco. — “Yo termino el informe todos los días a las cinco.” describes something repeated, so it takes the present tense. The other two sentences describe single finished occasions in the past, not habits.

Frequently asked questions

Is terminar regular in the present tense?

Yes. Terminar is a regular -ar verb, so the present tense is formed by taking the stem termin- and adding the standard endings -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis and -an. There are no stem changes and no spelling changes, which makes it one of the easiest verbs to conjugate in the present.

What is the difference between terminar and acabar?

The two verbs are close in meaning, and both can translate as 'to finish'. The main difference is the structure acabar de + infinitive, which means to have just done something: 'Acabo de comer' means 'I have just eaten'. Terminar de + infinitive means to finish doing something. In most other contexts they are interchangeable, and native speakers use both.

Can terminar mean 'to end' as well as 'to finish'?

Yes. When the subject is an event rather than a person, terminar means 'to end': 'La película termina a las diez' means the film ends at ten. When the subject is a person doing a task, it means 'to finish': 'Yo termino el informe' means I finish the report. The verb covers both meanings.

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