acabar

=

to end

verb

acabar
transitive verb
1. to finish (terminar); to use up (consumir) (provisiones, dinero)
  • hemos acabado el trabajo -> we've finished the work
  • acabó sus días en el exilio -> he ended his days in exile
intransitive verb
2. to finish, to end (terminar)
  • el asunto acabó mal -> the affair finished o ended badly
  • acabar bien -> to have a happy ending (película)
  • cuando acabes, avísame -> tell me when you've finished
  • acabar de trabajar/comer -> to finish working/eating
  • el cuchillo acaba en punta -> the knife ends in a point
  • ¡acabáramos! (informal) -> at last!, about time!
also:
  • acabar de hacer algo -> to have just done something (haber hecho recientemente)
  • acabo de llegar -> I've just arrived
also:
  • acabar con -> to put an end to; (poner fin a) to destroy; (enemigo) to ruin (salud)
  • acabaron con todas las provisiones -> they used up all the provisions
  • acabar con la paciencia de alguien -> to exhaust somebody's patience
  • acabar con alguien -> to kill somebody (matar)
  • ese niño va a acabar conmigo -> that boy will be the death of me!
also:
  • acabar por hacer algo -> to end up doing something
  • acabarán por llamar o llamando -> they'll call eventually o sooner or later
3. to end up (tener un fin determinado)
  • acabar loco -> to end up (going) mad
  • ese acabará en la cárcel -> he'll end up in jail
also:
  • no acabo de entenderlo -> I can't quite understand it
  • no acaba de gustarme del todo -> I just don't really like it
also:
  • de nunca acabar -> never-ending
  • este proyecto es el cuento de nunca acabar -> this project just seems to go on and on
acabarse
pronomial verb
1. to be used up, to be gone (agotarse)
  • se ha acabado la comida -> there's no more food left
  • se (nos) ha acabado la leche -> the milk has run out, we've run out of milk
2. to finish, to be over (terminar) (guerra, película)
3. to eat up (consumir) (comida)
  • ¡acábatelo todo y no dejes ni una miga! -> make sure you eat it all up!
also:
  • ¡se acabó! -> that's enough! (¡basta ya!)
  • ¡cómprate uno nuevo y se acabó! -> buy a new one and have done with it

acabar [ah-cah-bar’]
article & verb transitive & verb neuter
1. To finish, to conclude, to complete, to make up; to compass; to archieve; to grow toward an end.
  • Acaba ya -> determine, resolve
2. To harass.
3. To obtain.
4. To terminate in anything, as a sword which ends in a point.
5. To die; to consume; to extinguish; to fail, to destroy.
  • Esto acabará conmigo -> this will be the end of me
  • Acabar con el negocio -> to make an end of the affair
  • Acaba de salir -> it is just fresh from
verb reflexive
6. To grow feeble.
  • La vela se está acabando -> the candle is flickering
  • Es cosa de nunca acabarse -> it is an endless affair
  • Acaba de llegar -> he has just arrived, acabar de, to have just
  • Acabóse -> (coll.) No more to be said; that’s the end of it

Verb Conjugation for "acabar"

Infinitive
acabar
Gerund
acabando
Participle
acabado
Presente Pretérito Imperfect Futuro Subjuntivo
Yo acabo acabé acababa acabaré acabe
acabas acabaste acababas acabarás acabes
Ella/Él/Usted acaba acabó acababa acabará acabe
Nosotros acabamos acabamos acabábamos acabaremos acabemos
Vosotros acabáis acabasteis acababais acabaréis acabéis
Ellos/Ustedes acaban acabaron acababan acabarán acaben
Complete acabar conjugation

"acabar" in the Answers forum

Q: Acabar haciendo algo
A: In my humble opinion you are correct and, your teacher is wrong. The saying is fairly common. But, you can also say, terminé cómprandole algo......Same…
Q: El verbo "Acabar"
A: It means "Stansted ended up canceling nearly all its flights."
Q: Acabar
A: you know guys this is the first time for me to post a descussion.. I have never imagined that it's going to be that helpful..... thanks to all of you
Q: Acabar vs Terminar
A: Its tricky. In most cases you can use both indistinguisable, but if you want to be fine, there is a little point, specially in Spain, as in South America…
Q: Acabar y Terminar
A: Son prácticamente iguales la mayoría de las veces, pero no siempre: Acaban de llegar = They've just arrived Terminan de llegar (wrong) En algunas partes…
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