Challenge - Spanish Verbs Requiring a Preposition - "Acabar" y "Acabar de + Infinitive"
This is a new challenge along the lines of The Word of the Day and The Picture of the Day. However due to my other obligations it will not be daily but I will try to provide one as often as I can, although my work sometimes requires me to be away for a week at a time.
There are well over 200 Spanish verbs that have a different meaning when a preposition is attached to the verb. There are basically two formulas:
Verb + Preposition + Infinitive Verb
Verb + Preposition + Object
The prepositional form will be given and one of your sentences in both Spanish and English should use that form.
Your other sentence in both Spanish and English should address one of the normal usages (ie non prepositional usages) of the verb.
Today's Words:
Acabar = To End, To Finish
¡Espérame! Lo haré cuando acaba el programa.
¡Wait! I will do it when my program finishes.
Acabar de + Infinitive= To have just .....
Acaba de llegar a casa cuando me marcaste.
I just arrived home when you called me.
Note the verb Acabar also can be joined in two other forms:
Acabar con + Object = Put an end to ....
- He killed the child by drowning him.
- Le acabó con el niño por ahogarse.
Acabar por + Infinitive = To end up doing .....
- I ended up going to the party afterall.
- Acabé por ir a la fiesta después todo.
Feel free to tackle the extra two if you like but the challenge is Acabar and Acabar de + Infinivite.
This challenge should begin to focus all of us, especially me, on those pesky little prepositions that can change the entire meaning of a sentence.
Stealing the wording from The Word of the Day (thank you rac1) here are the guidelines.
There are many native English speakers here, most of us can offer great suggestions to the English sentences. I will do my best to go through them all, too. For the Spanish sentences, edit your posts according to the native Spanish speaker's suggestions. Use today's Word of the Day in your own Spanish sentence (and include the English translation as well). Try to use the word in a completely new way and vote on the sentences you like best. The winner will be chosen based upon the correct use of the word as well as the number of votes.
Write sentences at least 4-5 words long, but don't write a paragraph either. Write your Spanish sentence, but include the English translation as well. Make the corrections suggested by other users and moderators in the comments section (try not to use personal pronouns unless absolutely necessary). Use your own words! (Don't use a translator, copy from a book, use song lyrics, etc.) Please keep political, religious or personal statements to a minimum. This is a practice game.
2 Answers
Esta semana acabo este libro y después voy a prestarlo a ti. Quisiera que tu también acabas con él pronto.
This week I finish this book and then I will lend it to you. I want you also to finish it soon.
Cuando empezó su jornada, no sabía que el día iba a acabar en tanta tragedia y que ella acabaría casi loca y deseando de acabar con todo, como había acabado de recibir una promoción, y no preveía la serie de desastres que esto iba a desencadenar, pero al final se le había acabado la paciencia y ella acabó por renunciar a su trabajo.
When her workday began, she did not know that the day was going to end in such tragedy and that she would end up almost crazy and desiring to put an end to everything, as she had just received a promotion, and did not foresee the series of disasters that this was going to unleash, but in the end her patience had run out on her and she ended up quitting her job.
