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"Acabarse" is a pronominal verb which is often translated as "to run out", and "quedar sin" is a transitive verb phrase which is often translated as "to be left". Learn more about the difference between "acabarse" and "quedar sin" below.
acabarse(
ah
-
kah
-
bahr
-
seh
)A pronominal verb always uses a reflexive pronoun. (e.g., Te ves cansado.).
a. to finish
Voy a acabarme el café y luego nos vamos.I'm going to finish my coffee and then we can go.
a. to end
Siguieron bailando aun después de que se acabara la música.They kept dancing even after the music ended.
c. to be over
Cuando se acabe todo esto, tendremos que darnos algún capricho.When all this is over, we'll have to treat ourselves to something.
d. to be done
Será un alivio cuando se acaben las obras.It will be a relief when the building work is done.
4. (to perish)
a. to die
Se acabó tres días después de haber sido herido en el campo de batalla.He died three days after being wounded on the battlefield.
acabar
A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
8. (colloquial) (to achieve sexual climax) (Latin America)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Regionalism used in Latin America: all the countries in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Does not include Spain.
a. come (colloquial)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Si tienes problemas para acabar, deberías consultar el médico.If you have problems coming, you should see a doctor.
quedar sin(
keh
-
dahr
seen
)A transitive verb phrase is a phrase that combines a verb with a preposition or other particle and requires a direct object (e.g., take out the trash.).
a. to be left
La empresa se declaró en bancarrota y el proyecto quedó sin acabar.The company declared itself bankrupt, and the project was left unfinished.
b. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
La película quedó sin editar y, por tanto, nunca llegó a estrenarse.The movie was never edited, and therefore, it was never released.
Sus crímenes no pueden quedar sin castigo.Their crimes can't go unpunished.
a. to be left
Mucha gente quedó sin vivienda a causa del terremoto.A lot of people were left homeless because of the earthquake.
quedarse sin
A pronominal verb phrase combines a verb with a preposition or other particle and always uses a reflexive pronoun. (e.g., Se dio cuenta del problema.)
a. to run out of
Tendremos que ir al supermercado porque nos hemos quedado sin azúcar.We'll have to go to the supermarket because we've run out of sugar.
a. not to have ... any more
Hoy no podemos abrir el restaurante porque nos hemos quedado sin cocinera.We can't open the restaurant today because we don't have a cook any more.
b. to lose
Si sigue comportándose así, se va a quedar sin ningún amigo.If he keeps behaving like that, he's going to lose all his friends.
c. to be left
Hizo una mala inversión y se quedó sin dinero.He made a bad investment and was left penniless.
a. not to get
Como no te comas los frijoles, te quedas sin helado.If you don't eat your beans, you won't get any ice cream.
a. not to get to
Se estropeó el televisor y me quedé sin ver la películaThe television broke down, and I didn't get to see the movie.
a. to be left
Cuando murió la escritora, la novela se quedó sin acabar.When the writer died, the novel was left unfinished.
