Translation
to finish, to end
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Word origin
Derived within Spanish from cabo ('end, tip'), itself from Latin caput ('head'). The literal sense is 'to bring to a head or end'; caput also gives English 'capital' and 'chief'.
- Origin
- Latin
- Root
- caput
- English cognates
- capital, chief, captain
Grammar
Conjugation
Regular -ar conjugation. Pronouns: yo, tú, él/ella/ud., nos., vos., ellos/uds..
Indicative
| Person | Present | Preterite | Imperfect | Future | Conditional |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | acabo | acabé | acababa | acabaré | acabaría |
| tú | acabas | acabaste | acababas | acabarás | acabarías |
| él/ella/ud. | acaba | acabó | acababa | acabará | acabaría |
| nos. | acabamos | acabamos | acabábamos | acabaremos | acabaríamos |
| vos. | acabáis | acabasteis | acababais | acabaréis | acabaríais |
| ellos/uds. | acaban | acabaron | acababan | acabarán | acabarían |
Subjunctive
| Person | Present | Imperfect (-ra) | Imperfect (-se) |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | acabe | acabara | acabase |
| tú | acabes | acabaras | acabases |
| él/ella/ud. | acabe | acabara | acabase |
| nos. | acabemos | acabáramos | acabásemos |
| vos. | acabéis | acabarais | acabaseis |
| ellos/uds. | acaben | acabaran | acabasen |
Imperative
| Person | Affirmative |
|---|---|
| tú | acaba |
| ud. | acabe |
| nosotros | acabemos |
| vosotros | acabad |
| uds. | acaben |
Non-finite
- Gerund / present participle
- acabando
- Past participle
- acabado
Examples
.
I have just arrived at the office.
.
The film ends at eleven at night.
.
We finished the project before the deadline.
, .
If you carry on like that, you will end up badly.
.
We finished dinner with a delicious pudding.
Where this fits
Used in
Grammar articles
(7)Advanced Spanish Grammar (C1-C2): Sounding Native
Spanish Grammar Cheatsheet: The Essentials, One Page
The Spanish Gerund (-ndo): Uses and the -ing Traps
Spanish Past Participles as Adjectives: una puerta cerrada
Spanish Present Perfect: he hablado, ha vivido, hemos visto
Spanish se for Unplanned Events (se me cayó, se me olvidó)
Spanish Verbal Periphrases: acabar de, llevar and volver a
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Free printable study downloads for the Spanish word "acabar" (to finish, to end): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free week (no card)This word is taught in chapter 4, lesson 9: acabar, mañana, vale and 7 more words.