What does acabar mean?
acabar means to finish; to end in English. It is a regular -ar verb.
It can also be used with these related meanings: to end up (eventually doing); to have just; just (indicates recency).
Spanish verb guide
Acabar Conjugation in Spanish
Learn acabar, meaning to finish; to end, through verified forms and contextual examples.
regular-argerund: acabandoparticiple: acabado
Principal forms of acabar
- Infinitive
- acabar
- Gerund
- acabando
- Past participle
- acabado
Acabar conjugation table
Compare the present, preterite, imperfect, and future forms. Reflexive pronouns are included where the verb requires them.
| Pronoun | Present | Preterite | Imperfect | Future |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | acabo | acabé | acababa | acabaré |
| tú | acabas | acabaste | acababas | acabarás |
| él / ella / usted | acaba | acabó | acababa | acabará |
| nosotros/as | acabamos | acabamos | acabábamos | acabaremos |
| ellos/as / ustedes | acaban | acabaron | acababan | acabarán |
Pattern notes
- Acabar follows the regular -ar pattern in the four tenses shown here.
Examples with acabar
Él se acaba de ir.He left just now.Tatoeba example · CC BY 2.0 FR
Me lo acaba de decir.She just told me.Tatoeba example · CC BY 2.0 FR
Se le acabó el papel.She ran out of paper.Tatoeba example · CC BY 2.0 FR
Practice prompts
- Conjugate acabar for yo in the present.
- Use the preterite form for ella.
- Say the nosotros/as imperfect form.
- Write a short sentence in the future.
Practice acabar online
Use VerbyGo for a quick conjugation round with instant feedback and accent checking.