acabar

/aˈkaβaɾ/
verbBeginner💡 to finish, to end
general

To complete or finish something; to bring something to an end.

¿Has acabado el informe?

Have you finished the report?

El concierto acabó a las 11 de la noche.

The concert ended at 11 PM.

💡

In informal contexts, 'acabar' can also mean 'to exhaust' or 'to wear out' (e.g., 'Me acabaste' = 'You exhausted me').

Collocations

acabar conto finish withacabar deto have just finished

Related Phrases

acabar de llegarphrase
to have just arrived
acabar de hacer algophrase
to have just done something

💡Pro Tip

Common Usage

'Acabar' is often used with 'de' to indicate something that has just been completed (e.g., 'Acabo de comer' = 'I just finished eating').

Gold Rule

Transitive vs. Intransitive

'Acabar' can be transitive (e.g., 'Acabé el libro' = 'I finished the book') or intransitive (e.g., 'La película acabó' = 'The movie ended').

📖Word Origin

From Latin 'accapare', meaning 'to seize' or 'to take hold of'. The Spanish verb evolved to mean 'to finish' or 'to end'.

📝Usage Notes

'Acabar' is a common verb used in everyday language. It can be used both transitively (with a direct object) and intransitively (without a direct object).

Word Breakdown

a-
to
prefix
+
-cab-
to take hold of
root
+
-ar
verb ending
suffix
Diccionario Español-Inglés