Ella VerbsHow to conjugate Acabar in Spanish
To finish, to end, to complete Regular AR Verb Top 100
At a glance: Acabar (to finish, to end, to complete) is one of the most common regular -AR verbs in Spanish. In the present tense: acabo, acabas, acaba, acabamos, acabáis, acaban. Because it is fully regular, its endings apply directly to hundreds of other -AR verbs.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Indicative tenses of Acabar
- Acabar in the Indicative Present
- Acabar in the Indicative Preterite
- Acabar in the Indicative Imperfect
- Acabar in the Indicative Present Continuous
- Acabar in the Indicative Informal Future
- Acabar in the Indicative Future
- Acabar in the Indicative Conditional
- Acabar in the Indicative Present Perfect
- Acabar in the Indicative Past Perfect
- Acabar in the Indicative Future Perfect
- Acabar in the Indicative Conditional Perfect
- Subjunctive tenses of Acabar
- Imperative tenses of Acabar
- Example sentences and usage
- Frequently asked questions
- Downloadable cheat sheet (PDF)
- Practice Acabar conjugations (free mobile app)
Introduction
Acabar is the Spanish verb for "to finish, to end, to complete". It is a regular AR verb, and one of the most popular 100 Spanish verbs. Read on below to see how it is conjugated in the 18 major Spanish tenses!
Similar verbs to acabar include: acabarse, apurar, terminar, cesar, culminar, finalizar, completar.
| Item | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Infinitive | acabar | to finish, to end, to complete |
| Past participle | acabado | finished |
| Gerund | acabando | finishing |
Indicative Tenses of Acabar
Acabar in the Indicative Present
The Indicative Present of acabar is used to talk about situations, events or thoughts that are happening now or in the near future. It is also used to talk about facts and truths. For example, "acabo", meaning "I finish".
In Spanish, the Indicative Present is known as "El Presente".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | acabo | I finish |
| Tú | acabas | you finish |
| Ella / Él / Usted | acaba | s/he finishes |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | acabamos | we finish |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | acabáis | you (plural) finish |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | acaban | they finish |
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Acabar in the Indicative Preterite
The Indicative Preterite of acabar is used to talk about actions completed in the past, at a specific point in time. For example, "acabé", meaning "I finished".
In Spanish, the Indicative Preterite is known as "El Pretérito Indefinido".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | acabé | I finished |
| Tú | acabaste | you finished |
| Ella / Él / Usted | acabó | s/he finished |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | acabamos | we finished |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | acabasteis | you (plural) finished |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | acabaron | they finished |
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Acabar in the Indicative Imperfect
The Indicative Imperfect of acabar is used to describe regular and repeated actions that happened in the past and descriptions of things you used to do. For example, "acababa", meaning "I used to finish".
In Spanish, the Indicative Imperfect is known as "El Pretérito Imperfecto".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | acababa | I used to finish |
| Tú | acababas | you used to finish |
| Ella / Él / Usted | acababa | s/he used to finish |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | acabábamos | we used to finish |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | acababais | you (plural) used to finish |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | acababan | they used to finish |
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Acabar in the Indicative Present Continuous
The Indicative Present Continuous of acabar is used to talk about something that is happening continuously or right now. For example, "estoy acabando", meaning "I am finishing".
In Spanish, the Indicative Present Continuous is known as "El Presente Progresivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | estoy acabando | I am finishing |
| Tú | estás acabando | you are finishing |
| Ella / Él / Usted | está acabando | s/he is finishing |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | estamos acabando | we are finishing |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | estáis acabando | you (plural) are finishing |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | están acabando | they are finishing |
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Acabar in the Indicative Informal Future
The Indicative Informal Future of acabar is used to talk about something that will happen in the future, especially in the near future. For example, "voy a acabar", meaning "I am going to finish".
In Spanish, the Indicative Informal Future is known as "El Futuro Próximo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | voy a acabar | I am going to finish |
| Tú | vas a acabar | you are going to finish |
| Ella / Él / Usted | va a acabar | s/he is going to finish |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | vamos a acabar | we are going to finish |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | vais a acabar | you (plural) are going to finish |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | van a acabar | they are going to finish |
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Acabar in the Indicative Future
The Indicative Future of acabar is used to talk about something that will happen in the future. For example, "acabaré", meaning "I will finish".
In Spanish, the Indicative Future is known as "El Futuro Simple".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | acabaré | I will finish |
| Tú | acabarás | you will finish |
| Ella / Él / Usted | acabará | s/he will finish |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | acabaremos | we will finish |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | acabaréis | you (plural) will finish |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | acabarán | they will finish |
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Acabar in the Indicative Conditional
The Indicative Conditional of acabar is used to talk about something that may happen in the future, hypothesis and probabilities. For example, "acabaría", meaning "I would finish".
In Spanish, the Indicative Conditional is known as "El Condicional Simple".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | acabaría | I would finish |
| Tú | acabarías | you would finish |
| Ella / Él / Usted | acabaría | s/he would finish |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | acabaríamos | we would finish |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | acabaríais | you (plural) would finish |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | acabarían | they would finish |
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Acabar in the Indicative Present Perfect
The Indicative Present Perfect of acabar is used to describe actions that started recently (in the past) and are still happening now or things that have been done recently. For example, "he acabado", meaning "I have finished".
In Spanish, the Indicative Present Perfect is known as "El Pretérito Perfecto".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | he acabado | I have finished |
| Tú | has acabado | you have finished |
| Ella / Él / Usted | ha acabado | s/he has finished |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | hemos acabado | we have finished |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | habéis acabado | you (plural) have finished |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | han acabado | they have finished |
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Acabar in the Indicative Past Perfect
The Indicative Past Perfect of acabar is used to talk about actions that happened before another action in the past. For example, "había acabado", meaning "I had finished".
In Spanish, the Indicative Past Perfect is known as "El Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | había acabado | I had finished |
| Tú | habías acabado | you had finished |
| Ella / Él / Usted | había acabado | s/he had finished |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | habíamos acabado | we had finished |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | habíais acabado | you (plural) had finished |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | habían acabado | they had finished |
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Acabar in the Indicative Future Perfect
The Indicative Future Perfect of acabar is used to talk about something that will have happened in the future after something else has already happened. For example, "habré acabado", meaning "I will have finished".
In Spanish, the Indicative Future Perfect is known as "El Futuro Perfecto".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | habré acabado | I will have finished |
| Tú | habrás acabado | you will have finished |
| Ella / Él / Usted | habrá acabado | s/he will have finished |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | habremos acabado | we will have finished |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | habréis acabado | you (plural) will have finished |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | habrán acabado | they will have finished |
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Acabar in the Indicative Conditional Perfect
The Indicative Conditional Perfect of acabar is used to talk about something that would have happened in the past but didn’t due to another action. For example, "habría acabado", meaning "I would have finished".
In Spanish, the Indicative Conditional Perfect is known as "El Condicional Perfecto".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | habría acabado | I would have finished |
| Tú | habrías acabado | you would have finished |
| Ella / Él / Usted | habría acabado | s/he would have finished |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | habríamos acabado | we would have finished |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | habríais acabado | you (plural) would have finished |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | habrían acabado | they would have finished |
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Subjunctive Tenses of Acabar
Acabar in the Subjunctive Present
The Subjunctive Present is used to talk about situations of uncertainty, or emotions such as wishes, desires and hopes. It differs from the indicative mood due to the uncertainty of the events which are being spoken about. For example, "acabe", meaning "I finish".
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Present is known as "El Presente de Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | acabe | I finish |
| Tú | acabes | you finish |
| Ella / Él / Usted | acabe | s/he finishes |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | acabemos | we finish |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | acabéis | you (plural) finish |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | acaben | they finish |
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Acabar in the Subjunctive Imperfect
The Subjunctive Imperfect is used to speak about unlikely or uncertain events in the past or to cast an opinion (emotional) about something that happened in the past. For example, "acabara", meaning "I finished".
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Imperfect is known as "El Imperfecto Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | acabara | I finished |
| Tú | acabaras | you finished |
| Ella / Él / Usted | acabara | s/he finished |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | acabáramos | we finished |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | acabarais | you (plural) finished |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | acabaran | they finished |
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Acabar in the Subjunctive Future
The Subjunctive Future is used to speak about hypothetical situations, and actions/events that may happen in the future. For example, "acabare", meaning "I will finish".
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Future is known as "El Futuro de Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | acabare | I will finish |
| Tú | acabares | you will finish |
| Ella / Él / Usted | acabare | s/he will finish |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | acabáremos | we will finish |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | acabareis | you (plural) will finish |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | acabaren | they will finish |
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Acabar in the Subjunctive Present Perfect
The Subjunctive Present Perfect is used to describe past actions or events that are still connected to the present day and to speak about an action that will have happened by a certain time in the future. For example, "haya acabado", meaning "I have finished".
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Present Perfect is known as "El Pretérito Perfecto de Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | haya acabado | I have finished |
| Tú | hayas acabado | you have finished |
| Ella / Él / Usted | haya acabado | s/he has finished |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | hayamos acabado | we have finished |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | hayáis acabado | you (plural) have finished |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | hayan acabado | they have finished |
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Acabar in the Subjunctive Past Perfect
The Subjunctive Past Perfect is used to speak about hypothetical situations, and actions/events that occurred before other actions/events in the past. For example, "hubiera acabado", meaning "I had finished".
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Past Perfect is known as "El Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto de Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | hubiera acabado | I had finished |
| Tú | hubieras acabado | you had finished |
| Ella / Él / Usted | hubiera acabado | s/he had finished |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | hubiéramos acabado | we had finished |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | hubierais acabado | you (plural) had finished |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | hubieran acabado | they had finished |
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Acabar in the Subjunctive Future Perfect
The Subjunctive Future Perfect is used to speak about something that will have happened if a hypothetical situations occurs in the future. For example, "hubiere acabado", meaning "I will have finished".
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Future Perfect is known as "El Futuro Perfecto de Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | hubiere acabado | I will have finished |
| Tú | hubieres acabado | you will have finished |
| Ella / Él / Usted | hubiere acabado | s/he will have finished |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | hubiéremos acabado | we will have finished |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | hubiereis acabado | you (plural) will have finished |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | hubieren acabado | they will have finished |
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Imperative Tenses of Acabar
Acabar in the Imperative Affirmative
The Imperative Affirmative is used to give orders and commands, to tell someone to do something. For example, "acabe", meaning "(to you formal) finish!".
In Spanish, the Imperative Affirmative is known as "El Imperativo Afirmativo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | - | - |
| Tú | acaba | (to you) finish! |
| Ella / Él / Usted | acabe | (to you formal) finish! |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | acabemos | let's finish! |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | acabad | (to you plural) finish! |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | acaben | (to you plural formal) finish! |
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Acabar in the Imperative Negative
The Imperative Negative is used to give orders and commands, telling someone not to do something. For example, "no acabe", meaning "(to you formal) don't finish!".
In Spanish, the Imperative Negative is known as "El Imperativo Negativo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | - | - |
| Tú | no acabes | (to you) don't finish! |
| Ella / Él / Usted | no acabe | (to you formal) don't finish! |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | no acabemos | let's not finish! |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | no acabéis | (to you plural) don't finish! |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | no acaben | (to you plural formal) don't finish! |
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Example sentences and usage
- Esto no acabará nunca. This is never going to end.
- ¿Ya acabaste tu tarea? Have you finished doing your homework yet?
- Las vacaciones siempre acaban demasiado pronto. The holidays always end all too soon.
- El verano ya se acabó. Summer is gone.
- ¿Ya acabaste tu tarea? Have you finished doing your homework yet?
- Se te acabó el tiempo. Your time is up.
- No puedes tener hambre. Acabas de cenar. You can't be hungry. You've just had dinner.
- Él no puede tener hambre, acaba de comer. He cannot be hungry; he has just had lunch.
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Frequently asked questions about Acabar
Is acabar a regular or irregular verb?
Acabar is a fully regular -AR verb. It follows the standard -AR conjugation pattern in every tense and mood without any stem changes, spelling changes, or irregular forms. This makes it a model verb for learning the -AR conjugation system.
How do you conjugate acabar in the present tense (presente)?
In the present tense (presente), acabar is conjugated as: yo acabo, tú acabas, él/ella/usted acaba, nosotros acabamos, vosotros acabáis, ellos/ellas/ustedes acaban. The present tense is used To talk about situations, events or thoughts that are happening now or in the near future. It is also used to talk about facts and truths.
How do you conjugate acabar in the preterite (pretérito indefinido)?
In the preterite (pretérito indefinido), acabar is conjugated as: yo acabé, tú acabaste, él/ella/usted acabó, nosotros acabamos, vosotros acabasteis, ellos/ellas/ustedes acabaron. The preterite is used To talk about actions completed in the past, at a specific point in time.
How do you conjugate acabar in the imperfect (pretérito imperfecto)?
In the imperfect (pretérito imperfecto), acabar is conjugated as: yo acababa, tú acababas, él/ella/usted acababa, nosotros acabábamos, vosotros acababais, ellos/ellas/ustedes acababan. The imperfect is used To describe regular and repeated actions that happened in the past and descriptions of things you used to do.
How do you conjugate acabar in the future tense (futuro simple)?
In the future tense (futuro simple), acabar is conjugated as: yo acabaré, tú acabarás, él/ella/usted acabará, nosotros acabaremos, vosotros acabaréis, ellos/ellas/ustedes acabarán. The future tense is used To talk about something that will happen in the future.
How do you conjugate acabar in the present subjunctive (subjuntivo presente)?
In the present subjunctive (subjuntivo presente), acabar is conjugated as: yo acabe, tú acabes, él/ella/usted acabe, nosotros acabemos, vosotros acabéis, ellos/ellas/ustedes acaben. The present subjunctive is used To talk about situations of uncertainty, or emotions such as wishes, desires and hopes. It differs from the indicative mood due to the uncertainty of the events which are being spoken about.
What are some common example sentences using acabar?
Here are everyday sentences using acabar: Esto no acabará nunca. (This is never going to end.) ¿Ya acabaste tu tarea? (Have you finished doing your homework yet?) Las vacaciones siempre acaban demasiado pronto. (The holidays always end all too soon.) El verano ya se acabó. (Summer is gone.) ¿Ya acabaste tu tarea? (Have you finished doing your homework yet?)
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Downloadable cheat sheets
Download and print a cheat sheet of Acabar Spanish conjugation tables in image or PDF format:
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Practice Acabar conjugations (free mobile & web app)
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About Ella Verbs
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Want to explore other verb conjugations?
Why not check out Acampar – to camp or see the complete list of verbs here.
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Acabar: to finish, to end, to complete
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