Acabar Conjugation: All Spanish Tenses

Acabar (to finish, to end; to run out) is a very common Spanish verb and it is completely regular: it follows the -ar verb pattern in every tense. Its most typical construction is acabar de + infinitive, which describes a very recent action: acabo de llegar (I have just arrived).

Indicative Tenses of Acabar

Acabar in the Present (Presente)

Habits, current facts and the recent-action construction: Acabo de llegar a casa (I have just arrived home).

Present tense rules →

Acabar in the Preterite (Pretérito indefinido)

Completed actions at a specific moment in the past: Acabé el examen antes de tiempo (I finished the exam ahead of time).

Preterite rules →

Acabar in the Present Perfect (Pretérito perfecto)

Past connected to the present: Hoy he acabado todos los deberes (Today I have finished all the homework).

Present perfect rules →

Acabar in the Imperfect (Pretérito imperfecto)

Habitual or ongoing actions in the past: Siempre acababa la cena muy tarde (I always used to finish dinner very late).

Imperfect rules →

Acabar in the Past Perfect (Pluscuamperfecto)

An action before another past action: Cuando llamaste, ya había acabado de cenar (When you called, I had already finished dinner).

Past perfect rules →

Acabar in the Future (Futuro simple)

Plans and predictions: Mañana acabaré el informe (Tomorrow I will finish the report).

Future tense rules →

Acabar in the Future Perfect (Futuro perfecto)

An action that will be completed in the future: Para las seis ya habré acabado (By six I will have finished).

Future perfect rules →

Acabar in the Conditional (Condicional simple)

Advice and hypothetical situations: Yo acabaría el proyecto esta semana (I would finish the project this week).

Conditional rules →

Acabar in the Conditional Perfect (Condicional compuesto)

Hypotheses about the past: Habría acabado antes si me hubieras ayudado (I would have finished earlier if you had helped me).

Conditional perfect rules →

Subjunctive Tenses of Acabar

Present Subjunctive of Acabar (Presente de subjuntivo)

Wishes, doubts and emotions: Espero que acabes pronto el trabajo (I hope you finish the work soon).

Present subjunctive rules →

Present Perfect Subjunctive of Acabar (Pretérito perfecto de subjuntivo)

Evaluating a recent past action: Me alegro de que hayas acabado la carrera (I am glad that you have finished your degree).

Perfect subjunctive rules →

Imperfect Subjunctive of Acabar (Pretérito imperfecto de subjuntivo)

Hypothetical conditions: Si acabaras a tiempo, podríamos salir juntos (If you finished on time, we could go out together).

Imperfect subjunctive rules →

Past Perfect Subjunctive of Acabar (Pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo)

Unreal hypotheses about the past: Si hubieras acabado antes, no habrías perdido el tren (If you had finished earlier, you would not have missed the train).

Past perfect subjunctive rules →

Imperative of Acabar

Affirmative Commands of Acabar (Imperativo afirmativo)

Orders and requests: ¡Acaba la sopa antes de salir! (Finish the soup before going out!)

Affirmative commands rules →

Negative Commands of Acabar (Imperativo negativo)

Prohibitions and negative advice: No acabes la reunión sin avisar (Don't end the meeting without warning).

Negative commands rules →

Expressions with Acabar

• Acabar de + infinitive - to have just done something (acabo de llegar - I have just arrived)
• Acabar con algo - to put an end to something, to finish off something
• Acabar por + infinitive - to end up doing something in the end
• Acabarse - to run out, to be used up (se ha acabado el café - the coffee has run out)
• Acabar mal - to end badly