Acabar vs Terminar: Two Ways to 'Finish' in Spanish

Acabar and terminar both mean “to finish” or “to end” — and in many situations they’re interchangeable. But acabar has extra uses that terminar doesn’t cover, including one of the most useful constructions in Spanish.

The Core Meaning: To Finish

When something comes to an end or you complete a task, you can often use either verb:

• ¿Cuándo terminas / acabas de trabajar? — When do you finish work?
• Terminé / Acabé el libro anoche. — I finished the book last night.
• La película termina / acaba a las diez. — The film ends at ten.
• Termina / Acaba tus deberes. — Finish your homework.

Both are correct in these cases. Terminar tends to feel slightly more formal or final; acabar is more common in casual speech in many regions.

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Acabar de: Just Did Something

This is where acabar pulls ahead. Acabar de + infinitive means “to have just done something” — and it’s one of the most useful phrases in Spanish.

• Acabo de llegar. — I just arrived.
• Acabamos de comer. — We just ate.
• Ella acaba de llamar. — She just called.
• Acabas de perder una oportunidad. — You just missed an opportunity.

This construction can be used in the imperfect to talk about something that had just happened in the past:

• Acababa de dormirme cuando sonó el teléfono. — I had just fallen asleep when the phone rang.
• Acababan de salir cuando llegamos. — They had just left when we arrived.

Terminar de exists but sounds more formal and is less common for this “just did” meaning.

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Acabar + Gerund: Ending Up

Acabar + gerund (the -ando/-iendo form) means “to end up doing something” — often with a sense of inevitability or surprise:

• Acabé pagando yo. — I ended up paying.
• Acabaron discutiendo. — They ended up arguing.
• Si no estudias, acabarás suspendiendo. — If you don’t study, you’ll end up failing.

Terminar works here too, but acabar is more natural in most contexts.

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Acabar con / Terminar con

Both can mean to “end” or “put an end to” something, with slightly different connotations:

• Acabar con la corrupción. — To put an end to corruption. (Strong, decisive)
• Terminar con su novio. — To break up with her boyfriend. (Relationship ending — more common with terminar)
• Acabar con alguien. — To finish someone off / destroy someone. (Can be more intense)

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Regional Notes

In Latin America, acabar also has a vulgar meaning in some countries (related to sexual climax). In those regions, speakers may prefer terminar in neutral contexts to avoid ambiguity. In Spain and most of Latin America, acabar in the standard “finish” sense is completely normal.

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Quick Reference

Situation	Preferred
Finishing a task or activity	acabar or terminar
Something just happened	acabar de + infinitive
Ending up doing something	acabar + gerund
Breaking up with someone	terminar con
Putting an end to something (dramatic)	acabar con
Formal or written contexts	terminar (slightly more formal)

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