terminar Preterite Conjugation
terminar — to finish
The preterite of terminar is regular: terminé, terminaste, terminó, terminamos, terminasteis, terminaron.
terminar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite to state exactly when you finished something in the past, like a movie, a degree, or a specific meeting.
Notes on terminar in the Preterite
Terminar is completely regular in the preterite. Note that the nosotros form 'terminamos' is the same as the present tense.
Example Sentences
Ayer terminé de leer ese libro tan largo.
Yesterday I finished reading that very long book.
yo
Ellos terminaron la construcción el mes pasado.
They finished the construction last month.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
¿Terminaste el café ya?
Did you finish the coffee already?
tú
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on 'terminó' or 'terminé'.
Correct: Always include the accent: terminé (yo) and terminó (él/ella/usted).
Why: Without the accent, 'termino' means 'I finish' (present) and 'termine' is subjunctive.
Master Spanish verbs in context
Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'terminar' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.
Related Tenses
Present
yo: termino
The present tense of terminar is regular: termino, terminas, termina, terminamos, termináis, terminan.
Imperfect
yo: terminaba
The imperfect of terminar follows the standard -ar pattern: terminaba, terminabas, terminaba, terminábamos, terminabais, terminaban.
Future
yo: terminaré
The future tense of terminar uses the infinitive plus endings: terminaré, terminarás, terminará, terminaremos, terminaréis, terminarán.
Conditional
yo: terminaría
The conditional of terminar is regular: terminaría, terminarías, terminaría, terminaríamos, terminaríais, terminarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: termine
The present subjunctive of terminar uses -e endings: termine, termines, termine, terminemos, terminéis, terminen.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: terminara
The imperfect subjunctive of terminar is regular: terminara, terminaras, terminara, termináramos, terminarais, terminaran.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: termina
The imperative of terminar provides direct commands: termina (tú), terminad (vosotros), and termine/n (formal).
Negative Imperative
yo: no termines
The negative imperative of terminar uses 'no' plus the present subjunctive forms: no termines, no termine, etc.