acababa
“acababa” means “was finishing” in Spanish (Ongoing action in the past (I/He/She/You formal)).
was finishing, used to finishAlso: was ending, had just finished
📝 In Action
Yo siempre acababa mis tareas antes de la cena.
A2I always used to finish my homework before dinner.
Ella acababa de salir cuando sonó el teléfono.
B1She had just left when the phone rang.
La película acababa mal, por eso me entristecía.
A2The movie was ending badly, that’s why it made me sad.
Word Connections
Indicative
Present
Imperfect
Preterite
Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
Translate to Spanish
Words that translate to "acababa" in Spanish:
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: acababa
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly uses 'acababa' to describe a repeated action in the past?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family
📚 Etymology
The verb *acabar* comes from the late Latin verb *cappare*, meaning 'to seize' or 'to take hold of.' It evolved in Spanish to mean 'to reach the end' or 'to complete the action.'
First recorded: Around the 11th or 12th century in Spanish.
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'acababa' and 'acabó'?
'Acababa' (imperfect) tells you about an action that was ongoing or repeated in the past ('I was finishing' or 'I used to finish'). 'Acabó' (preterite) tells you about a single action that was completed at a specific moment ('He finished').
Is 'acababa' the same for 'I' and 'He/She'?
Yes! In the imperfect tense, the 'yo' (I) form and the 'él/ella/usted' (he/she/you formal) form are exactly the same: 'acababa'. You need the context or the pronoun to know who is doing the action.