acabando
ah-kah-BAHN-doh
Quick Reference
📝 In Action
Estoy acabando mi tarea ahora mismo.
A1I am finishing my homework right now.
La película está acabando, vamos a salir.
A2The movie is ending, let's head out.
Se nos está acabando el tiempo.
B1We are running out of time.
💡 Grammar Points
The '-ando' Ending
This is called the 'gerund.' It works like the English '-ing.' You use it to talk about actions that are happening right now, usually paired with 'estar' (to be).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing with 'just done'
Mistake: "Using 'estoy acabando de comer' to mean 'I just finished eating.'"
Correction: Use 'acabo de comer' for things you just did. 'Estoy acabando' means you are still in the process of finishing.
⭐ Usage Tips
Running Out
To say you're running out of something like milk or time, use 'se está acabando' followed by the item.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: acabando
Question 1 of 2
If you are in the middle of completing your project, which phrase should you use?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Can 'acabando' be used by itself?
It's usually used with a helper word like 'estar' (to be) or 'ir' (to go) to make sense, similar to how we rarely just say 'finishing' without 'I am' in English.
What is the difference between 'acabando' and 'terminando'?
They are almost identical and can be used interchangeably in most cases. 'Terminando' is slightly more formal, while 'acabando' is very common in everyday speech.