acabó
“acabó” means “finished” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
finished, ended
Also: completed
📝 In Action
La película ya acabó.
A1The movie already ended.
Ella acabó su tarea a las diez.
A2She finished her homework at ten.
El concierto acabó muy tarde.
A2The concert finished very late.
ran out
Also: it's over
📝 In Action
Se acabó el café esta mañana.
A2The coffee ran out this morning.
Se acabó la paciencia.
B1The patience ran out.
Se acabó. No quiero hablar más del tema.
B1It's over. I don't want to talk about the subject anymore.
ended up
Also: finished up
📝 In Action
Después de mucho discutir, acabó aceptando la oferta.
B1After arguing a lot, he ended up accepting the offer.
El equipo empezó mal, pero acabó ganando el campeonato.
B2The team started badly but ended up winning the championship.
Se perdió en el bosque y acabó en un pueblo desconocido.
B1He got lost in the forest and ended up in an unknown town.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: acabó
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence best translates to 'The sugar ran out'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From Vulgar Latin '*accapāre*', which comes from the phrase 'ad capum', meaning 'to the head' or 'to the end'. The idea is that you've reached the 'head' or the final point of something.
First recorded: Around the 12th century
Cognates (Related words)
💡 Master Spanish
Take your Spanish to the next level. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories tailored to your level with the Inklingo app!
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'acabó' and 'terminó'?
For many situations, like 'the movie ended,' they mean the same thing and you can use either one. 'Terminó' can sometimes sound a little more formal. However, 'acabar' has special uses, like 'acabar de' (to have just done something) or 'se acabó' (it ran out), where 'terminar' isn't a perfect substitute.
I see 'acabó de...' a lot. What does that mean?
'Acabar de + [verb]' is a super useful structure that means 'to have just done something'. For example, 'Él acabó de llegar' means 'He just arrived'. It uses the form of 'acabar' to show who just did the action.