culminar
“culminar” means “to culminate” in Spanish (reaching a high point or final stage).
to culminate, to finish
Also: to peak, to round off
📝 In Action
El festival va a culminar con un gran espectáculo de fuegos artificiales.
B1The festival is going to culminate with a great fireworks show.
Su arduo trabajo culminó en un éxito rotundo.
B2His hard work resulted in a resounding success.
Debemos culminar la construcción antes de que empiece el invierno.
C1We must finish the construction before winter begins.
Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Indicative
Preterite
Imperfect
Present
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: culminar
Question 1 of 3
Which of these is the most natural use of 'culminar'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Latin word 'culminare', which comes from 'culmen', meaning the top or the summit of a hill.
First recorded: 17th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'culminar' a regular verb?
Yes, it follows the standard pattern for verbs ending in -ar.
Can I use 'culminar' to mean 'to reach the top of a mountain'?
While it shares a root with 'summit,' in Spanish we usually use 'hacer cumbre' or 'llegar a la cima' for mountains. 'Culminar' is mostly for events, processes, or periods of time.
Is it used in conversation or just in books?
It's quite formal. You'll hear it on the news or in business meetings, but in a casual chat with friends, people usually stick to 'terminar'.