finales
“finales” means “endings” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
endings, conclusions
Also: final scenes
📝 In Action
Todos los cuentos tenían finales felices.
A2All the stories had happy endings.
Los finales de las películas de terror siempre me asustan.
B1The endings of horror movies always scare me.
📝 In Action
Viajaremos a Madrid a finales de agosto.
A2We will travel to Madrid late in August.
La tecnología explotó a finales del siglo XX.
B1Technology exploded towards the end of the 20th century.
Mi contrato termina a finales de año.
A2My contract ends at the close of the year.
finals, final rounds
Also: endgame
📝 In Action
Mi equipo llegó a las finales del campeonato nacional.
B1My team reached the finals of the national championship.
Las finales de la NBA son en junio.
A2The NBA Finals are in June.
Translate to Spanish
Words that translate to "finales" in Spanish:
conclusions→endgame→endings→final rounds→final scenes→finals→late in→✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: finales
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'finales' to refer to time?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin word 'finis,' meaning 'end' or 'boundary.' It entered Spanish as 'final' and then was pluralized to 'finales.'
First recorded: Medieval Spanish (as 'final')
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is 'finales' plural when translating 'late August'?
In Spanish, when referring to the last part of a month or year, we treat it as a collection of 'ends' or 'final periods,' hence the plural form 'finales.' English simply uses the adjective 'late.'
Can I use 'el final' instead of 'los finales'?
Yes, but they mean different things. 'El final' is the singular end (e.g., 'el final de la película' - the end of the movie). 'Los finales' is the plural (e.g., 'los finales felices' - happy endings).