How to Say "completed" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “completed” is “terminó” — use this when referring to the act of finishing a specific event, meal, or task at a particular time..
Examples
Él terminó la cena a las ocho en punto.
He finished dinner exactly at eight o'clock.
Examples
La película ya acabó.
The movie already ended.
terminaron
tehr-mee-NAH-rohn/teɾmiˈnaɾon/
Examples
Los estudiantes terminaron el examen en una hora.
The students finished the exam in one hour.
¿Ustedes terminaron de cenar? ¡Recojan la mesa!
Did you all finish dinner? Clear the table!
Ellas terminaron la construcción del puente la semana pasada.
They completed the construction of the bridge last week.
Simple Past Tense (Preterite)
'Terminaron' tells us that the action of finishing or ending happened at a specific moment in the past and is completely over.
Who is 'terminaron'?
This form refers to a group: 'ellos' (they, masculine or mixed group), 'ellas' (they, feminine group), or 'ustedes' (you all, formal or informal in most of Latin America).
Confusing Simple Past and Continuous Past
Mistake: “Usar 'estaban terminando' when the action was fully completed.”
Correction: Use 'terminaron' for a single, finished action, and 'estaban terminando' only if the action was interrupted or ongoing in the past.
acabado
ah-kah-BAH-doh/a.kaˈβa.ðo/
Examples
La tarea está acabada. ¡Por fin!
The homework is finished. Finally!
¿Ya has visto el mural acabado?
Have you already seen the completed mural?
El libro quedó acabado el martes pasado.
The book was finished last Tuesday.
Agreement is Key
Like all Spanish descriptive words, 'acabado' must match the thing it describes in both gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural). Remember to say 'acabada' for feminine nouns like 'tarea'.
Mixing Ser and Estar
Mistake: “El trabajo es acabado.”
Correction: El trabajo está acabado.
terminado
/ter-mee-NAH-doh//teɾ.miˈna.ðo/
Examples
El trabajo ya está terminado.
The work is already finished.
Cuando llegué, la película ya había terminado.
When I arrived, the movie was already over.
Por fin, la casa está terminada.
Finally, the house is completed.
Making it Match
When used as a word to describe something, 'terminado' must match the thing it describes. Use 'terminada' for feminine things (la tarea terminada), 'terminados' for plural masculine things (los trabajos terminados), and 'terminadas' for plural feminine things (las clases terminadas).
Use 'Estar', not 'Ser'
To say something is finished, you'll almost always use the verb 'estar'. Think of 'finished' as a state or condition. For example, 'El informe está terminado' (The report is finished).
Forgetting to Change the Ending
Mistake: “La tarea está terminado.”
Correction: La tarea está terminada. Because 'tarea' is a feminine word, the describing word 'terminado' needs to change to 'terminada' to match.
cumplió
Examples
Ayer mi hermano cumplió veinte años.
Yesterday my brother turned twenty years old.
realizado
/reh-ah-lee-SAH-doh//rea.liˈθa.ðo/
Examples
El estudio fue realizado por expertos.
The study was carried out by experts.
Los trabajos realizados son de alta calidad.
The works completed are of high quality.
Matching the word it describes
Since this acts as an adjective here, it must change to match what you are talking about: 'un proyecto realizado' (masculine) but 'una tarea realizada' (feminine).
Don't confuse with 'realized'
Mistake: “Using 'realizado' to mean you just understood something.”
Correction: Use 'darse cuenta' for understanding. Use 'realizado' for things that are physically done or made real.
Verb vs. Adjective Confusion
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