How to Say "ending" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “ending” is “terminando” — use this gerund form when referring to the process of finishing an action, task, or consumption, like a meal or a drink..
terminando
/ter-mee-NAN-doh//termiˈnando/
Examples
Estoy terminando mi café ahora mismo.
I am finishing my coffee right now.
Ellos están terminando el proyecto esta tarde.
They are finishing the project this afternoon.
Sigue terminando tus deberes y luego podemos salir.
Keep finishing your homework and then we can go out.
The '-ing' Ending
In Spanish, adding '-ando' to a verb is like adding '-ing' in English. It describes an action that is happening right now.
Using 'Estar'
To say 'I am finishing,' you pair 'terminando' with the verb 'estar' (to be).
Ending vs. terminando
Mistake: “Using 'terminando' as a noun, like 'El terminando de la película fue triste.'”
Correction: Use 'el final' for the noun. 'Terminando' is only used for the action of finishing.
fin
/feen//ˈfin/
Examples
Este es el fin del libro.
This is the end of the book.
¿Qué haces este fin de semana?
What are you doing this weekend?
Al fin terminamos el proyecto.
At last, we finished the project.
Masculine Gender
'Fin' is a masculine noun, so you always say 'el fin' (the end) or 'un fin' (an end). This is true even in the very common phrase 'el fin de semana'.
'Fin' vs. 'Final'
Mistake: “Me gustó el fin de la película.”
Correction: Me gustó el final de la película. While 'fin' can mean 'end', when talking about the ending of a story, movie, or play, 'el final' is much more common. Think of 'fin' as the point in time something stops, and 'final' as the concluding part itself.
final
/fee-NAHL//fiˈnal/
Examples
El final de la película fue muy triste.
The end of the movie was very sad.
Al final del día, estoy muy cansado.
At the end of the day, I am very tired.
No me gustó el final del libro.
I didn't like the book's ending.
Always Masculine: 'el final'
When 'final' means 'the end' or 'the ending', it's a masculine word. Always use 'el' or 'un' with it: 'el final de la calle' (the end of the street).
Mixing up Genders
Mistake: “Me gustó la final de la serie.”
Correction: Me gustó el final de la serie. The ending of a show or book is 'el final' (masculine).
acabando
/ah-kah-BAHN-doh//akaˈβando/
Examples
Estoy acabando mi tarea ahora mismo.
I am finishing my homework right now.
La película está acabando, vamos a salir.
The movie is ending, let's head out.
Se nos está acabando el tiempo.
We are running out of time.
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).
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.
rompiendo
/rrom-pyén-do//romˈpjendo/
Examples
Están rompiendo el silencio con su música alta.
They are breaking the silence with their loud music.
Ella está rompiendo con todas las tradiciones familiares.
She is breaking with all the family traditions.
Fin vs. Final
Related Translations
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