Inklingo

How to Say "finally" in Spanish

English → Spanish

finalmente

fee-nal-MEN-tehfi.nalˈmen.te

AdverbA2General
Use 'finalmente' when something happens after a period of waiting, a long process, or a sequence of events.
A hiker reaching the peak of a high mountain with a flag, looking out over the clouds.

Examples

Finalmente llegué a casa después de un largo viaje.

I finally arrived home after a long trip.

Finalmente, después de meses de búsqueda, encontró trabajo.

Ultimately, after months of searching, he found a job.

Finalmente nos decidimos por el restaurante italiano.

In the end, we decided on the Italian restaurant.

Position in sentence

You can put 'finalmente' at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence. At the beginning sounds more dramatic: 'Finalmente llegué' vs. 'Llegué finalmente.'

With other time words

Works great with 'por fin' and 'al fin' for extra emphasis: 'Finalmente, por fin, terminé' (Finally, at last, I finished).

Using 'final' instead of 'finalmente'

Mistake: “Say 'final llegué' instead of 'finalmente llegué'”

Correction: Use 'finalmente' (with -mente) for 'finally.' 'Final' means 'end' or 'final' as an adjective.

Confusing with 'al final'

Mistake: “Say 'finalmente del partido' when you mean 'at the end of the game'”

Correction: Use 'al final' for 'at the end' (location/time) and 'finalmente' for 'finally' (completion after waiting).

eventualmente

eh-vehn-too-ahl-MEHN-teheβentuˈalmente

adverbB1General
Use 'eventualmente' to indicate that something will happen in the end, perhaps as a consequence or in the future, rather than after a specific wait.
A simple storybook illustration showing a small green caterpillar sitting on a branch next to a fully formed brightly colored butterfly, symbolizing the passage of time leading to a final transformation.

Examples

Estudió mucho y, eventualmente, consiguió el trabajo de sus sueños.

She studied a lot and, eventually, she got her dream job.

Si sigues practicando, tu español mejorará eventualmente.

If you keep practicing, your Spanish will eventually improve.

El proyecto tardó meses, pero eventualmente lo terminamos.

The project took months, but eventually we finished it.

Always Unchanging

As an adverb, 'eventualmente' always stays exactly the same, no matter who is doing the action or when it happened.

Not 'Casually' or 'Possibly'

Mistake: “Using 'eventualmente' to mean 'occasionally' or 'possibly,' like the less common English meaning of 'eventually.'”

Correction: In Spanish, 'eventualmente' almost always refers to time passing ('finally' or 'in the end'). If you mean 'sometimes,' use 'a veces' or 'ocasionalmente'.

Confusing 'finalmente' and 'eventualmente'

The most common mistake is using 'eventualmente' when you mean 'finalmente'. Remember that 'finalmente' is for things that happen *after* a wait or series of events, while 'eventualmente' is closer to 'in the end' or 'ultimately' as a general outcome.

Related Translations

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