How to Say "was ending" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “was ending” is “acababa” — A2 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
Yo siempre acababa mis tareas antes de la cena.
I always used to finish my homework before dinner.
Ella acababa de salir cuando sonó el teléfono.
She had just left when the phone rang.
La película acababa mal, por eso me entristecía.
The movie was ending badly, that’s why it made me sad.
The Imperfect Tense's Role
This form ('acababa') describes actions that were ongoing or repeated many times in the past. Think of it as 'I was finishing' or 'I used to finish'.
Using 'Acabar de'
When you see 'acababa de' followed by another verb (like 'comer'), it means the action had just happened: 'Yo acababa de comer' means 'I had just eaten'.
Imperfect vs. Preterite
Mistake: “Using 'acababa' when you mean a single, completed action, like 'I finished it once' (Yo acabé).”
Correction: Use 'acababa' for habits or background actions (e.g., 'The day was ending when...'). Use 'acabó' (preterite) for one specific action that ended immediately (e.g., 'He finished the race').
Related Translations
Learn Spanish with Inklingo
Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.