The preterite of acabar is used to express a completed action of finishing something in the past. For example, you might say “I finished my homework at midnight,” indicating the specific moment when the task was completed.

This is a regular -ar verb that follows the standard preterite conjugation pattern. The conjugations are formed by adding the regular preterite endings to the verb stem ‘acab-‘.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Acabar (to finish) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

The preterite of acabar expresses a completed action of finishing or ending in the past.

To finish/end: Describes completing something, for example Acabé mi trabajo a las cinco (I finished my work at five) or Se acabó la película (The movie ended).

To run out/use up: Used when something is depleted, for example Se acabó la gasolina (The gas ran out).

To have just done: Used with ‘de’ to indicate recent completion, for example Acabé de comer cuando llamaste (I had just finished eating when you called).

Examples

Examples of Acabar in the Preterite (Past) Tense

Acabé el proyecto a tiempo. (I finished the project on time.)

¿Acabaste tu tarea? (Did you finish your homework?)

La película acabó tarde. (The movie finished late.)

Acabamos de cenar a las nueve. (We finished dinner at nine.)

Los estudiantes acabaron el examen temprano. (The students finished the exam early.)

Acabé de leer el libro ayer. (I finished reading the book yesterday.)

¿Cuándo acabaste el trabajo? (When did you finish the work?)

La reunión acabó más tarde de lo esperado. (The meeting ended later than expected.)

Acabamos el curso la semana pasada. (We finished the course last week.)

Las vacaciones acabaron demasiado pronto. (The vacation ended too soon.)

Acabé de pintar la habitación. (I finished painting the room.)

¿Ya acabaste de comer? (Have you finished eating yet?)

El concierto acabó con fuegos artificiales. (The concert ended with fireworks.)

Acabamos el proyecto antes del plazo. (We finished the project before the deadline.)

Los artistas acabaron la obra maestra. (The artists finished the masterpiece.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Acabar (to finish) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Preterite tense is also known as the Simple Past, Past Simple, Definite Past, Absolute Past, or Past Tense Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Perfecto Simple, Pretérito Indefinido, Pretérito Simple, Pasado Simple, or Pretérito de Indicativo in Spanish.