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Learn acabar conjugation in Presente

acabar means: to finish, to end
Click to see all conjugation charts of acabar in every tense

In this Spanish conjugation lesson we will learn how to inflect the verb acabar in the Presente tense of the Indicativo mood. It means we will see step by step how to create and translate forms of each grammatical person.

This lesson is specifically about the acabar conjugation. For a general overview of Simple Tenses conjugation have a look at the Simple Tenses Conjugation Chart.

You may also see the Video Presentation on how to conjugate verbs in Presente. It’s embedded below, but using the above link you will get additional information on conjugation in this tense as well as explanation of exceptions and special cases.

How to translate Presente to English

Notice that the English phrases provided below next to each conjugation are not direct translations from Spanish to English. They are usually the closest general equivalents. The example differences are:
  • In Spanish conjugation, there is the form usted in the third person singular. But this person does not translate to the English third person singular. It translates to the so called formal you and uses the inflected form which is most often represented as he/she/it in English conjugation charts.
  • Similar situation happens in the third person plural, where ustedes translates to the English plural formal you but uses the form which corresponds to the they form in English.
  • Tenses are used differently in Spanish and English, so the actual translation should always take into account the context and focus on translating the meaning, not just words.
  • In both languages each verb may have multiple meanings and not every meaning translates directly to the other language. Here also, the context and focusing on the particular meaning helps to create the most accurate translation.

The Spanish Presente de Indicativo tense translates to one of the following:
  • The English Present tense, for instance:
    ellas acaban
    (feminine) they finish
  • The English Present Progressive (a.k.a. Present Continuous) tense, for example:
    ahora vosotras acabáis
    (feminine, plural) you are finishing now

    Notice however, that the Spanish equivalent of the Present Progressive also exists and is in common use – that’s Presente Progresivo (also called Presente Continuo).
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Note the timeline

The ability to properly locate the intended position on the timeline is an important skill for proper choice of tenses. So pay attention to the timeline in our lessons and visualize it while speaking, listening, writing and reading. After some practice you will be able to select the right tense to use much easier.timeline presente how to conjugate spanish verbs

Step by step instructions

Presente belongs to the simple tenses group, which means that all of the conjugated forms are one word long. There are also compound (compuesto) tenses in the Spanish language, where each inflected form consists of two words.The verb acabar has regular conjugation in the Presente tense of the Indicativo mood. It means this verb simply follows the basic rules for its conjugation group (-ar) without exceptions.
The basis for this conjugation is the stem of the verb, so we begin by splitting the infinitive into a stem and an ending. It’s very easy to do. Just remove two letters from the end of the infinitive to get the ending — one of -ar, -er or -ir. What’s left is the stem. So in case of our verb:
  • the stem is: acab-
  • and the ending is: -ar
Use the stem acab- in each person as the basis for conjugation, the common prefix that each of the forms begins with.
Next, add to this regular stem the endings specific to each person. Check out the image showing all the endings. Notice the colors and shapes of the letters. It will help you find patterns and make it easier to remember these endings.Each grammatical person has a specific ending in each of the three conjugation groups -ar, -er, -ir.
endings presente ar how to conjugate spanish verbs
Add the regular ending -o for the first person singular to create acabo:
  • yo acabo – I finish
And similarly add the regular ending -as for the second person singular to create acabas:
  • tú acabas – you finish
Like in the previous case add the regular ending -a for the third person singular to create acaba:
  • él acaba – he finishes
  • ella acaba – she finishes
  • usted acaba – (formal) you finish
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Like in the previous case add the regular ending -amos for the first person plural to create acabamos:
  • nosotros acabamos – we finish
  • nosotras acabamos – (feminine) we finish
Similarly add the regular ending -áis for the second person plural to create acabáis:
  • vosotros acabáis – (plural) you finish
  • vosotras acabáis – (feminine, plural) you finish
And add the regular ending -an for the third person plural to create acaban:
  • ellos acaban – they finish
  • ellas acaban – (feminine) they finish
  • ustedes acaban – (formal, plural) you finish

This is it! The conjugation is now done. That’s the final result:

yoacaboI finish
acabasyou finish
él/ella/ustedacabahe/she/it finishes
nosotros/nosotrasacabamoswe finish
vosotros/vosotrasacabáisyou finish
ellos/ellas/ustedesacabanthey finish
Click to see all conjugation charts of acabar in every tense

But do not end your session yet – it’s important to repeat and practice the material in order to retain it. Check below for next steps.

Next Steps to Perfection

  • To practice this conjugation and test your skills try this Conjugation Exercise or the Memory Game
  • To see other conjugation lessons for this verb choose another tense:  
  • For exercises and examples related to acabar visit our Exercise section
  • To see conjugation charts in all tenses for acabar visit the Conjugator
  • To explore other learning materials visit the Study section

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