ya terminé
/ʝa teɾmine/from spelling rules
The English phrase "I am finished" can be translated into Spanish as ya terminé.
This phrase is used to communicate that you have completed a task or an activity.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally means "already I finished". The word ya means "already" and is frequently used with the past tense to emphasize that the action is now complete.
Which one should you use?
While English uses the adjective "finished" to describe a state, Spanish uses the verb terminar to describe the completed action.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, the phrase ya acabé is commonly used to express completion instead of he terminado.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the first-person singular preterite form of the verb terminar.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʝa teɾmine/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying estoy terminado. In Spanish, this can imply that a person is "done for" or "exhausted" rather than simply having completed a task.
Did you know?
- In some contexts, ya can be used to tell someone to stop doing something, functioning as an imperative like 'enough' or 'stop it'.
- In certain dialects, ya can be used to express a sudden realization, acting similarly to the English word 'oh' or 'now I see'.
- The word ya shares a common ancestor with the French word déjà, both originating from the Latin iam.
Examples in context
- Le informo que he terminado el informe solicitado, señor/aI inform you that I have finished the requested report, sir/madam.
- He concluido con el proyecto asignado, señora GarcíaI have finished the assigned project, Mrs. García.
- He finalizado el curso de español, señor MartínezI have finished the Spanish course, Mr. Martínez.
- Ya acabé de estudiar para el examen, amigoI am done studying for the exam, buddy.
- ¡Listo! Ya terminé de limpiar mi habitaciónDone! I finished cleaning my room.
- Ya está, terminé de arreglar el jardínIt's done, I finished fixing the garden.
- Ya terminé de leer el libro.I finished reading the book.
- Ya terminé la tarea de matemáticas.I finished the math homework.
- ¡Ya terminé de limpiar la cocina!I'm finished cleaning the kitchen!
Example conversation
Javier and Elena are working on a project together at a desk.
- ElenaJavier, ¿ya terminaste tu parte?Javier, have you finished your part yet?
- JavierNo, pero ya terminé el primer párrafo.No, but I already finished the first paragraph.
- ElenaQué bueno, yo ya terminé mi resumen.That's good, I already finished my summary.
- JavierPerfecto, entonces ya terminamos el trabajo.Perfect, then we have finished the work.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ya, CC BY-SA 4.0.
