terminé
/teɾmine/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "I finished" is expressed as terminé.
The phrase is used to state that a person has completed a task or activity. When you want to say you finished a specific action, you use the construction terminé de followed by the infinitive of that action, such as terminé de almorzar (I finished eating lunch).
Which one should you use?
He concluido specifically means "I have finished" and is more formal, whereas Ya está is an informal expression that translates to "It's done" or "I'm finished."
How does it change in a sentence?
The form terminé uses the -é ending, which indicates the first-person singular (yo) in the preterite tense.
How do you pronounce it?
/teɾmine/
Did you know?
- The word terminar can be used to mean 'to break up' with a romantic partner, as in terminamos meaning 'we finished' or 'we broke up'.
- To describe adding a final, decisive touch or a 'killing blow' to a task, Spanish speakers use the specific verb rematar rather than terminar.
- In many Latin American countries, saying ya terminé to a waiter is a standard, polite way to signal that you have finished your meal and are ready for the bill.
Examples in context
- Ya terminé de almorzar.I finished eating lunch.This sentence shows how to use terminé when describing finishing an action.Tatoeba #4360378 by umano, translation #9524957 by DJ_Saidez
- Ayer terminé el trabajo.I finished the work yesterday.This sentence shows how to use terminé with a completed task.Tatoeba #503565 by Shishir, translation #47635 by CK
- Terminé rápido de comer.I finished my lunch quickly.This sentence shows how to use terminé to describe finishing an action quickly.Tatoeba #561939 by Shishir, translation #256852 by CK
- Ya he acabado la presentaciónI have already finished the presentation
- ¡Terminé!I finished!
- He terminado el informe, señor/aI have finished the report, sir/ma'am
- 20 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Alejandro are studying together at the library.
- Elena¡Terminé mi ensayo!I finished my essay!
- Alejandro¿De verdad? Yo todavía no.Really? I haven't yet.
- ElenaSí, terminé hace cinco minutos.Yes, I finished five minutes ago.
- AlejandroQué bien, Elena. Me ayudas, por favor.That's great, Elena. Help me, please.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
