acabar de + Infinitive

Just Did

Level 2

The structure acabar de + infinitive is the standard way to express the immediate past in Portuguese, equivalent to the English 'to have just [done something].'

How It Works

The construction acabar de + infinitive expresses a very recent event. Portuguese can also express recency with time expressions; this entry focuses on the verbal construction.

1. Conjugation:
The verb acabar is a regular -ar verb. While it can be used in various tenses, it is most common in the Pretérito Perfeito (especially in Brazil) or the Present tense (common in Portugal) to mean 'just did.'

  • Brazil (BP): Eu acabei de chegar. (I just arrived.)
  • Portugal (EP): Eu acabo de chegar. (I just arrived.)

2. The Preposition 'de':
The word de is essential. Without it, the sentence is grammatically incorrect. It acts as the bridge between the conjugated verb and the action.

3. Pronoun Placement:
When using Direct Object Pronouns, placement varies by region. In Brazil, the pronoun often comes before the conjugated verb. In Portugal, it is usually attached to the infinitive.

  • BP: Eu o acabei de ver. (I just saw him.)
  • EP: Acabei de vê-lo. (I just saw him.)

4. Acabar de vs. Acabar por:
Be careful not to confuse these. Acabar de indicates an action that happened moments ago. Acabar por means 'to end up' doing something after some time or hesitation.
Example: Ele acabou por aceitar o convite. (He ended up accepting the invitation.)

5. Using the Imperfect:
If you use acabar in the Pretérito Imperfeito (acabava de), the meaning shifts to 'had just.'
Example: Eu acabava de sair quando você ligou. (I had just left when you called.)

Examples (5)

  1. Eu acabei de comer um sanduíche.

    I just ate a sandwich.

    Word by Word: I finished of to eat a sandwich.

    This uses the Pretérito Perfeito of 'acabar', which is the most natural way to say 'just did' in Brazil.

  2. Nós acabamos de chegar da festa.

    We have just arrived from the party.

    Word by Word: We finished of to arrive from the party.

    In Brazilian Portuguese, acabamos is used for both the present and the simple past of nós. European Portuguese also uses the accented past spelling acabámos. Context identifies the intended time.

  3. O filme acaba de começar.

    The movie has just started.

    Word by Word: The movie finishes of to start.

    The present-tense form acaba can express an event that has just happened. It is common in Portugal and also occurs in formal statements or news announcements.

  4. Eles acabavam de sair quando a chuva parou.

    They had just left when the rain stopped.

    Word by Word: They finished (imperfect) of to leave when the rain stopped.

    The imperfect tense 'acabavam' sets the scene for something that 'had just' happened in the past.

  5. Você acabou de ler esse livro?

    Did you just finish reading this book?

    Word by Word: You finished of to read this book?

    This construction is also used for questions to ask about recent actions.

Common Mistakes

  • Confusing 'acabar de' with 'acabar por'.

    Eu acabei por comer a pizza.
    Eu acabei de comer a pizza.

    While 'acabar de' means 'to have just done' something, 'acabar por' means 'to end up doing' something. Use 'de' for recency and 'por' for an eventual result.

  • Dropping the preposition 'de'.

    Eu acabei chegar agora.
    Eu acabei de chegar agora.

    In Portuguese, 'acabar' requires the preposition 'de' when it is followed by an infinitive to mean 'just'.

  • Using the past participle instead of the infinitive.

    Nós acabamos de comido.
    Nós acabamos de comer.

    English speakers often try to translate 'have just eaten' literally. In Portuguese, you must use the infinitive (comer), not the participle (comido).

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

acabar de + InfinitiveLevel 2Just Did

Learn This First

To use 'acabar de + infinitivo', you need to know how to conjugate the verb 'acabar' in the present tense, understand the use of the preposition 'de' as a linker, and be familiar with the concept of using an infinitive after a conjugated verb to express specific temporal meanings.

Words in This Pattern

acabar deacabar