acabar de + Infinitive

Just Did

Level 1

Use 'acabar de + [verb]' to say you 'just' did something.

How It Works

To express that an action was just completed, you use the verb acabar (which means 'to finish') in a special way.

The structure is always:
Conjugated 'acabar' + de + Infinitive Verb

First, you conjugate 'acabar' like any regular -ar verb in the present tense. This is where knowing present tense -ar verb endings is important.

  • yo acabo
  • tú acabas
  • él/ella/usted acaba
  • nosotros/as acabamos
  • vosotros/as acabáis
  • ellos/ellas/ustedes acaban

Then, you add de and the main verb you want to use, without changing its ending (infinitive).

For example:
Acabo de comer. -> I just ate.
Ella acaba de salir. -> She just left.

This structure is very common in daily conversation to talk about the immediate past.

Examples (4)

  1. Acabo de llegar a casa.

    I just arrived home.

    Word by Word: I finish of to arrive at home.

  2. Mi hermana acaba de llamarme.

    My sister just called me.

    Word by Word: My sister finishes of to call me.

  3. ¿Acabas de terminar la tarea?

    Did you just finish the homework?

    Word by Word: You finish of to finish the homework?

  4. Acabamos de ver una película muy buena.

    We just saw a very good movie.

    Word by Word: We finish of to see a movie very good.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting to include 'de'

    Acabo llegar.
    Acabo de llegar.

    The preposition 'de' is essential in this structure. It must always be placed between the conjugated form of 'acabar' and the infinitive verb.

  • Conjugating the second verb

    Acabo de como.
    Acabo de comer.

    Only the first verb, 'acabar', is conjugated. The main action verb that follows 'de' must always be in its original infinitive form (e.g., comer, hablar, vivir).

How It Connects

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acabar de + InfinitiveLevel 1Just Did

Learn This First

To use 'acabar de + infinitive', you need to know how to conjugate regular -ar verbs in the present tense, understand the use of the preposition 'de', and be familiar with the structure of verbal periphrasis where a conjugated verb is followed by an infinitive.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

acabar deacabar