What is the difference between terminado and acabado?

Both mean finished and are largely interchangeable. Terminar is slightly more neutral, while acabar can carry a nuance of something running out or being used up. In practice, regional preference drives the choice: acabar is dominant in some areas, terminar in others.

Can I use listo to mean finished?

Yes, in informal Latin American Spanish, listo often means done or finished. ¿Ya estás listo? can mean 'Are you finished?' However, listo also means ready or clever depending on context, so pay attention to surrounding cues.

How do you say 'I finished' as a verb in Spanish?

Use the preterite of terminar: terminé (I finished). For acabar: acabé. Example: Terminé mi trabajo a las cinco (I finished my work at five). For 'I have just finished,' use acabar de + infinitive: Acabo de terminar.

Spanish vocabulary · Beginner

How to Say Finished in Spanish: Terminado, Acabado & Listo

Written by Sofia Ramirez, Lead Spanish Curriculum Editor · Reviewed May 2026

Terminado · adjective / past participle · tehr-mee-NAH-doh

Finished in Spanish is terminado (from the verb terminar) or acabado (from acabar). Both are past participles used as adjectives to indicate that something is complete. In casual conversation, listo (literally 'ready') often fills the same role. For official documents or formal announcements, finalizado adds a bureaucratic polish.

Terminado is tehr-mee-NAH-doh, four syllables with stress on NAH. Acabado is ah-kah-BAH-doh, stress on BAH. Listo is LEES-toh, two syllables.

Ya terminé con el informe.

I already finished the report.

Finished in Spanish: Quick Reference

Below are the most common Spanish words for finished, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.

Spanish	English	Pronunciation	Region / Register
terminado	finished	tehr-mee-NAH-doh	Default, widely understood
acabado	finished		Universal — common alternative for completed
listo	finished		Latin America — informal for done/ready
finalizado	finished		Formal — often written or official contexts

How Native Speakers Use Terminado

Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.

Completed task

El proyecto está terminado; solo falta la revisión final.

The project is finished; only the final review is left.

Estar + terminado expresses a resulting state. Ser + terminado would sound odd here because the focus is on the current condition, not a passive action.

Casual 'done'

¿Ya estás listo con la tarea? — Sí, acabo de acabar.

Are you done with the homework? — Yes, I just finished.

Listo works as 'done' in everyday Latin American speech. Acabar de + infinitive means 'to have just done something.'

Formal announcement

La construcción del puente ha sido finalizada antes de lo previsto.

The bridge construction has been finalized ahead of schedule.

Finalizado appears in press releases, government notices, and formal writing. It is less common in spoken Spanish.

Avoid These Mistakes When Using Terminado

Using ser instead of estar with terminado

Incorrect: El trabajo es terminado.

Correct: El trabajo está terminado.

Terminado describes a state resulting from an action, which requires estar. Ser + past participle forms a passive voice (fue terminado = it was finished by someone), a different meaning.

Forgetting gender agreement on terminado

Incorrect: La cena está terminado.

Correct: La cena está terminada.

As an adjective, terminado must agree in gender and number with the noun. La cena is feminine, so it becomes terminada. Plural nouns take terminados or terminadas.

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Why word lists alone don't stick

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See Terminado used by native speakers

Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using terminado in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Ya terminé con el informe. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.

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Common Questions About Finished in Spanish

What is the difference between terminado and acabado?: Both mean finished and are largely interchangeable. Terminar is slightly more neutral, while acabar can carry a nuance of something running out or being used up. In practice, regional preference drives the choice: acabar is dominant in some areas, terminar in others.
Can I use listo to mean finished?: Yes, in informal Latin American Spanish, listo often means done or finished. ¿Ya estás listo? can mean 'Are you finished?' However, listo also means ready or clever depending on context, so pay attention to surrounding cues.
How do you say 'I finished' as a verb in Spanish?: Use the preterite of terminar: terminé (I finished). For acabar: acabé. Example: Terminé mi trabajo a las cinco (I finished my work at five). For 'I have just finished,' use acabar de + infinitive: Acabo de terminar.