acabar

Senses

1. 1.

   to finish, to end

   to bring to a conclusion or terminate an action, process, or state

2. 2.

   to run out, to exhaust

   to use up completely or have no more of something

3. 3.

   to wind up, to end up

   to reach a final state or consequence, often followed by a gerund or preposition

4. 4.

   to finish off, to destroy

   to put an end to or eliminate something completely

Examples

• "Eu acabei meu trabalho ontem à noite."

  I finished my work last night.

• "A gasolina acabou e ficamos presos na estrada."

  The gas ran out and we got stuck on the road.

• "Se você continuar assim, vai acabar se machucando."

  If you keep going like that, you'll end up getting hurt.

Usage

Extremely common verb in PT-BR. "Acabar de" + infinitive means "to have just" (e.g., "Acabei de chegar" = I just arrived). "Acabar com" means "to put an end to" or "to break up with" (e.g., "Ela acabou com ele" = She broke up with him). Avoid confusing with the noun "acaba" in technical contexts.