CARROTTA
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⏱️ Compendium
Grammar
ES
Español — acabar de + infinitive
The periphrasis acabar de + infinitive expresses that an action has just happened. Acabo de llegar means "I have just arrived".
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How it works
✓ Rule
Conjugate acabar in the present tense to agree with the subject, add de, and keep the second verb in the infinitive: acabo de comer, acabas de salir, acaban de terminar. The present tense of acabar signals the immediate past.
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Examples
| Spanish | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Acabo de llegar. | I have just arrived. |
| Acabas de comer. | You have just eaten. |
| Acaba de salir. | He/She has just left. |
| Acabamos de terminar. | We have just finished. |
| Acabáis de ver la película. | You (pl.) have just seen the film. |
| Acaban de llamar. | They have just called. |
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Good to know
⚠ Note
For a recent past use the present tense of acabar: acabo de comer. Do not say *acabé de comer* to mean "I have just eaten" — the preterite acabé de comer means the action of finishing, not the immediate past.