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A2.16.2 Spanish grammar: Acabar de + infinitivo: expresar una acción recién completada

"Acabar de" + infinitive is used to express a recently completed action, meaning that it has been completed just at this moment.

Gramática: "Acabar de" + infinitivo: expresar una acción recién completada

A2 Spanish "Acabar de" + infinitive

Level: A2

Module 3: El buen pasado (The good old past)

Lesson 16: ¡Qué sorpresa! (What a surprise)

Learning history

Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

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  1. The formula is: acabar (in present) + de + verb (in infinitive)
  2. This construction is only used for immediate or recently completed actions in the past.
  3. It is not used with actions that occurred a long time ago.

 

Pronombre personalAcabar (presente)Ejemplo
YoAcabo de (I have just finished)Acabo de terminar el libro hace un momento. (I have just finished the book a moment ago.)
TúAcabas de (You have just finished)Acabas de llevarte un susto. (You’ve just had a fright.)
Él/Ella/UstedAcaba de (To have just finished)Acaba de terminar con su tarea. (Has just finished your homework.)
Nosotros/-asAcabamos de (We have just finished)Acabamos de descubrir algo increíble. (We have just discovered something incredible.)
Vosotros/-asAcabáis de (You have just finished)Acabáis de notar una cosa inesperada. (You have just noticed something unexpected.)
Ellos/-as/UstedesAcaban de (They have just finished)Acaban de enterarse del susto sorprendente. (They have just learned about the surprising scare.)

Exercise 1: Acabar de + infinitivo: expresar una acción recién completada

Instruction: Choose the correct word, read the sentence out loud and translate.

Show answers Show translation

Acabamos de, ¿Acabas de, Acaban de, Acaba de, acaban de, Acabas de, Acabáis de, acabamos de, Acabo de

1. Nosotras: Hace dos minutos ... llevarnos un susto.

Hace dos minutos acabamos de llevarnos un susto.
(Two minutes ago we just had a scare.)

2. Vosotras: ... enteraros de algo inesperado.

Acabáis de enteraros de algo inesperado.
(You have just found out something unexpected.)

3. Tú: ... notar mi regalo?

¿Acabas de notar mi regalo?
(Have you just noticed my present?)

4. Ellos: Hace unos momentos ... pensar en todo lo increíble que ha pasado.

Hace unos momentos acaban de pensar en todo lo increíble que ha pasado.
(A few moments ago they just thought about all the incredible things that have happened.)

5. Nosotros: ... vivir una sorpresa.

Acabamos de vivir una sorpresa.
(We have just had a surprise.)

6. Yo: ... terminar un libro.

Acabo de terminar un libro.
(I have just finished a book.)

7. Yo: ... preparar la sorpresa.

Acabo de preparar la sorpresa.
(I have just prepared the surprise.)

8. Ellas: ... contarme una historia increíble.

Acaban de contarme una historia increíble.
(They have just told me an incredible story.)

9. Él: ... enterarse de un evento sorprendente.

Acaba de enterarse de un evento sorprendente.
(He/She has just found out about a surprising event.)

10. Tú: ... terminar tu ejercicio.

Acabas de terminar tu ejercicio.
(You have just finished your exercise.)

Exercise 2: Translate and use in a sentence

Instruction: Translate and say the word out loud. Use the word in a sentence.

Show translation
1. Acaban de
(They have just)
2. Acabamos de
(We have just)
3. Acabas de
(You have just)
4. Acabamos de
(We have just)
5. Acaban de
(They just)
6. ¿Acabas de
(Did you just)
7. Acaba de
(He just)
8. Acabo de
(I have just)