Recent Past with ACABAR DE in Spanish
Master expressing actions that just happened! Learn to use ACABAR DE + infinitive to talk about the recent past naturally and confidently.
What is ACABAR DE?
ACABAR DE + INFINITIVE = "to have just done something"
Pattern: ACABAR (conjugated) + DE + INFINITIVE
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Acabo de llegar. | I just arrived. |
| Acabas de comer. | You just ate. |
| Acabamos de salir. | We just left. |
| Acaban de llamar. | They just called. |
Important: This only works with the PRESENT TENSE of ACABAR!
Conjugating ACABAR (Present Tense)
ACABAR is a regular -AR verb in the present tense:
| Subject | Conjugation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| yo | acabo de | Acabo de despertarme. (I just woke up.) |
| tú | acabas de | Acabas de llegar. (You just arrived.) |
| él/ella/usted | acaba de | Ella acaba de salir. (She just left.) |
| nosotros/as | acabamos de | Acabamos de comer. (We just ate.) |
| vosotros/as | acabáis de | Acabáis de terminar. (You all just finished.) |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | acaban de | Acaban de entrar. (They just entered.) |
Memory Tip: ACAB- stem + regular -AR endings in present tense!
How to Use ACABAR DE
Formula
Subject + ACABAR (present) + DE + VERB (infinitive)
Examples with Common Verbs
| Spanish | English | Infinitive Used |
|---|---|---|
| Acabo de desayunar. | I just had breakfast. | desayunar |
| Acabas de ver la película. | You just watched the movie. | ver |
| Acaba de empezar. | It just started. | empezar |
| Acabamos de hablar con él. | We just talked with him. | hablar |
| Acaban de comprar un coche. | They just bought a car. | comprar |
Note: The infinitive NEVER changes - only ACABAR conjugates!
Common Verbs Used with ACABAR DE
Daily Activities
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Acabo de levantarme. | I just got up. |
| Acabo de ducharme. | I just showered. |
| Acabo de desayunar. | I just had breakfast. |
| Acabo de vestirme. | I just got dressed. |
| Acabo de salir de casa. | I just left home. |
Communication
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Acabo de llamarte. | I just called you. |
| Acabo de mandar el mensaje. | I just sent the message. |
| Acabo de recibir tu correo. | I just received your email. |
| Acabo de hablar con ella. | I just spoke with her. |
| Acabo de ver tu mensaje. | I just saw your message. |
Arrival and Departure
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Acabo de llegar. | I just arrived. |
| Acabo de volver. | I just came back. |
| Acabo de salir. | I just left. |
| Acabo de entrar. | I just entered. |
| Acabo de regresar. | I just returned. |
Work and Study
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Acabo de terminar. | I just finished. |
| Acabo de empezar. | I just started. |
| Acabo de estudiar. | I just studied. |
| Acabo de hacer la tarea. | I just did homework. |
| Acabo de completar el proyecto. | I just completed the project. |
Time Context: How Recent?
ACABAR DE implies very recent action - usually within the last few minutes or hour.
Very Recent (Perfect for ACABAR DE)
| Situation | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Just now (seconds ago) | Acabo de llegar ahora mismo. |
| A minute ago | Acabo de salir hace un minuto. |
| Just this moment | Acabo de terminar en este momento. |
Not So Recent (Don't use ACABAR DE)
| Situation | Use Instead |
|---|---|
| Yesterday | Ayer lo hice. (Yesterday I did it.) |
| This morning (if it's afternoon now) | Esta mañana lo hice. |
| Last week | La semana pasada... |
Rule: If it's not VERY recent, use preterite or other past tenses!
Making Questions with ACABAR DE
Question Pattern
¿ + ACABAR (conjugated) + DE + INFINITIVE + ?
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¿Acabas de llegar? | Did you just arrive? |
| ¿Acaba de salir? | Did he/she just leave? |
| ¿Acabáis de comer? | Did you all just eat? |
| ¿Acaban de terminar? | Did they just finish? |
Answering Questions
| Question | Affirmative Answer | Negative Answer |
|---|---|---|
| ¿Acabas de llegar? | Sí, acabo de llegar. | No, llegué hace rato. |
| ¿Acaba de salir? | Sí, acaba de salir. | No, salió hace una hora. |
| ¿Acabas de comer? | Sí, acabo de comer. | No, todavía no como. |
Note: If the answer is no, you often need a different past tense!
Negative Form
NO + ACABAR (conjugated) + DE + INFINITIVE
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| No acabo de entender. | I just don't understand. / I still don't understand. |
| No acabamos de llegar. | We didn't just arrive. |
| No acaban de creerlo. | They just can't believe it. |
Note: Negative ACABAR DE is less common - usually you'd say when you DID do something instead!
ACABAR DE in Context
Explaining Timing
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Lo siento, acabo de ver tu mensaje. | Sorry, I just saw your message. |
| No puedo salir. Acabo de llegar. | I can't go out. I just arrived. |
| Estoy lleno. Acabo de comer. | I'm full. I just ate. |
| No sé. Acabo de enterarme. | I don't know. I just found out. |
Responding to Questions
| Question | Response with ACABAR DE |
|---|---|
| ¿Dónde está María? | Acaba de salir. (She just left.) |
| ¿Terminaste la tarea? | Sí, acabo de terminarla. (Yes, I just finished it.) |
| ¿Viste a Juan? | Sí, acabo de verlo. (Yes, I just saw him.) |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Mistake 1: Using past tense of ACABAR
- Wrong: "Acabé de llegar"
- Right: "Acabo de llegar" (I just arrived)
- ACABAR must be in PRESENT tense!
❌ Mistake 2: Conjugating both verbs
- Wrong: "Acabo de llegué"
- Right: "Acabo de llegar"
- Only conjugate ACABAR, keep the main verb as infinitive!
❌ Mistake 3: Forgetting DE
- Wrong: "Acabo comer"
- Right: "Acabo de comer"
- Always need DE between ACABAR and the infinitive!
❌ Mistake 4: Using it for non-recent actions
- Wrong: "Acabo de ir ayer" (nonsense)
- Right: "Fui ayer" (I went yesterday)
- ACABAR DE is only for VERY recent actions!
❌ Mistake 5: Wrong word order
- Wrong: "De acabo llegar"
- Right: "Acabo de llegar"
- Order: ACABAR + DE + INFINITIVE
Practical Dialogues
Dialogue 1: Just Arrived
English: A: Hi! How are you? B: Good! I just arrived. Sorry I'm late. A: Don't worry. Did you just get here? B: Yes, I just parked. A: Perfect. Let's go in.
Spanish: A: ¡Hola! ¿Cómo estás? B: ¡Bien! Acabo de llegar. Perdón por el retraso. A: No te preocupes. ¿Acabas de llegar? B: Sí, acabo de estacionar. A: Perfecto. Vamos a entrar.
Dialogue 2: Just Finished
English: A: Are you ready to go? B: Almost! I just need five minutes. A: What are you doing? B: I just finished showering. I need to get dressed. A: Okay, I'll wait. B: Thanks! I just need to put on my shoes.
Spanish: A: ¿Estás listo para salir? B: ¡Casi! Solo necesito cinco minutos. A: ¿Qué estás haciendo? B: Acabo de ducharme. Necesito vestirme. A: Bueno, te espero. B: ¡Gracias! Solo necesito ponerme los zapatos.
Dialogue 3: Just Heard
English: A: Did you hear the news? B: What news? A: They just announced that classes are canceled tomorrow. B: Really? I just saw the professor! A: Yes, he just sent an email. B: Great! I just finished all my homework.
Spanish: A: ¿Oíste la noticia? B: ¿Qué noticia? A: Acaban de anunciar que las clases se cancelan mañana. B: ¿En serio? ¡Acabo de ver al profesor! A: Sí, acaba de mandar un correo. B: ¡Qué bien! Acabo de terminar toda mi tarea.
ACABAR DE vs Other Past Expressions
ACABAR DE (Just now)
| Spanish | English | When |
|---|---|---|
| Acabo de comer. | I just ate. | Minutes ago |
Preterite (Completed past)
| Spanish | English | When |
|---|---|---|
| Comí. | I ate. | Any time in past |
HACE + Time
| Spanish | English | When |
|---|---|---|
| Comí hace una hora. | I ate an hour ago. | Specific time ago |
Key Difference:
- ACABAR DE: Very recent, emphasis on "just"
- Preterite: Any completed past action
- HACE: Specific amount of time ago
Practice Exercises
Exercise 1: Conjugate ACABAR
Complete with the correct form of ACABAR DE:
- Yo _____ _____ llegar. (just arrived)
- Tú _____ _____ salir. (just left)
- Ella _____ _____ llamar. (just called)
- Nosotros _____ _____ comer. (just ate)
- Ellos _____ _____ terminar. (just finished)
Exercise 2: Translate to Spanish
Use ACABAR DE:
- I just woke up.
- She just left.
- We just arrived.
- They just called.
- You just finished. (informal singular)
Exercise 3: Questions
Form questions with ACABAR DE:
- (tú / llegar) → ?
- (él / salir) → ?
- (ustedes / comer) → ?
- (ella / terminar) → ?
Exercise 4: When to Use It
Can you use ACABAR DE? Answer SÍ or NO:
- Something that happened 5 minutes ago: _____
- Something that happened yesterday: _____
- Something that happened right now: _____
- Something that happened last week: _____
- Something that happened a few seconds ago: _____
Exercise 5: Fix the Mistakes
Correct these sentences:
- Acabé de llegar.
- Acabo llegó.
- Acabo de llegué.
- De acabo salir.
- Acabo comer.
Answer Key
Exercise 1
- acabo de llegar
- acabas de salir
- acaba de llamar
- acabamos de comer
- acaban de terminar
Exercise 2
- Acabo de despertarme.
- Ella acaba de salir. / Acaba de salir.
- Acabamos de llegar.
- Acaban de llamar.
- Acabas de terminar.
Exercise 3
- ¿Acabas de llegar?
- ¿Acaba de salir? / ¿Él acaba de salir?
- ¿Acaban de comer? / ¿Ustedes acaban de comer?
- ¿Acaba de terminar? / ¿Ella acaba de terminar?
Exercise 4
- SÍ (very recent)
- NO (use preterite: hice, comí, etc.)
- SÍ (very recent)
- NO (use preterite)
- SÍ (very recent)
Exercise 5
- Acabo de llegar. (present tense of ACABAR)
- Acabo de llegar. (infinitive after DE)
- Acabo de llegar. (don't conjugate both verbs)
- Acabo de salir. (ACABAR + DE + infinitive)
- Acabo de comer. (need DE!)
Quick Reference: ACABAR DE
Formula
ACABAR (present) + DE + INFINITIVE = "just did"
Conjugations (Present)
- yo acabo de
- tú acabas de
- él/ella/usted acaba de
- nosotros/as acabamos de
- vosotros/as acabáis de
- ellos/ellas/ustedes acaban de
Common Uses
- Acabo de llegar (I just arrived)
- Acabo de comer (I just ate)
- Acabo de ver (I just saw)
- Acabo de terminar (I just finished)
- Acabo de salir (I just left)
Remember
✓ Only use PRESENT tense of ACABAR ✓ Always include DE ✓ Keep main verb as infinitive ✓ Only for VERY recent actions
Pro Tips
💡 Tip 1: Present Tense Only ALWAYS use present tense of ACABAR Never: "Acabé de..." Always: "Acabo de..."
💡 Tip 2: Very Recent = ACABAR DE If it just happened (minutes ago), use ACABAR DE If it's longer ago, use preterite or other past tenses
💡 Tip 3: Don't Forget DE ACABAR alone means "to finish" ACABAR DE + infinitive means "to have just done" DE is essential!
💡 Tip 4: Infinitive Never Changes Only ACABAR conjugates for subject The action verb stays as infinitive always!
💡 Tip 5: Natural Timing Native speakers use this constantly for recent actions "Acabo de..." is more natural than "hace un minuto..."
Cultural Notes
📚 Usage Frequency: ACABAR DE is extremely common in spoken Spanish. Native speakers use it multiple times daily to explain timing and context!
🗣️ Conversational Flow: Starting responses with "Acabo de..." is a natural way to explain recent actions: "Acabo de ver tu mensaje" (I just saw your message).
🌍 Universal Usage: Unlike some expressions, ACABAR DE is used consistently across all Spanish-speaking regions - Spain, Latin America, everywhere!
💭 Politeness: Using ACABAR DE can soften explanations: "Lo siento, acabo de ver esto" (Sorry, I just saw this) shows you're responding promptly to new information.
Next Steps
After mastering ACABAR DE:
- ✅ Learn other recent past expressions (recién, hace poco)
- ✅ Study the preterite tense for other past actions
- ✅ Practice distinguishing recent vs. general past
- ✅ Master time expressions (hace + time period)
- ✅ Combine ACABAR DE with object pronouns
4-Week Action Plan
Week 1: Master the Pattern
- Day 1-2: Learn ACABAR conjugations in present
- Day 3-4: Practice ACABAR + DE + infinitive
- Day 5-7: Use with 10 common verbs daily
Week 2: Common Situations
- Day 1-3: Daily activities (acabo de levantarme, etc.)
- Day 4-5: Communication verbs (llamar, mandar, recibir)
- Day 6-7: Arrival/departure expressions
Week 3: Questions and Responses
- Day 1-3: Form questions with ACABAR DE
- Day 4-5: Answer questions appropriately
- Day 6-7: Use in real conversations
Week 4: Natural Usage
- Day 1-3: Use timing context appropriately
- Day 4-5: Distinguish from other past tenses
- Day 6-7: Apply in daily Spanish practice
Remember: ACABAR DE is one of the most useful expressions for beginners! It's simple (present tense + DE + infinitive) but incredibly natural in Spanish. Master "Acabo de..." and you'll sound more fluent immediately. Use it for actions that happened within the last few minutes, always keep the present tense of ACABAR, and don't forget that DE! Practice with common daily verbs and this structure will become automatic.