Terminar Conjugation Chart & Full Tense Guide

“Terminar” is a Spanish verb that means “to finish”. As a regular -ar verb, it follows a predictable pattern in conjugation, which makes it nice and easy to learn.

I’m James, from Learn Spanish With James and the host of the Learn Spanish With James Podcast. In this guide, you’ll learn every “terminar” conjugation and how to conjugate “terminar” in context.

You’ll also find “terminar” in Spanish sentences in a range of contexts, including the indicative, subjunctive, and imperative moods.

Present Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres	Conjugation
I	yo	termino
you	tú	terminas
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	termina
we	nosotros,nosotras	terminamos
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	termináis
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	terminan

When We Use the Present Tense

The present tense in Spanish is used to describe actions that are currently happening, habitual actions, and general truths.

When we want to conjugate regular -ar verbs like “terminar”, “hablar“, and “pasar“, in the present tense, we simply remove the infinitive ending (-ar) and add the appropriate ending for each subject pronoun.

Examples of the Spanish Verb “Terminar” in the Present Tense

• Yo termino mi trabajo. (I finish my work.)
• Tú terminas la tarea. (You finish the homework.)
• Él/Ella termina el libro. (He/She finishes the book.)
• Nosotros terminamos la comida. (We finish the meal.)
• Vosotros termináis el proyecto. (You all finish the project.)
• Ellos/Ellas terminan sus estudios. (They finish their studies.)

Preterite Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres	Conjugation
I	yo	terminé
you	tú	terminaste
he, she. it, you (formal)	él, ella, usted	terminó
we	nosotros, nosotras	terminamos
you (plural)	vosotros, vosotras	terminasteis
they, you (pl. formal)	ellos, ellas, ustedes	terminaron

When We Use the Preterite Tense

The preterite tense is used to describe completed actions at a fixed point in the past. By fixed, I mean that the action is not ongoing.

The Spanish verb ”terminar” has a predictable verb conjugation pattern for this past tense, which you’ll see in the “terminar” conjugation chart above, and in the sentences below.

Examples of the Spanish Verb “Terminar” in the Preterite Tense

• Yo terminé mi trabajo ayer. (I finished my work yesterday.)
• Tú terminaste la tarea. (You finished the homework.)
• Él/Ella terminó el libro la semana pasada. (He/She finished the book last week.)
• Nosotros terminamos la comida temprano. (We finished the meal early.)
• Vosotros terminasteis el proyecto a tiempo. (You all finished the project on time.)
• Ellos/Ellas terminaron sus estudios el año pasado. (They finished their studies last year.)

Imperfect Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres	Conjugation
I	yo	terminaba
you	tú	terminabas
he, she, it, you (formal)	él, ella, usted	terminaba
we	nosotros, nosotras	terminábamos
you (plural)	vosotros, vosotras	terminabais
they, you(pl. formal)	ellos, ellas, ustedes	terminaban

When We Use the Imperfect Tense

The imperfect Spanish conjugation is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, as well as to provide background information or set the scene.

It means “I was finishing” or “I used to finish”.

Examples of “Terminar” in the Imperfect Tense

• Yo terminaba mi trabajo cuando sonó el teléfono. (I was finishing my work when the phone rang.)
• Tú terminabas la tarea todas las tardes. (You used to finish the homework every afternoon.)
• Él/Ella terminaba el libro mientras yo cocinaba. (He/She was finishing the book while I was cooking.)
• Nosotros terminábamos la comida cuando llegaron los invitados. (We were finishing the meal when the guests arrived.)
• Vosotros terminabais el proyecto mientras yo preparaba la presentación. (You all were finishing the project while I was preparing the presentation.)
• Ellos/Ellas terminaban sus estudios a altas horas de la noche. (They used to finish their studies late at night.)

Future Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres	Conjugation
I	yo	terminaré
you	tú	terminarás
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	terminará
we	nosotros,nosotras	terminaremos
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	terminaréis
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	terminarán

When We Use the Future Tense

The future tense is used to talk about actions that will happen in the future. It is formed by adding specific endings to the infinitive of the verb.

Examples of each Spanish verb conjugation are listed within the example sentences below.

Examples of “Terminar” in the Future Tense

• Yo terminaré mi trabajo mañana. (I will finish my work tomorrow.)
• Tú terminarás la tarea pronto. (You will finish the homework soon.)
• Él/Ella terminará el libro esta noche. (He/She will finish the book tonight.)
• Nosotros terminaremos la comida antes de las tres. (We will finish the meal before three o’clock.)
• Vosotros terminaréis el proyecto la próxima semana. (You all will finish the project next week.)
• Ellos/Ellas terminarán sus estudios el próximo año. (They will finish their studies next year.)

Conditional Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres	Conjugation
I	yo	terminaría
you	tú	terminarías
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	terminaría
we	nosotros,nosotras	terminaríamos
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	terminaríais
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	terminarían

When We Use the Conditional Tense

We use the conditional tense to talk about hypothetical situations or events that are dependent on a condition.

We translate this as “would”. For example, “I would finish the work this afternoon if you stopped interrupting me!”

This is an example of the conditional tense + imperfect subjunctive in Spanish. I’ll show you how to do this below.

Trust me, you’ll score big in your speaking exams with this sentence structure.

Examples of “Terminar” in the Conditional Tense

• Yo terminaría mi trabajo si tuviera más tiempo. (I would finish my work if I had more time.)
  Note: “Tuviera” is an example of a “tener” conjugation in the imperfect subjunctive tense.
• Tú terminarías la tarea si te lo pidiera. (You would finish the homework if I asked you to.)
  Note: “Pidiera” is an example of a “pedir” conjugation in the imperfect subjunctive tense.
• Él/Ella terminaría el libro si no estuviera tan cansado/a. (He/She would finish the book if he/she weren’t so tired.)
  Note: “Estuviera” is an example of an “estar” conjugation in the imperfect subjunctive tense.
• Nosotros terminaríamos la comida más temprano si no hubiera tráfico. (We would finish the meal earlier if there weren’t any traffic.)
• Vosotros terminaríais el proyecto si os lo encargara. (You all would finish the project if I assigned it to you.)
• Ellos/Ellas terminarían sus estudios si no fueran tan difíciles. (They would finish their studies if they weren’t so difficult.)
  Note: “Fueran” is an example of a “ser” conjugation in the imperfect subjunctive tense.

Perfect Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres	Auxiliary verb ‘haber’	Past Participle
I	yo	he	terminado
you	tú	has	terminado
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	ha	terminado
we	nosotros,nosotras	hemos	terminado
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	habéis	terminado
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	han	terminado

When We Use the Perfect Tense

The perfect tense tense is used to talk about actions that have been completed recently or have an impact on the present.

For example, “I have finished my lunch”.

We form the perfect tense by using the present tense of the auxiliary verb “haber” followed by the past participle of the main verb ”terminar” – “terminado”.

For example, “Ella ha terminado el libro.” (She has finished the book.)

Or: “Has terminado tú la tarea?” (Have you done the homework?)

Further examples are below.

Examples of “Terminar” in the Pretérito Perfecto Tense

• Yo he terminado mi trabajo. (I have finished my work.)
• Tú has terminado la tarea. (You have finished the homework.)
• Él/Ella ha terminado el libro. (He/She has finished the book.)
• Nosotros hemos terminado la comida. (We have finished the meal.)
• Vosotros habéis terminado el proyecto. (You all have finished the project.)
• Ellos/Ellas han terminado sus estudios. (They have finished their studies.)

Pluperfect Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres	Auxiliary verb ‘haber’	Past Participle
I	yo	había	terminado
you	tú	habías	terminado
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	había	terminado
we	nosotros,nosotras	habíamos	terminado
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	habíais	terminado
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	habían	terminado

When We Use the Pluperfect Tense

The pluperfect tense is used to describe an action that had been completed before another past action or point in time. ]

When we want to form this tense, we use the imperfect tense of the auxiliary verb “haber” followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Examples of “Terminar” in the Pluperfect Tense

• Yo había terminado mi trabajo cuando llegaste. (I had finished my work when you arrived.)
  Note: “llegaste” is an example of a “llegar” conjugation in the preterite tense.
• Tú habías terminado la tarea antes de que yo llegara. (You had finished the homework before I arrived.)
• Él/Ella había terminado el libro cuando salimos. (He/She had finished the book when we left.)
  Note: “salimos” is an example of a “salir” conjugation in the preterite tense.
• Nosotros habíamos terminado la comida cuando empezó a llover. (We had finished the meal when it started raining.)
• Vosotros habíais terminado el proyecto antes de la fecha límite. (You all had finished the project before the deadline.)
• Ellos/Ellas habían terminado sus estudios antes de mudarse. (They had finished their studies before moving.)

Future Perfect

Pronouns	Pronombres	Auxiliary verb ‘haber’	Past Participle
I	yo	habré	terminado
you	tú	habrás	terminado
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	habrá	terminado
we	nosotros,nosotras	habremos	terminado
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	habréis	terminado
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	habrán	terminado

When We Use the Future Perfect Tense

The future perfect tense is used to talk about actions that will have been completed by a certain point in the future.

Again, this conjugation is formed using the future tense of the auxiliary verb “haber” followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Examples of “Terminar” in the Future Perfect Tense

• Yo habré terminado mi trabajo para la próxima reunión. (I will have finished my work by the next meeting.)
• Tú habrás terminado la tarea antes de que lleguen tus padres. (You will have finished the homework before your parents arrive.)
• Él/Ella habrá terminado el libro para la próxima semana. (He/She will have finished the book by next week.)
• Nosotros habremos terminado la comida cuando empiece la película. (We will have finished the meal by the time the movie starts.)
• Vosotros habréis terminado el proyecto para el fin de mes. (You all will have finished the project by the end of the month.)
• Ellos/Ellas habrán terminado sus estudios para el año que viene. (They will have finished their studies by next year.)
  Note: “viene” is an example of a “venir” conjugation in the preterite tense.

Conditional Perfect

Pronouns	Pronombres	Auxiliary verb ‘haber’	Past Participle
I	yo	habría	terminado
you	tú	habrías	terminado
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	habría	terminado
we	nosotros,nosotras	habríamos	terminado
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	habríais	terminado
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	habrían	terminado

When We Use the Conditional Perfect Tense

The conditional perfect tense is used to express actions that would have been completed in the past under certain conditions.

This conjugation is formed using the conditional tense of the auxiliary verb “haber” followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Examples of “Terminar” in the Conditional Perfect Tense

• Yo habría terminado mi trabajo si hubiera tenido más tiempo. (I would have finished my work if I had had more time.)
• Tú habrías terminado la tarea si te lo hubiera pedido antes. (You would have finished the homework if I had asked you earlier.)
• Él/Ella habría terminado el libro si no se hubiera enfermado. (He/She would have finished the book if he/she hadn’t gotten sick.)
• Nosotros habríamos terminado la comida antes si no hubiera habido tantos invitados. (We would have finished the meal earlier if there hadn’t been so many guests.)
• Vosotros habríais terminado el proyecto si hubiera sido más fácil. (You all would have finished the project if it had been easier.)
• Ellos/Ellas habrían terminado sus estudios si no hubieran tenido que trabajar tanto. (They would have finished their studies if they hadn’t had to work so much.)

Present Subjunctive

Pronouns	Pronombres	Conjugation
I	yo	termine
you	tú	termines
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	termine
we	nosotros,nosotras	terminemos
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	terminéis
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	terminen

When We Use the Present Subjunctive

The present subjunctive is used to express desires, doubts, wishes, or possibilities.

It often follows certain conjunctions and expressions, such as “Quiero que” and “Ojalá que.”

Examples of “Terminar” in the Present Subjunctive

• Es importante que yo termine mi trabajo a tiempo. (It’s important that I finish my work on time.)
• Dudo que tú termines la tarea antes de la clase. (I doubt that you will finish the homework before class.)
• Quiero que él/ella termine el libro esta semana. (I want him/her to finish the book this week.)
• Ojalá que nosotros terminemos la comida antes de que lleguen los invitados. (I hope we finish the meal before the guests arrive.)
• Es necesario que vosotros terminéis el proyecto esta semana. (It’s necessary that you all finish the project this week.)
• Prefiero que ellos/ellas terminen sus estudios antes de buscar trabajo. (I prefer that they finish their studies before looking for a job.)

Imperfect Subjunctive

Pronouns	Pronombres	Conjugation
I	yo	terminara, terminase
you	tú	terminaras, terminases
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	terminara, terminase
we	nosotros,nosotras	termináramos, terminásemos
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	terminarais, terminaseis
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	terminaran, terminasen

When We Use the Imperfect Subjunctive

The imperfect subjunctive is used to express hypothetical situations or actions that may or may not have occurred in the past.

We use this tense in dependent clauses following certain conjunctions.

Examples of “Terminar” in the Imperfect Subjunctive

• Si yo terminara mi trabajo antes, podría salir más temprano. (If I were to finish my work earlier, I could leave earlier.)
  Note: “podría” is an example of a “poder” conjugation in the conditional tense.
• Ella preferiría que tú terminaras la tarea antes de salir. (She would prefer you to finish the homework before going out.)
• Esperábamos que él/ella terminara el libro antes de la fecha límite. (We hoped he/she would finish the book before the deadline.)
• Nosotros queríamos que vosotros terminarais el proyecto juntos. (We wanted you all to finish the project together.)
• Si ellos/ellas terminaran sus estudios, podrían conseguir mejores trabajos. (If they were to finish their studies, they could get better jobs.)

Affirmative Imperative 

Pronouns	Pronombres	Conjugation
you	tú	¡termina!
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	¡termine!
we	nosotros,nosotras	¡terminemos!
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	¡terminad!
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	¡terminen!

When We Use The Affirmative Imperative

The affirmative imperative gives commands or instructions in a direct and affirmative manner.

When conjugating “terminar” in the affirmative imperative, we use the imperative form of the verb without a subject pronoun (as is always the case with any Spanish verb).

Examples of The Affirmative Imperative “Terminar” Conjugation

• ¡Termina tu tarea ahora! (Finish your homework now!)
• ¡Terminemos la cena antes de que lleguen los invitados! (Let’s finish dinner before the guests arrive!)
• ¡Terminad el proyecto esta semana! (Finish the project this week!)
• ¡Terminen sus estudios con dedicación! (Finish your studies with dedication!)

Negative Imperative

Pronouns	Pronombres	Conjugation
you	tú	¡no termines!
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	¡no termine!
we	nosotros,nosotras	¡no terminemos!
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	¡no terminéis!
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	¡no terminen!

When We Use The Negative Imperative

The negative imperative is used to give commands or instructions in a negative manner, indicating what someone should not do.

In order to form the negative imperative of “terminar,” we use the imperative form of the verb preceded by the word “no.”

In the negative imperative form, -AR verbs take -ER and -IR endings, and this rule applies vice versa.

Examples of The Negative Imperative “Terminar” Conjugation

• No termines tu trabajo tan tarde. (Don’t finish your work so late.)
• No terminemos la película todavía. (Let’s not finish the movie yet.)
• No terminéis la tarea sin revisarla. (Don’t finish the homework without checking it.)
• No terminen sus proyectos sin consultar a sus supervisores. (Don’t finish your projects without consulting your supervisors.)

Online Spanish Courses & Grammar Courses

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