Acababa (en. I was just finishing)

/akaˈβaβa/

Meaning & Definition

EnglishSpanish

verb

Indicates an action that was being completed in the past.

I had just eaten when my friend arrived.

Yo acababa de comer cuando llegó mi amigo.

Can refer to the end of something in the context of a narrative.

I was finishing the story when the phone rang.

Acababa la historia cuando sonó el teléfono.

Used to express that a process was ongoing.

She was finishing her homework when she realized it was late.

Ella acababa su tarea cuando se dio cuenta de que era tarde.

From the verb 'acabar', which comes from the Latin 'ad-cābare', meaning to complete.

had just arrived

Indicates that someone has arrived a short time ago.

acababa de llegar

had just left

Means that someone has left recently.

acababa de salir

was finishing his shift

Refers to someone who finished their workday.

acababa su turno

acabar

To finish something.

acabar

acabamiento

The process of finishing something.

acabamiento

acabado

State of something that has been completed.

acabado

acababa as a synonym for abruptly finishing something.

When it started to rain, it finished the whole picnic.

Cuando empezó a llover, acababa todo el picnic.

Used in informal contexts to refer to ending a relationship.

We were fine, but I had just broken up with my boyfriend.

Estábamos bien, pero acababa de acabar con mi novio.