Are you familiar with the concept of grammatical agreement in Spanish? There are two main types of agreement in Spanish: noun agreement and verb agreement. Today's lesson will provide an introduction to each.

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Noun Agreement in Spanish 

The concept of noun agreement is the following: Since Spanish nouns are either masculine or feminine and singular or plural, their definite or indefinite articles, adjectives, and other grammatical elements must correspond in terms of these attributes. Let's take a look at a chart that demonstrates this concept with masculine and feminine singular and plural nouns and their corresponding definite and indefinite articles. 

The chart shows us the various ways to say "the" (el, los, la, las) and "a/an" (un, unos, una, unas), depending upon whether a noun is masculine or feminine and singular or plural. That said, let's keep a couple of additional points in mind regarding recognizing the number and gender of Spanish nouns and/or modifying them to achieve noun agreement.

1. Although many Spanish masculine singular nouns end in -o and many Spanish feminine nouns end in -a, this is not always the case. Therefore, less obvious nouns (e.g. el avión (the airplane) or la nube (the cloud)) require simply memorizing the gender of the noun, especially nouns that refer to inanimate objects. For this reason, Spanish students typically learn new nouns and their respective masculine or feminine definite articles simultaneously. 

2. As a general rule, many nouns that end in a vowel require the addition of an -s to make them plural, while many nouns that end in a consonant become plural by adding -es. Applying this to the abovementioned nouns, el avión becomes los aviones while la nube changes to las nubes.

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Adjective Noun Agreement in Spanish

In addition to their articles, Spanish adjectives must also agree in terms of number and gender with the nouns they modify, with the same general spelling guidelines that we mentioned for pluralizing nouns. Let's hear how this works via some examples from our Yabla Spanish library:

Un coche bonito, unos coches bonitos. Una casa roja, las casas rojas.

A nice car, some nice cars. A red house, the red houses.

Captions 28-29, Fundamentos del Español 3 - Le Estructura de las Frases

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unos ojos azules, inmensos...

some huge, blue eyes...

Caption 24, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 6: El día de la Primitiva - Part 2

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As you delve further into more complex Spanish grammar such as direct object pronouns, you will see how the number and gender of Spanish nouns continue to exert their influence. 

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Verb Agreement in Spanish 

Verb agreement in Spanish refers to the fact that Spanish verbs need to be conjugated in accordance with their respective subjects or subject pronouns, agreeing in number (singular or plural) and person (first, second, or third). Although this concept exists in English, it is much simpler due to the fact that there are less subject pronouns in English (seven vs. thirteen in Spanish) and far less verb forms. For example, for all of the seven English subject pronouns, there are only two verb forms, as we see below:

Subject Pronoun:

I: speak

you: speak

he: speaks

she: speaks

we: speak

they: speak

it: speaks 

In Spanish, on the other hand, there are thirteen subject pronouns and many corresponding conjugations. Additionally, the manner in which each verb is conjugated depends upon which of the three common verb categories (-ar, -er, and -ir) it falls into, and many verbs are irregular, making verb agreement in Spanish significantly more complex. With this in mind, let's take a look at a chart with the conjugations of three common regular verbs, one from each category, in the present indicative tense:

If that doesn't seem nuanced enough, keep in mind that that was just one of the sixteen Spanish verb tenses, each of which has its own specific manner of conjugating verbs in order to ensure verb agreement. 

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We hope that these explanations have given you a better idea about the concept of noun and verb agreement in Spanish, which are essential to understanding Spanish sentences and constructing your own. Don't forget to write us with your questions and comments. 

The short film Con ánimo de lucro opens with a series of commands that bring to mind John Lennon's famous song "Imagine":

Imagina acabar con el hambre y la pobreza.

Imagine putting an end to hunger and poverty.

Caption 1, Con ánimo de lucro - Cortometraje

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So, what's that word right after Imagina (the familiar command form of imaginar, "to imagine")? It's the Spanish verb acabar, which most learners first encounter as a simple way to say "to end" or "to finish." But as this opening quote already hints, acabar has many more meanings in Spanish depending on how it's used. In this lesson, we'll walk through all of them — from the most basic to the most idiomatic — so you can start using this versatile verb with confidence.

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Acabar: The Basic Meaning of 'To End' or 'To Finish

Before we dive into the more nuanced uses, let's look at a couple of classic examples of acabar in its most common sense:

Al final...

In the end...

Nuestro caso no es distinto de otros casos que acabaron mal

Our case is not different from other cases that ended badly

Captions 13-14, Victor & Leo - Recuerdos de amor

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Vale, hemos acabado.

OK, we've finished.

Caption 69, Animales en familia Un día en Bioparc: Cachorro de leopardo - Part 2

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Now that we've covered the basics, let's explore the many other ways acabar is used in Spanish — starting with the non-reflexive forms. 

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Uses of Acabar (Non-Reflexive)

1. Acabar: "to end up"

One very common use of acabar is to express the idea of "ending up" — arriving at a place or result, sometimes unexpectedly:

y seguro que iba a acabar en la basura, ¿no? 

and for sure it was going to end up in the trash, right?

Caption 49, 75 minutos Gangas para ricos - Part 5

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5. Acabar de + infinitive: "to have just" (done something)

This is one of the most important and frequently used structures with acabar. Acabar de + infinitive expresses the idea of having "just" completed an action:

Isabel Zavala acaba de salir del edificio.

Isabel Zavala just left the building.

Caption 3, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 4 - Part 15

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6. Acabar por + infinitive: "to finally" (do something)/"end up" (doing something)

Acabar por + infinitive conveys the idea of eventually or finally doing something — often after a process or struggle:

Acabé por decirle la verdad. 

I finally told him the truth. 

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Uses of Acabarse (Reflexive)

The reflexive form acabarse opens up a whole new set of meanings. Here are the most common ones Spanish learners should know:

You'll often encounter acabarse in what's known as the "no fault" or involuntary se construction. Notice how in the example below, acabarse is conjugated in the third person singular to agree with el tiempo (the subject), while the indirect object pronoun nos tells us who is affected:

9. Acabarse (to be over)

Finally, acabarse can mean "to be over" — and you'll often hear it in dramatic, emotionally charged moments, most frequently in the preterite tense:

Anda, ¡para! ¡ya! ¡Ya está, se acabó! 

Come on, stop! Now! That's it, it's over!

Captions 28-29, Carolina - Acentos

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Other colloquial translations for ¡Se acabó! include "That's it!" or "That's that!" — and you'll hear it a lot in everyday conversation.

Se acabó, yo no voy a insistir.

That's it, I'm not going to insist.

Caption 1, Muñeca Brava 48 - Soluciones - Part 5

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Mastering Acabar in Spanish: A Quick Reference

Here's a summary of all the meanings of acabar and acabarse covered in this lesson:

• Acabar — To end / finish: El partido acabó.

• Acabar — To end up: Acabó en la basura.

• Acabar con (algo) — To put an end to something: Acabar con el hambre.

• Acabar con (alguien) — To break up with someone: Acabar con mi novio.

• Acabar con (alguien) — To finish off / kill: Acaben con él.

• Acabar de + infinitive — To have just done something: Acabo de llegar.

• Acabar por + infinitive — To finally / end up doing something: Acabé por decirle la verdad.

• Acabarse — To run out: Se acabó la leche.

• Acabarse — To sell out: Las entradas se acabaron.

• Acabarse — To be over: ¡Se acabó!

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And Colorín Colorado... This Lesson on Acabar Has Ended!

On that note, we'll leave you with one of the most beloved expressions featuring acabarse:

Y colorín colorado, este cuento se ha acabado.

And snip, snap, snout, this tale's told out" [Literally: Red, red-colored, this tale has ended"].

Caption 65, Cleer La princesa y el guisante

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This charming phrase — the Spanish equivalent of "And that's all, folks!" — is a staple at the end of children's stories. We hope this lesson has given you a much clearer picture of everything acabar can do in Spanish. Got questions? Something you'd like us to cover? We'd love to hear from you — drop us a line with your thoughts and questions. ¡Hasta la próxima!