*Note that some strong language is discussed, so sensitive readers may wish to skip this lesson.

When something is importante (important), people usually care about it. In Spanish, the simplest way to say that one doesn’t care about something is to negate the verb importar (to care), as Victoria does when Federico asks her how she's feeling:

Que ya no me importa nada, Federico.

That I don't care about anything now, Federico.

Caption 20, Muñeca Brava - 41 La Fiesta - Part 4

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However, it’s possible—and very common—to use the verb importar without negation to express a lack of caring. The trick is to add to me importa (or me interesa) to a noun that conveys the idea of something of negligible value. Comino, pepino, cacahuate, and bledo are a few examples of such nouns. Let’s learn how to actually use them.

Semillas de comino (cumin seeds) are so minuscule that they are close to nothing:
 

Perdés el tiempo, querido. Absolutamente.

You're wasting your time, darling. Absolutely.

Porque me interesa un comino su candidatura.

Because I don't give a damn about his nomination.

Captions 39-40, Muñeca Brava - 41 La Fiesta - Part 5

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Using pepino (cucumber) or cacahuate (peanut) is also very common:
 

¡Se lo dije al mayordomo, me importa un pepino!

I told the butler, I don't give a damn!

Caption 30, Muñeca Brava - 7 El poema

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Another common word to use is bledo, or pigweed. For the Spanish, this plant, although edible, was considered flavorless. They brought the expression over with them to Latin America (where in fact the plant and its seeds have been consumed since pre-Hispanic times, for their nutritional and medicinal properties).
 

¡Me importan un bledo los quinientos mangos!

I couldn't care less about the five hundred bucks!

Caption 35, Muñeca Brava - 8 Trampas

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If you want to add extra emphasis you can use the interjection carajo ("damn" or "hell").
 

¿Y a vos qué carajo te importa?

And to you, what the hell does it matter?

Caption 20, Yago - 2 El puma

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In fact, you can use any bad word you can come up with. That includes all the really vulgar ones, but here are two examples that are not so offensive:
 

¿A mí qué diablos me importa su vida?

What the hell does your life matter to me?

Caption 6, El Ausente - Acto 2

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Y no por ellos que me importan un diablo.

And not because of them who don't matter a damn to me.

Caption 4, El Ausente - Acto 3

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Finally, we want to introduce you to a curious expression: me vale. It’s only used in Mexico and it’s interesting because it’s quite contradictory. While its literal meaning would be something like “I care” it actually means the exact opposite. This happens because, in Mexico, the verb valer (to be worth) can replace the verb importar (to care) in phrases such as the ones mentioned before. So me vale un pepino, me vale un comino, etc. are all very common. At some point, Mexicans just shortened these phrases to me vale:

Después de eso me vale si muero

After that I don't care if I die

Caption 32, Los Originales de San Juan - Ojala La Vida Me Alcance

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The common—and very contradictory—Mexican phrase me vale madres belongs to this group. It means “I don’t give a damn about it!” but its literal meaning is something like “It’s worth what my mother is worth to me.” Quite puzzling, right? Especially given the proverbial Mexican affection for their mothers!

We hope you have enjoyed this lesson!

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!