acabou

Acabou is a verb form in Portuguese, representing the pretérito perfeito do indicativo (past tense). It is the third-person singular of the verb acabar, and can also be used with you (você) in informal speech. The basic meaning is that something has finished or is over. In English, it corresponds to “it ended,” “it’s over,” or “it finished.”

Usage and meaning

Acabou is commonly used to indicate the end of a duration, event, or state. For example, pode-se dizer “o filme acabou” (the movie is over), “a festa acabou cedo” (the party ended early), or “acabou a paciência” (the patience ran out). It is very common in spoken Brazilian Portuguese and is understood in other varieties of the language as well. The word can convey finality with a sense of abruptness or conclusion, depending on context and intonation.

Forms and related expressions

As part of a larger verb system, acab ar appears in various tenses and moods: “eu acabei” (I finished), “tu acabaste” (you finished in some dialects), “acabaremos” (we will finish), and so on. Acabou can also function as an exclamatory interjection in informal speech, as in “Acabou!” to signal that something is finished or that there is no more time or tolerance. Phrases like “acabou a festa” or “acabou o tempo” are common constructions to mark the end of an event or period.

Translations and regional use

The core sense of acabou is universal across Portuguese varieties, though usage frequency and stylistic nuance may vary. In English, it is most often translated as “it’s over” or “it ended.” In formal writing, alternatives such as “terminou” or “concluiu-se” may be preferred, but acabou remains widely understood in everyday communication.