terminarla

Terminarla is a Spanish verb phrase formed by the verb terminar in its infinitive form plus the feminine direct-object pronoun la. It translates roughly as “to finish it,” with the la referring to a feminine singular object (for example, una tarea, la película, la idea). The pronoun must agree in gender and number with the object being referenced.

In use, terminarla appears whenever the speaker wants to express finishing something feminine. It can appear inside a sentence in different positions. With a conjugated verb, the pronoun can be attached to the end of the infinitive or placed before the conjugated verb: voy a terminarla (I’m going to finish it) or la voy a terminar (I’m going to finish it). The form also appears after phrases that require an infinitive, such as querer, necesitar, poder, or after a preposition: Después de terminarla, me fui (After finishing it, I left).

When the object is masculine or plural, different forms are used: terminarlo (to finish it, masculine singular), terminarlos (to finish them, masculine or mixed plural), or terminarlas (to finish them, feminine plural). The gerund form is terminándola, used to express ongoing action with a feminine object: está terminándola (she is finishing it). Spelling and accent rules ensure proper pronunciation, for example terminándola carries an accent on laform to maintain stress.

Terminarla thus reflects the interaction of a conjugated verb, a feminine direct object, and the option to attach pronouns to the infinitive or before the conjugated verb, depending on the construction.