terminárselos

Terminarse los, written as terminárselos, is a Spanish verb phrase formed from the verb terminar plus the clitic pronouns se and los. It generally conveys the idea of finishing something off or completing it for someone, with the indirect object se indicating the beneficiary or recipient and los referring to a masculine plural direct object. The combination can also express a sense of finalizing or resolving something for another person, sometimes with a violent or emphatic nuance in colloquial use.

Usage and nuance

The phrase appears mainly in informal speech and can carry different connotations depending on context. In a literal, sometimes violent sense, terminárselos means to finish them off. In nonviolent or figurative contexts, it can mean to complete a task or deliver something for someone—e.g., finishing documents, work, or items on someone’s behalf. The exact meaning hinges on the surrounding situation and tone.

Grammar and construction

When both indirect and direct pronouns are present, the indirect pronoun (se) precedes the direct pronoun (los): terminárselos. The pronouns attach to the verb form, and the accent marks the correct stress, as in terminárselos (infinitive). With finite verbs, pronouns can appear before the conjugated verb (Yo se los terminé) or, in infinitive constructions, attached to the end of the infinitive (terminárselos) or gerund (terminándoselos) in appropriate contexts.

Examples

Tenemos que terminárselos de una vez. (We have to finish them off once and for all.)

Voy a terminárselos al cliente mañana. (I’m going to finish them off for the client tomorrow.)

In nonviolent usage: voy a terminárselos para el cliente, meaning I will complete the items for the client.