〜終わる (owaru) - Finish
〜終わる attaches to verb stems to indicate finishing or completing an action. It emphasizes that something has been done from start to finish.
Verb stem + 終わる
食べ終わる - finish eating
読み終わる - finish reading
書き終わる - finish writing
Completion emphasized
Action done completely
Formation
Basic pattern
る-verbs:
食べる → 食べ終わる "finish eating"
見る → 見終わる "finish watching"
寝る → 寝終わる "finish sleeping" (rare)
う-verbs:
読む → 読み終わる "finish reading"
書く → 書き終わる "finish writing"
話す → 話し終わる "finish talking"
Irregular:
する → し終わる "finish doing"
来る → 来終わる (rare)
Core Meaning
Completed action
本を読み終わった
"(I) finished reading the book"
Implies: Read from beginning to end
Complete action
Nothing left to do
宿題をし終わった
"(I) finished doing homework"
All homework completed
Task done
When to Use
Completed tasks
レポートを書き終わる
"Finish writing the report"
映画を見終わる
"Finish watching the movie"
仕事をし終わる
"Finish doing work"
Emphasis on completion
From start to finish
All done
Sequential actions
食べ終わってから、寝る
"After finishing eating, (I'll) sleep"
読み終わったら、教えて
"When (you) finish reading, let me know"
Shows completion before next action
Sequence of events
Transitivity
Maintains original verb pattern
Transitive verbs stay transitive:
本を読み終わる "finish reading a book"
手紙を書き終わる "finish writing a letter"
Takes direct object
Object is what gets completed
Common Contexts
Work and tasks
仕事を終わる vs 仕事をし終わる
仕事を終わる - "finish work" (work itself ends)
仕事をし終わる - "finish doing work" (emphasis on completing the doing)
Compound emphasizes the action of doing
Reading and watching
本を読み終わった
"Finished reading the book"
ドラマを見終わった
"Finished watching the drama"
Very common usage
Entertainment content
Start to finish
Eating and drinking
ご飯を食べ終わった
"Finished eating"
コーヒーを飲み終わった
"Finished drinking coffee"
Completion of consumption
All gone
Time Expressions
With time markers
やっと終わった
"Finally finished"
もう終わった
"Already finished"
まだ終わっていない
"Haven't finished yet"
あと少しで終わる
"Will finish soon"
Completion relative to time
Progress indicators
Aspect with ている
Completed state
読み終わっている
"Have finished reading"
Current state after completion
Already done
Result remains
もう食べ終わっている
"Have already finished eating"
Emphasis on current state
Action completed before now
Compare with 終える
終わる (intransitive) vs 終える (transitive)
読み終わる
"Finish reading" (focus on action)
読み終える
"Complete reading" (more formal, emphasize completion)
Both similar
終える slightly more formal
終わる more common in compounds
Negative Forms
Not finished yet
まだ読み終わっていない
"Haven't finished reading yet"
食べ終わらなかった
"Didn't finish eating"
宿題をし終われない
"Can't finish homework"
Incomplete state
Action not done
In Conditional Clauses
"When/if finished"
読み終わったら、貸して
"When (you) finish reading, lend (it to me)"
終わったら、連絡します
"When (I) finish, (I'll) contact (you)"
食べ終わったら、出かけよう
"When (we) finish eating, let's go out"
Completion as condition
Sequential timing
With Other Grammar
Combined patterns
読み終わってしまった
"Finished reading (completely)"
食べ終わってから
"After finishing eating"
書き終わるまで
"Until (I) finish writing"
Versatile with grammar patterns
Natural combinations
Common Collocations
Frequent combinations
読み終わる - finish reading
Most common
食べ終わる - finish eating
Very common
見終わる - finish watching
Common with media
書き終わる - finish writing
Tasks and work
These are natural, established
Learn as units
Formality
Neutral usage
Can use in:
- Casual: 読み終わった
- Polite: 読み終わりました
- Formal writing: 読み終わった
Adjust with conjugation
Not inherently formal/casual
Conjugation
Intransitive う-verb
終わる conjugates as う-verb:
Present: 終わる
Past: 終わった
Negative: 終わらない
Te-form: 終わって
Potential: 終われる
Volitional: 終わろう
Standard う-verb patterns
Emphasis Differences
Completion focus
本を読んだ
"Read a book"
Just states action
本を読み終わった
"Finished reading a book"
Emphasizes completion
Compound adds completion emphasis
More than just doing
Done completely
With てしまう
Complete completion
読み終わってしまった
"Completely finished reading"
Double completion emphasis
Really done
Sometimes implies relief or regret
Common Mistakes
❌ Using dictionary form
✗ 食べる終わる
✓ Using stem form
✓ 食べ終わる
❌ Confusing intransitive/transitive
✗ 仕事を終わる (technically okay but awkward)
✓ Better options
✓ 仕事をし終わる
✓ 仕事が終わる
❌ Wrong conjugation
✗ 終わらた
✓ Correct conjugation
✓ 終わった
Practical Examples
Everyday situations
映画を見終わったら、感想を聞かせて
"When you finish watching the movie, tell me your thoughts"
レポートを書き終わるまで、遊べない
"Can't play until I finish writing the report"
ご飯を食べ終わったら、片付けよう
"When we finish eating, let's clean up"
Natural daily usage
Sequential actions
Completion-based timing