Expressing Recent

The secret sauce here is the verb acabar. Usually, acabar means "to finish" or "to end." However, when you pair it with the tiny word de, its meaning transforms. It stops being about the end of a long movie and starts being about the immediate "just." Think of it as a specialized formula. You take the verb acabar, keep it in the present tense, add de, and then drop in any action you want. The heavy lifting is done by acabar. The actual action you performed stays in its original, lazy form: the infinitive. This means you do not have to worry about complex past tense conjugations like the Preterite. It is a massive shortcut for A2 learners. It is like having a cheat code for the past tense. Even native speakers use this constantly because it is fast and efficient. It is like a grammar traffic light that is always green for you.

1. 1Creating this sentence is a simple three-step process. Do not overthink it! Just follow the recipe:
2. 2Conjugate acabar in the present tense. Match it to the person doing the action. For example, yo acabo, tú acabas, él acaba.
3. 3Add the word de. This is the glue. Without it, the sentence falls apart. It is mandatory.
4. 4Add the Infinitive. This is the verb ending in -ar, -er, or -ir. Do not change this verb at all!
5. 5Here is a quick cheat sheet for acabar in the present:
6. 6Yo acabo (I just...)
7. 7Tú acabas (You just...)
8. 8Él/Ella/Usted acaba (He/She/You formal just...)
9. 9Nosotros acabamos (We just...)
10. 10Vosotros acabáis (You all just...)
11. 11Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes acaban (They/You all just...)
12. 12Example: Nosotros + acabamos + de + llegar = Nosotros acabamos de llegar (We just arrived).

You use this pattern when the "ink is still wet" on an action. Use it when you are ordering food and the waiter asks if you want a menu: Acabo de recibirlo (I just received it). Use it in a job interview when they ask about your experience: Acabo de terminar mi carrera (I just finished my degree). It is perfect for travel scenarios too. If you are asking for directions and someone gives them to you, but you forget immediately: Perdón, acabo de olvidar lo que dijiste (Sorry, I just forgot what you said). Use it for any action that happened between five seconds and maybe thirty minutes ago. If it still feels "new" to you, acabar de is the right choice. It is also great for making excuses. "Sorry I'm late, I just woke up!" becomes Acabo de despertarme. It adds a layer of immediacy that the standard past tense simply lacks. It tells your listener that the event is still relevant to the conversation right now.

Do not use this for things that happened a long time ago. If you graduated three years ago, acabo de graduarme sounds very confusing. You would sound like you are still wearing your graduation cap at the dinner table. Also, do not use it for habits. If you say "I just eat breakfast every day," that makes no sense in this context. Use it only for single, completed actions that happened very recently. Another trap is trying to use it for future plans. Even though acabar means "to finish," this specific acabar de + infinitive structure is strictly for the recent past. If you want to say you are *going* to finish something, use ir a terminar. Keep acabar de in its tiny box of "things that just happened." It is like a selfie; it is a snapshot of something that literally just occurred. If the event is old news, let it go and use the regular Preterite tense instead.

1. 1The Missing Glue: The most common crime is forgetting the word de. People say Acabo comer. To a native, this sounds like "I finish to eat." It lacks the magic "just." Always keep the de!
2. 2Double Conjugating: Do not conjugate the second verb. You do not say Acabo de comí. It must be Acabo de comer. Only the first verb gets to change its clothes.
3. 3Wrong Tense for Acabar: Sometimes learners try to put acabar in the past tense to say "I just did." For example, Acabé de llegar. While grammatically possible in some regions, it loses the specific "just" feeling. Stick to the present Acabo de for that fresh-action vibe.
4. 4Pronoun Placement: If you have a reflexive verb like ducharse, learners often forget where the me goes. You can say Me acabo de duchar or Acabo de ducharme. Just do not leave the pronoun floating in space! Yes, even native speakers mess this up when they are tired, so do not sweat it too much.

You might be tempted to use hace poco (a little while ago). While Hace poco comí means "I ate a little while ago," acabar de is even more recent. Acabar de is the "right now" past, whereas hace poco could be two hours ago. Think of acabar de as the flashing alert and hace poco as a casual mention. In Latin America, you will also hear the word recién. You might hear Recién llegué (I just arrived). This is very common and means the same thing as Acabo de llegar. However, recién is often followed by a conjugated verb, while acabar de always needs the infinitive. If you want to sound universally understood across Spain and the Americas, acabar de is your safest bet. It is the gold standard for A2 learners who want to sound natural without memorizing massive verb tables. It is like the Swiss Army knife of recent actions.