Japanese word

終える

Pronunciation

Romajioeru

Meaning

  • verbfinish

Example

今日は宿題を終えます。kyō wa shuku dai o o e ma su

I will finish my homework today.

Illustration for 終える (finish)

More examples

予定より早く会議を終えました。yo tei yo ri haya ku kai gi o o e ma shi ta

I finished the meeting earlier than planned.

Core concept

Marks the point at which a person completes an activity or brings it to its final stage.

Common phrases

  • 仕事を終えるshi goto o o e ru

    finish work

  • 宿題を終えるshuku dai o o e ru

    finish one's homework

  • 会議を終えるkai gi o o e ru

    finish a meeting

Similar words

終わるowaru: To reach the end of an activity without stating who completes it.
済ませるsumaseru: To complete a task or deal with something that needs attention.

Definition in Japanese

続けてきた仕事や行動を最後まで済ませる。tsuzu ke te ki ta shi goto ya kō dō o sai go ma de su ma se ru

Word origin

The native verb 終える (oeru), meaning "to finish," developed from the older Japanese verb 終ふ (ofu), meaning "to bring to completion."

Usage tips

  • In beginner conversation, 終える (oeru) commonly appears with an activity such as homework or work, while 終わる (owaru) describes the activity itself coming to an end.

Other meanings

  • endverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word