おわる (JLPT N4)

About おわる

To express that actions are beginning, or ending in Japanese, the verbs 始(はじ)める (to commence), or 終(お)わる (to end) will need to be used. In this lesson, we will focus on actions that are 'ending'.

To say that (A) is ending/finishing, we will need to attach おわる to the ます stem of almost any verb. Whether you use the hiragana form, or the kanji form does not matter, as there will be no change in nuance.

Due to おわる being a verb itself, the tense can be changed to show that something will end, is ending, or has ended.

Caution

Unlike はじめる, which uses the transitive form, 終(お)わる uses the intransitive form of its transitive/intransitive pair. This is due to most actions in Japanese being considered to be things that 'come to an end' naturally (intransitive), rather than forcefully (transitive). However, there are exceptions to this, and 終(お)える (the transitive version) may also be seen used as an auxiliary to other verbs.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Examples

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２時間(にじかん)もかかったけど、食(た)べおわりました。

It took two hours but I finished eating.

３時(さんじ)ごろに作(つく)りおわる。

I will finish making it around three o'clock.

この番組(ばんぐみ)は見(み)おわった。

I finished watching this program.

走(はし)りおわったのは何時(なんじ)ぐらいでしたか？

Around what time did you finish running?

宿題(しゅくだい)を直(なお)しおわった人(ひと)は教(おし)えてください。

Those who have finished fixing the homework, let me know.

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おわる – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (18 in total)

IcyIceBear
Hahaha all your questions are true questions just some answers are found in a different place
nikuotoko
This is intensely frustrating.

Why isn’t this right?
Asher
The hint of ‘emphasis on order’ is the key point here. 食べ終わってから is the answer, as てから is the grammar point used when showing that (B) only happens after (A). たら is just ‘when’ or ‘if’. Hope this helps, and that you have a great day!