終える

• Reading: おえる
• Romaji: oeru
• Kanji breakdown: 終 (o/shuu) — end, finish
• Pronunciation: /o.e.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To finish; to complete. Bringing a task or activity to its conclusion.

A Group 2 (ichidan) verb conjugated by dropping る. The transitive pair of 終わる (owaru, to end — can be both transitive and intransitive). Slightly more formal and deliberate than 終わる. Often used as an auxiliary verb after the stem of another verb: 読み終える (to finish reading), 食べ終える (to finish eating).

Examples

1. 今日の仕事を全て終えてから帰った。 I went home after finishing all of today's work.
2. 本を読み終えるのに一週間かかった。 It took me a week to finish reading the book.
3. 大学の課題をやっと終えた。 I finally finished my college assignment.

Usage Guide

Context: work, study, daily life

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From 終 (owari/shuu, end) combined with the ichidan verb ending える. The kanji 終 combines 糸 (thread) and 冬 (winter), suggesting the end of a thread or the end of the growing season.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal