Mastering the Japanese Verb “Owaru” (終わる): To Finish or End

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Mastering the Japanese Verb “Owaru” (終わる): To Finish or End
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

To end, to finish, or to complete.

🎯 Primary Function

To indicate the conclusion of a state, event, or action.

📋 Grammar Structure

Verb Stem + 終わる / Noun + が + 終わる
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
Noun + が + 終わらない / Verb Stem + 終わらない

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Commonly used in formal announcements or reports (e.g., ‘The meeting has concluded’).

😊 Informal Situations

Used daily for finishing tasks, meals, or conversations.

✍️ Written Language

Used in literature and news to mark the end of eras or events.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Extremely common in everyday speech to say ‘I’m done’ or ‘It’s over’.

💡 Common Applications

Describing events ending
Used to indicate that a scheduled event or period of time has reached its conclusion.
Example: コンサートが終わる (The concert ends).
Completing an action
When attached to the stem of another verb, it indicates the completion of that specific action.
Example: ご飯を食べ終わる (Finish eating a meal).
State of completion
Used as an intransitive verb to show that something is over without focusing on who finished it.
📊
Frequency
Very High
🎚️
Difficulty
JLPT N4/N5
Tag:

Related Kanji

JLPT N4 Kanji List

Related Vocabulary

JLPT N4 Vocabulary List
Example Sentences
Example #1
授業が終わった。
Furigana: じゅぎょうがおわった。
Romaji: Jugyō ga owatta.
English: Class has ended.
Example #2
宿題を書き終わりました。
Furigana: しゅくだいをかきおわりました。
Romaji: Shukudai o kakiowarimashita.
English: I have finished writing my homework.
Example #3
映画は九時に終わります。
Furigana: えいがはくじにおわります。
Romaji: Eiga wa kuji ni owarimasu.
English: The movie ends at 9 o’clock.
Example #4
やっと仕事が終わった。
Furigana: やっとしごとがおわった。
Romaji: Yatto shigoto ga owatta.
English: Work finally finished.
Example #5
夏休みが終わってしまった。
Furigana: なつやすみがおわってしまった。
Romaji: Natsuyasumi ga owatte shimatta.
English: Summer vacation has ended.
Example #6
読み終わった本を返した。
Furigana: よみおわったほんをかえした。
Romaji: Yomiowatta hon o kaeshita.
English: I returned the book I finished reading.
Example #7
会議はもうすぐ終わります。
Furigana: かいぎはもうすぐおわります。
Romaji: Kaigi wa mō sugu owarimasu.
English: The meeting will end soon.
Example #8
食べ終わったら、皿を洗ってください。
Furigana: たべおわったら、さらをあらってください。
Romaji: Tabeowattara, sara o aratte kudasai.
English: Please wash the dishes when you finish eating.
Example #9
長い一日が終わった。
Furigana: ながいいちにちがおわった。
Romaji: Nagai ichinichi ga owatta.
English: A long day has ended.
Example #10
パーティーは夜中に終わりました。
Furigana: パーティーはよなかにおわりました。
Romaji: Pātī wa yonaka ni owarimashita.
English: The party ended at midnight.
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Auxiliary Verb Usage
When used as an auxiliary verb (Stem + 終わる), the particle used depends on the preceding verb.
Intransitive Nature
Owaru describes the natural end of something, while Oeru implies a person intentionally finishing it.

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ 宿題を終わった (Shukudai o owatta)
✅ 宿題が終わった (Shukudai ga owatta)
Owaru is primarily an intransitive verb (Jidoushi). Use ‘ga’ for the subject that ends.
❌ 宿題を終わる (Shukudai o owaru)
✅ 宿題を終える (Shukudai o oeru)
If you want to use the transitive ‘to finish something’, ‘oeru’ is more appropriate than ‘owaru’.

🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: Neutral/Polite depending on the ending.
Social Situations: Used widely from business deadlines to social gatherings.
Regional Variations: Standard across all regions of Japan.

🔍 Subtle Differences

終わる (Owaru) vs. 終える (Oeru)
Owaru is intransitive (it ends), Oeru is transitive (I end it).
When to use: Use Owaru for events ending. Use Oeru for consciously completing a task.
終わる (Owaru) vs. 済む (Sumu)
Sumu implies a problem is settled or a requirement is met.
When to use: Use Sumu when saying ‘that will suffice’ or ‘it’s taken care of’.

📝 Conjugation Notes

Owaru is a Group 1 (u-verb). Dictionary form: 終わる; Masu-form: 終わります; Te-form: 終わって; Ta-form: 終わった.

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

Pitch accent is usually low-high-low (o-WA-ru).

🧠 Memory Tips

Think of the Kanji 終. It has the ‘thread’ radical on the left. Think of a thread being tied off at the ‘end’ of a sewing project.

Other Grammar

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