끝내다 (kkeunnaeda) Conjugation: Meaning, Forms & Examples

Key Facts

• Hangul: 끝내다 (kkeunnaeda)
• Meaning: to finish; to end (something)
• Part of speech: verb (동사)
• Level: A2
• Stem: 끝내
• Class: regular
• Object marking: transitive

What Does 끝내다 Mean?

• to finish; to end. Used for finishing a task or ending something on purpose: 일을 끝내다.

끝내다 means to finish or end something on purpose: 일을 끝내다 (finish work). It is transitive, so what is finished takes 을/를. Common pairs are 일을 끝내다 and 이야기를 끝내다, and it often comes with 다 (all), as in 다 끝냈어요 ("I've finished it all").

Grammar. Takes an object with 을/를 for what is finished.

Usage note. Common. Collocations: 일을 끝내다, 이야기를 끝내다. Often used with 다 (다 끝냈어요 'I've finished it all').

How Do You Pronounce 끝내다?

The ㅌ at the end of the first syllable is nasalized to [ㄴ] before ㄴ: 끝내요 is read [끈내요], 끝냈어요 is [끈내써요], and 끝낼 거예요 is [끈낼꺼예요].

How Do You Use 끝내다 in a Sentence?

빨리 means quickly; 숙제를 is the object.

어제 means yesterday, and 끝냈어요 is the past.

보고서를 (the report) is the object, and 끝낼 거예요 states a plan.

How Does Kkeunnaeda Conjugation Work?

The stem 끝내 ends in ㅐ, so the 어 of the ending is absorbed: 끝내요, 끝냈어요, 끝내서. The want-to form 끝내고 싶어요 works, since the subject controls the action. The modifiers are 끝내는 and 끝낸.

The pattern for this verb is explained in polite present recipe.

Common Mistake with 끝내다

Wrong: ✗ 일이 끝내요

Correct: ✓ 일을 끝내요

Why: 끝내다 is transitive and needs an object with 을/를; use 끝나다 with 이/가.

Learners mix up the two partners. With 이/가 the verb must be 끝나다 (the work ends); with 끝내다 the work takes 을/를 (I finish the work).

끝내다 Versus Similar Verbs

Finishing a Report before Lunch

Two coworkers are coordinating a report deadline. One checks what is done; the other gives a plan and explains a preference.

Jisu

Alex

Jisu

The question asks about completion, not simply whether someone worked on the report. 다 adds “all” or “completely.” 점심 전에 gives the planned deadline. 끝내고 싶어요 expresses a wish to finish; it does not claim that the work is already complete or guarantee a finishing time.

Collocations for Completed Tasks

숙제를 끝내다 means to finish homework. 보고서를 끝내다 means to finish a report. Both focus on reaching the end of the task. You can spend time working on homework without finishing it, so the difference matters when someone asks whether you are free to leave or start something else.

일을 끝내다 means to finish work or a task. It does not automatically mean leaving the workplace. Someone may finish one job and begin another. 퇴근하다 specifically means leaving work for the day, so it adds information that 끝내다 alone does not give.

이야기를 끝내다 means to finish or end a conversation or story. It can refer to completing what you wanted to say or deliberately bringing the discussion to a close. With a person as the agent, the phrase puts attention on bringing the talk to an end rather than simply reporting that it is over.

다 끝냈어요 means “I’ve finished it all.” Once the task is known, speakers often leave out the object. 아직 안 끝냈어요 means “I haven’t finished it yet.” The word 아직 makes this a report of incomplete progress; it does not say that the person has decided to quit.

Where Will You Hear 끝내다?

At school, 끝내다 often appears in conversations about homework, assignments and projects. At work, it appears with reports, meetings and tasks. The verb is neutral enough for ordinary conversation or a formal progress update. 끝냈어요 fits everyday polite talk; 끝냈습니다 fits a more formal report.

In a drama, 이야기를 끝내다 may carry emotional weight because someone is choosing to close a discussion. The verb itself only says the conversation is being brought to an end. It does not automatically mean a friendship or relationship has ended; the object and surrounding scene establish that.

A direct 끝내세요 tells the listener to finish or end something. Even with a polite ending, this can feel firm when the listener is under pressure. 끝내고 싶어요 instead describes the speaker’s own wish. Choosing the form changes who is being asked to act and whether the sentence is an instruction at all.

What Makes 끝내다 Tricky?

The subject can be left out in Korean, but the object still points to the person doing the finishing. 일을 끝냈어요 normally reports someone finishing the work, with 일을 as the object. 일이 끝났어요 uses the partner verb and presents the work as over. Neither sentence needs to explain the cause, but their grammatical focus differs.

The past 끝냈어요 contracts the stem vowel and the ending; keep the ㅆ marking the past. The present 끝내요 and past 끝냈어요 are close on the page, yet only one reports completion already achieved. 끝낼 거예요 adds ㄹ to the stem and keeps a space before 거예요.

The pronunciation changes at the beginning do not change the stem’s spelling. Write 끝내 throughout the present, conditional and wish forms, even though the first syllable is pronounced with ㄴ before ㄴ. The final vowel ㅐ distinguishes 끝내다 from 끝나다, so listen for that contrast as well as checking the particle.

See office vocabulary for the tasks and workplace words used with 끝내다.

Mini Drill: Show Who Finishes What

1. Choose the particle: 일____ 끝내요.
2. Put 끝내다 into the polite past.
3. Give the polite future for a plan.
4. Say “I want to finish” using the wish form.

Quick Self-Test

1. Does 일을 끝내다 necessarily mean leaving the office?
2. What does 다 add to 다 끝냈어요?
3. Which sentence presents the work itself as over: 일이 끝났어요 or 일을 끝냈어요?

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Particle Does the Object of 끝내다 Take?

The thing finished takes 을/를, as in 숙제를 빨리 끝내요 or 이야기를 끝내다.

What Does 다 끝냈어요 Mean?

It means "I've finished it all". 끝내다 often comes with 다 (all, completely).

What Is the Difference between 끝내다 and 끝나다?

끝나다 is intransitive: something ends by itself. 끝내다 is done by someone and needs an object.

What Is the Polite Past?

끝냈어요, read [끈내써요].

Can I Say 일이 끝내요?

No. Say 일을 끝내요 (I finish the work), or use 끝나다 with 이/가 for the work ending by itself.

Which Words Are Related to 끝내다?

• 끝나다
• 시작하다
• 계속하다
• 그만두다

What Should You Learn Next?

Compare 끝나다 and 그만두다. Once 끝내다 feels familiar, compare it with other entries in the verb dictionary or check a form in the conjugator.