Japanese with Manga

Completing an action with 〜終わる

Grammar: Time and Sequence » 〜終わる

To convey the completion of an action, 終(お)わる is attached to the stem of the verb.

Usage

In non-past tense, this means the action will (or will not) be completed. In past-tense, it means the action has (or has not) been completed. 終(お)わる is typically attached to transitive verbs, but may also be attached to intransitive verbs.

Further reading

Related Grammar

  • Managing to complete an action with 〜終える
    • Used when effort is required to complete an actions.
  • Starting something with 〜出す

Examples

Drinking completely with 〜終わる

Manga panel from ご注文はうさぎですか？ showing example of Completing an action with 〜終わる.
ご注文はうさぎですか？ » Volume 1 » Page 94

Chino explains the steps to perform coffee fortune telling.

チノ:
「飲(の)み終(お)わった後(あと)に残(のこ)ったコーヒーの模様(もよう)で占(うらな)うんです」
“After you've finished drinking it, we tell fortunes from the patterns left in the coffee.”
Literal: “After you have finished drinking, we tell fortunes with the pattern of coffee that remains.”
Step:
「① 飲(の)みおわる」
“① Finish drinking”

In Chino’s dialogue, 終(お)わる is used because finishing a drink is the normal completion of the action of drinking.