When do I use "End" and when do I use "Finish"?

"End" = conclude or stop (event or situation). "Finish" = complete or finalize an active task.

How do I remember the difference between "End" and "Finish"?

Is there an active agent completing something? "Finish". Does something simply reach its conclusion? "End". Exception: "She ended / finished her speech", both work.

Resources

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ESEN

Which one to use?Beginnerverbo / sustantivoverbo

EndvsFinish

"End" is to stop occurring (event or situation); "finish" is to complete a task all the way through.

Side-by-side comparison

End

verbo / sustantivo

To come to a conclusion. Used for events, films, relationships, periods of time.

The movie ends at 10pm. We have time for dinner after.
Their relationship ended after five years together.
The school year ends in June in this country.

Finish

verbo

To complete something through to the end. Used for tasks, work, meals, things one actively does.

I will call you when I finish work. Maybe around 6pm.
Have you finished your homework? Dinner is ready.
She finished the entire pizza by herself.

Common mistake

"I ended my homework" is wrong: homework does not just stop, you complete it. Correct: "I finished my homework". The reverse: "The movie finished at 10pm" sounds odd, the movie simply reaches its conclusion: "The movie ended at 10pm".

Trick to remember it

•Is there an active agent completing something? "Finish".
•Does something simply reach its conclusion? "End".
•Exception: "She ended / finished her speech", both work.

Quick rule

•"End" = conclude or stop (event or situation).
•"Finish" = complete or finalize an active task.

Did you know?

In sports journalism, commentators say "the match ended 2-1" but players say "we finished the season strong". An event has an "end"; a team "finishes" a season. The difference between observing something from the outside as it concludes (end) and actively participating in completing it (finish) is encoded in the choice of verb. "The End" at the close of a film is always "The End", never "The Finish".