verb

terminer

finish

C’est faire en sorte que quelque chose arrive à sa fin ou s’arrête.

The French verb "terminer" means "to finish," "to end," or "to complete" something. It is a regular -er verb and is used when an action, process, or event reaches its end.

Usage:

Terminer un travail — to finish a job
Terminer un repas — to finish a meal
Le film termine à 20h — the movie ends at 8 PM

Synonyms and Differences:

Finir
- Also means "to finish" or "to end."
- More general and commonly used; can be followed by infinitives or nouns.
- Example: J'ai fini mes devoirs. (I finished my homework.)
- Compared to "terminer," "finir" can sometimes imply the natural conclusion of an action, while "terminer" may suggest actively bringing something to a close.
Achever
- Means "to complete" or "to conclude," often with the nuance of finishing something fully or definitively.
- Slightly more formal or literary.
- Example: Il a achevé son roman. (He completed his novel.)
Clore
- Typically used for concluding formal events, debates, meetings, or documents.
- Conveys the idea of officially closing something.
- Example: La séance est close. (The session is closed.)

In summary, "terminer" is a versatile and commonly used verb meaning "to finish" or "to end," best used to describe actively ending a task or event. It can often be interchanged with "finir," but for formal or complete endings, synonyms like "achever" or "clore" are more precise.