Fin is arguably the most common and straightforward way to say “end” in French. But as with many things in language, there’s often more than one way to express a concept.

When you're speaking or writing in French, you might find yourself needing to describe the conclusion of a story, the termination of a contract, or simply the very end of a road. Knowing the right word for

The standard 'end' or 'finish' – la fin

The standard ‘end’ or ‘finish’ – la fin

La fin is the most common and fundamental French word for 'the end' or 'the finish'.

This word is always feminine and typically used in the singular form. While les fins exists, it's less common and usually refers to multiple specific 'ends' or 'purposes' rather than just 'the ends' of something. The masculine *le fin is not the same word; it refers to 'the fine' or 'the subtle part', an adjective used as a noun.

La fin can be used in a wide range of contexts, from describing the conclusion of a story or event to marking the end of a period of time.

Beyond its literal meaning, la fin is a key component in many common French expressions and idioms, adding layers of nuance to everyday speech.

It's frequently paired with prepositions to form essential phrases. For example: à la fin (at the end), vers la fin (towards the end), and en fin de (at the end of, as in en fin de semaine - at the end of the week).

Consider idiomatic uses like C'est la fin du monde ! (It's the end of the world!) or the philosophical La fin justifie les moyens. (The end justifies the means.). These show its broader application.

While la fin can sometimes imply a purpose (especially in the plural les fins in specific contexts), the more direct and common word for 'purpose' or 'goal' is le but. For instance, la fin de mon voyage is the conclusion of my trip, but le but de mon voyage is the objective of my trip.

In most cases, when you encounter la fin, its meaning as 'the end' or 'the finish' will be clear from the surrounding context. It's a very straightforward and essential word for learners.

You'll often see Fin. printed at the conclusion of French books, movies, or theatrical plays, serving as the universal sign for 'The End'. This highlights its definitive and widely understood role.

💡 * C'est la fin du film. (It's the end of the movie.)

• À la fin de la journée, je suis fatigué. (At the end of the day, I'm tired.)
• Il est arrivé vers la fin de la réunion. (He arrived towards the end of the meeting.)
• La fin de l'histoire est surprenante. (The end of the story is surprising.)
• En fin de compte, nous avons réussi. (Ultimately/In the end, we succeeded.)

To 'finish' or 'terminate' an action – terminer

The French verb terminer is a highly versatile and common verb that translates directly to “to finish,” “to end,” or “to complete.” It’s a regular -ER verb, making its conjugation straightforward for learners.

Unlike some other verbs that imply specific types of completion, terminer can be used in a broad range of contexts, from finishing a meal to completing a project or ending a meeting.

Most commonly, terminer is used transitively, meaning it takes a direct object. You finish something. For instance, you can terminer un livre (finish a book), terminer le travail (finish the work), or terminer ses études (finish one's studies).

While less frequent than its transitive form, terminer can also be used intransitively (without a direct object) or pronominally as se terminer to mean “to end” or “to finish itself.” This is often used for events, periods, or processes. For example, Le film se termine à 22h (The film ends at 10 PM).

Terminer generally carries a neutral to slightly formal tone, suitable for most situations. While finir is often used interchangeably, terminer can sometimes imply a more definitive or structured completion, especially in professional or academic contexts.

From terminer, we also get related words like la terminaison (the ending/termination, often in grammar), le terminal (the terminal, e.g., at an airport), and le terme (the term, end, or limit).

💡 * Je dois terminer mon rapport avant ce soir. (I need to finish my report before tonight.)* Le concert se terminera vers minuit. (The concert will end around midnight.)* As-tu terminé de manger ? (Have you finished eating?)* Nous avons terminé le projet à temps. (We finished the project on time.)* La réunion se termine maintenant. (The meeting is ending now.)

To 'complete' or 'bring to a close' – achever

The verb achever is a powerful French verb that primarily means 'to complete,' 'to finish,' or 'to bring to an end.' While it shares some meaning with finir, achever often implies a more definitive or final completion.

Unlike finir, which can simply mean to stop doing something or to be done with a task, achever suggests bringing something to its ultimate conclusion, often implying that all necessary steps have been taken or that a process has reached its final stage. Think of it as 'crowning' the work.

Achever is a regular -ER verb, but it undergoes a stem change where the 'e' before the -er ending changes to 'è' in certain conjugations (e.g., j'achève, tu achèves, il/elle achève, ils/elles achèvent). The 'e' remains in the nous and vous forms (nous achevons, vous achevez).

One of the most common uses of achever is to talk about completing a project, a task, a book, or a journey. It emphasizes the successful realization of an objective. For instance, achever un roman means to finish writing a novel, implying it's fully done.

Achever can also convey a sense of bringing something to a definitive, sometimes abrupt, end, or even termination. This can be literal, like 'finishing off' an enemy (achever un ennemi), or more figurative, like completing a destruction process (achever la destruction).

The reflexive form, s'achever, means 'to come to an end' or 'to be completed' by itself, often used for events, periods, or processes. For example, Le concert s'achève à minuit (The concert ends at midnight).

💡 * J'ai achevé mon travail avant l'heure. (I finished my work before time.)

• Elle a achevé la construction de sa maison. (She completed the construction of her house.)
• Le film s'achève sur une note tragique. (The film ends on a tragic note.)
• Il a achevé son adversaire d'un coup. (He finished off his opponent with one blow.)
• Nous achevons ce projet cette semaine. (We are completing this project this week.)

The 'extremity' or 'tip' of something – le bout

The French noun le bout translates to “the end,” “the tip,” or “the extremity” of something.

Le bout is a masculine noun. It is widely used to refer to the physical extremities of objects, places, or even time.

You'll frequently encounter le bout when referring to the tip of a finger (le bout du doigt), the end of a road (le bout du chemin), or the tip of a pencil (le bout d'un crayon).

Beyond physical ends, le bout is also part of many idiomatic expressions, such as au bout du compte (at the end of the day/ultimately) or voir le bout du tunnel (to see the light at the end of the tunnel).

💡 *Le bout de la rue. (The end of the street.)
*Il a coupé le bout du fil. (He cut the end of the thread.)
*Tiens le bout du bâton. (Hold the tip of the stick.)
*Au bout du compte, nous avons réussi. (At the end of the day, we succeeded.)
*Je n'ai pas vu le bout de ce film. (I didn't see the end of this movie.)

The 'closure' or 'closing' of an event or period – la clôture

The French noun la clôture translates to 'the closure' or 'the closing,' referring to the act of bringing something to an end.

It signifies the formal or definitive conclusion of an event, a period, an account, or even a discussion. Think of it as the official act of wrapping things up.

You'll often encounter la clôture in contexts such as la clôture d'une réunion (the closing of a meeting), la clôture d'un compte bancaire (the closing of a bank account), or la clôture de l'année fiscale (the closing of the fiscal year).

Unlike the more general la fin (the end), la clôture carries a more formal or administrative weight, implying a deliberate and often official termination.

As a feminine noun, it requires feminine articles and adjectives. Remember: une clôture, la clôture.

It's important to note that la clôture also commonly refers to a 'fence' or 'enclosure.' Context will always make the meaning clear.

💡 * La clôture de la conférence est prévue pour 17h. (The closing of the conference is scheduled for 5 PM.)

• Nous attendons la clôture des votes. (We are waiting for the closing of the votes.)
• Il a demandé la clôture de son dossier. (He requested the closure of his file.)
• La clôture du festival a été un grand succès. (The closing of the festival was a great success.)
• Le président a annoncé la clôture de la session. (The president announced the closing of the session.)

To 'conclude' or 'come to an end' – conclure

The French verb conclure is a versatile term that translates primarily to “to conclude,” “to finish,” or “to bring to an end.” It's used in both formal and informal contexts to signify the completion of an action, event, or discussion.

Similar to its English counterpart, conclure can be used transitively, meaning “to conclude something” (e.g., a meeting, a deal, a speech), or intransitively, meaning “to come to an end” or “to finish.” Understanding this distinction is key to using it correctly.

You'll often encounter conclure in phrases like conclure un accord (to conclude/seal a deal), conclure un discours (to conclude a speech), or conclure une réunion (to conclude a meeting). When used intransitively, a subject like la réunion or le débat would conclure (the meeting/debate concluded).

Conclure is a regular -re verb in the present tense (e.g., je conclus, tu conclus, il conclut). However, its past participle is irregular: conclu (e.g., j'ai conclu - I have concluded).

💡 * Après de longues discussions, ils ont enfin conclu un accord. (After long discussions, they finally concluded a deal.)

• Le roman se conclut par une révélation surprenante. (The novel concludes with a surprising revelation.)
• Je voudrais conclure cette présentation par quelques mots de remerciement. (I would like to conclude this presentation with a few words of thanks.)
• La conférence s'est conclue à 18h. (The conference concluded at 6 PM.)

To 'cease' or 'stop' an activity – cesser

The verb cesser in French directly translates to "to cease" or "to stop" an action or activity. It implies bringing something to an end.

When you want to express stopping doing something, cesser is almost always followed by the preposition de and then an infinitive verb. For example, cesser de fumer means "to stop smoking."

While cesser and arrêter are often interchangeable, cesser can sometimes carry a slightly more formal or definitive tone. Both are commonly used to indicate the cessation of an activity.

💡 * Il a cessé de pleuvoir. (It stopped raining.)

• Nous devons cesser de gaspiller l'eau. (We must stop wasting water.)
• Elle a cessé son travail pour s'occuper de ses enfants. (She stopped her job to take care of her children.)
• Le bruit a cessé brusquement. (The noise ceased abruptly.)
• Ils ont cessé de se parler après la dispute. (They stopped talking to each other after the argument.)

2. To 'finalize' or 'bring to completion' – finaliser

The French verb finaliser directly translates to 'to finalize,' 'to complete,' or 'to bring to completion.' It's a highly useful and commonly encountered verb, especially in professional and project management contexts.

Similar to its English counterpart, finaliser is used when you want to indicate the act of bringing something to its definitive end or making it ready. It implies a process of finishing up details and making something ready for delivery or implementation.

Finaliser is a regular -er verb, which means its conjugation follows the standard pattern for verbs ending in -er. This makes it relatively easy to learn and use in various tenses.

💡 * Nous devons finaliser le rapport avant la réunion. (We need to finalize the report before the meeting.)

• Elle a finalisé son projet de thèse hier. (She finalized her thesis project yesterday.)
• Il est temps de finaliser les préparatifs pour le voyage. (It's time to finalize the preparations for the trip.)
• Ils finalisent toujours les dernières touches. (They are still finalizing the finishing touches.)

The 'conclusion' or 'final part' of a narrative – l'épilogue

In French, the term for the 'conclusion' or 'final part' of a narrative, especially in literature or theater, is l'épilogue (masculine noun).

Derived from the Greek epilogos ('conclusion speech'), l'épilogue serves to provide a resolution, sum up events, or reveal the fates of characters after the main plot has concluded. It offers a sense of closure to the reader or audience.

You'll most frequently encounter l'épilogue in novels, plays, and sometimes films, where it ties up loose ends, explains the aftermath of the story's climax, or even sets the stage for a sequel.

While similar to a general 'conclusion' (une conclusion), l'épilogue specifically refers to a narrative segment that follows the main story, often written from a different temporal perspective. It's distinct from a postface (une postface), which is an author's note or commentary, not part of the narrative itself.

Beyond its literary meaning, l'épilogue can also be used figuratively to refer to the final phase or outcome of a long process or event, signifying the ultimate resolution or end.

💡 * L'épilogue du roman a révélé ce qui est arrivé aux personnages après la guerre. (The epilogue of the novel revealed what happened to the characters after the war.)

• Dans la pièce, l'épilogue est prononcé par un seul acteur. (In the play, the epilogue is delivered by a single actor.)
• Cet événement tragique fut l'épilogue d'une série de mauvaises décisions. (This tragic event was the epilogue of a series of bad decisions.)
• L'auteur a ajouté un épilogue pour offrir une fin plus douce. (The author added an epilogue to offer a softer ending.)
• Après des années de négociations, l'accord final a marqué l'épilogue de la crise. (After years of negotiations, the final agreement marked the epilogue of the crisis.)

Are there other ways to say 'end' in French?

Are there other ways to say “end” in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say “end” in French. But, like any rich language, French offers a variety of expressions, from formal terms to more casual or even slang usages, and regional variations you might encounter.

You can also do an online search for “comment dire fin en ___” followed by a specific Francophone country or region to discover local idioms.

You might find some interesting synonyms or idiomatic expressions for fin on your journey. Of course, always make sure to check a word’s definition and try to see it used in context before you use it yourself.

Pay attention as you read, watch, and listen to things in French — you may discover different ways to talk about endings, conclusions, or the culmination of events.

And if you’re looking for a comprehensive overview of how to use words related to “end” in French, the WordReference entry for fin is an excellent place to start!

I hope you found this article helpful. Here’s a fitting thought to finish it with, reflecting a common French idiom: Toutes les bonnes choses ont une fin. (All good things come to an end.)