How to say “I finished my homework” in Portuguese

Introduction

Learning how to say I finished my homework in Brazilian Portuguese is a small but useful step for students, parents, and language learners. This article explains common ways to express completion, differences in nuance, verb conjugations, short dialogues, and natural phrases you will hear in Brazil. By the end you will confidently say you completed homework and recognize variations in everyday speech.

Key verbs and basic sentence

The most direct verb for finish in Portuguese is terminar. To say I finished my homework you can use a simple past tense: Eu terminei a lição de casa. Here are the core elements:

Eu — I
terminei — I finished (past of terminar)
a lição de casa — the homework

So the full sentence is Eu terminei a lição de casa. This is formal and clear, appropriate for classmates, teachers, or parents.

Alternative verbs: concluir and acabar

Besides terminar, Brazilians commonly use concluir and acabar to express completion. Each verb carries a slightly different tone.

Eu concluí a lição de casa. — more formal and slightly more complete in tone, often used when the task involved several steps.

Eu acabei a lição de casa. — informal and very common in speech; literally I ended the homework, but context implies completion. Note that acabar is irregular in conversational use and appears frequently in compound forms like acabei de.

Using the perfect tense and present perfect nuance

Brazilian Portuguese uses simple past (pretérito perfeito) to report completed actions: Eu terminei. To emphasize the result right now, speakers often use Eu acabei de + infinitive.

Eu acabei de fazer a lição de casa. — I just finished doing the homework. This phrase is useful when you want to convey recent completion.

Eu já terminei a lição de casa. — I have already finished the homework. The particle já adds the nuance of already; common in both spoken and written Portuguese.

Focus on fazer for doing homework

Many Brazilians say lição de casa with verbs like fazer or terminar. Consider these natural options:

Eu fiz a lição de casa. — I did the homework. Often used even if you want to say you finished it, since doing implies completion.

Eu fiz todas as tarefas de casa. — I did all the homework tasks. Use when there were multiple assignments.

Negative and question forms

To say you did not finish homework or to ask someone if they finished, use simple modifications.

Eu não terminei a lição de casa. — I did not finish the homework. Place não before the verb for negation.

Você terminou a lição de casa? — Did you finish the homework? The pronoun você is used for you in most informal and neutral contexts in Brazil.

Vc terminou a lição? — colloquial shorthand common in messages; avoid in formal writing.

Polite and formal ways to report completion

When talking to teachers or adults, Brazilians might use full forms and polite constructions. Examples:

Sim, eu já terminei a lição de casa, professor. — Yes, I have already finished the homework, teacher.

Acabei de terminar a lição, senhor(a). — I have just finished the assignment, sir/ma’am. Use senhor or senhora for respectful address.

Casual, colloquial variations

In casual speech, Brazilians shorten and blend phrases. These are natural and useful in everyday contexts among friends and family.

Já terminei. — I already finished. Short and common when context makes lição de casa clear.

Terminei a tarefa. — I finished the task. Tarefa is another common word for assignment or homework.

Tô de boa, já fiz a lição. — I’m good, I already did the homework. Note the colloquial contraction tô (estou) used in relaxed speech.

Using pronouns and direct objects

Direct object pronouns can replace lição de casa when context is clear. In Portuguese, pronouns usually come before or after verbs depending on formality and spoken patterns.

Já terminei ela. — Common in speech but considered nonstandard by some grammarians; prefer Já a terminei or Já terminei. Most native speakers simply say Já terminei.

Eu a terminei ontem. — I finished it yesterday. This placement is more formal and occurs in writing or careful speech.

Tense and agreement: verbs you should learn

Learn the key conjugations of regular and common irregular verbs to express completion:

Terminar (regular) — eu terminei, tu terminaste, ele/ela terminou, nós terminamos, vocês terminaram, eles terminaram.

Fazer (irregular) — eu fiz, tu fizeste, ele/ela fez, nós fizemos, vocês fizeram, eles fizeram.

Acabar (regular in perfect forms) — eu acabei, tu acabaste, ele/ela acabou, nós acabamos, vocês acabaram.

Concluir (irregular) — eu concluí, tu concluíste, ele/ela concluiu, nós concluímos, vocês concluíram.

Examples with different tenses

Eu terminei a lição de manhã. — I finished the homework in the morning.

Eu vou terminar a lição depois da aula. — I will finish the homework after class. Use future to talk about planned completion.

Eu tinha terminado quando o professor pediu. — I had finished when the teacher asked. Pretérito mais-que-perfeito expresses earlier completion relative to another past action.

Short dialogues: real-life contexts

Below are short, natural dialogues showing common ways Brazilians say they finished homework. Line breaks show speaker turns.

Amigo: Você já fez a lição?
Aluno: Sim, eu já terminei.

Pai: Filho, você terminou a lição de casa?
Filho: Acabei de terminar, pai.

Professor: Quem terminou a tarefa?
Aluna: Eu terminei ontem à noite.

Text message and spoken shortcuts

In texting, native Brazilians use abbreviations and omit pronouns. In speech, contractions and fillers appear.

Mensagem: terminei a lição 🙂 — I finished the homework 🙂
Fala coloquial: Terminei, tá tudo certo. — I finished, everything is fine.

Usage notes and common mistakes

Mixing up fazer and terminar is usually acceptable, but be mindful of context. Fazer focuses on the action of doing; terminar emphasizes the action is complete. Many learners overuse literal translations from English; avoid saying Eu acabei minha lição in English-like order — Portuguese prefers articles: Eu terminei a lição de casa, not Eu terminei minha lição de casa excessively, though the latter is acceptable when stressing possession.

Another common error is failing to conjugate verbs correctly. Practice the first person past forms: eu terminei, eu fiz, eu conclui, eu acabei. Also remember that Eu terminei a lição de casa is more natural than Eu terminei a minha lição de casa unless you intend to emphasize my homework specifically.

Regional and register differences

Brazil is large and speech varies. In some regions, speakers may favor certain verbs. Children often say Fiz a lição. Teenagers may say Já terminei or Tô de boa, já fiz. Formal learners should stay with Eu terminei a lição de casa for clarity with teachers and adults.

Pronunciation tips

Pronunciation affects understanding. Key points:

Terminei — stress on the last syllable: ter-mi-NEI. The r is soft in many regions (like the English d in butter for some accents), but in others it is more guttural.

Lição de casa — li-ÇÃO de CA-sa. The ção sound is like sown in English but nasalized. Casa is pronounced KA-za, with the s sounding like z between vowels.

Acabei — a-ca-BE I. The final i sound is short; many speakers reduce it in quick speech.

Connecting speech and natural rhythm

Brazilians often link words together. Eu terminei a lição becomes eu-terminéi-a-lição in fluid speech. Listening to native content like short videos or teacher explanations will help you match rhythm and intonation.

Practical phrases to memorize

Short, useful phrases to use immediately:

Eu terminei a lição de casa.
Eu fiz a lição de casa.
Eu já terminei.
Eu acabei de fazer a lição.
Eu não terminei ainda.
Você terminou a lição?

These will cover most classroom and home situations and are worth practicing aloud for pronunciation and confidence.

How to respond when someone asks

If someone asks whether you finished, reply naturally:

Sim, já terminei. — Yes, I already finished.
Ainda não, preciso de mais tempo. — Not yet, I need more time.
Terminei agora há pouco. — I finished just a little while ago.

Conclusion

Mastering how to say I finished my homework in Brazilian Portuguese is straightforward once you know the main verbs: terminar, fazer, acabar, and concluir. Use Eu terminei a lição de casa for clear, correct statements, Eu acabei de fazer a lição for recent completion, and Eu fiz a lição to express you did the work. Practice conjugations, listen to native speakers, and try the short dialogues to build natural fluency.