SHARE
COPY LINK

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY

Spanish Words of the Day: Se acabó

Expect to hear these two Spanish words plenty as they are very much on trend currently. 

se acabó spanish spain
A protestor holds a sign reading 'It's over' ('Se acabó') during a demonstration called by feminist associations in support to Spain's midfielder Jenni Hermoso, on Callao square in Madrid on August 28, 2023.(Photo by OSCAR DEL POZO / AFP)

Se acabó means ‘it’s finished’ in Spanish, ‘it’s over’. 

Acabarse is the infinitive form of this reflexive verb, ‘to end’ in English. 

As acabó has an accent on the ‘o’, that’s where the emphasis goes, so you have to pronounce it se acaBÓ.

You can use se acabó to say that something has ended, from a relationship to a film, but also when you’re angry about or fed up with something and want to say ‘Enough!’, ‘That’s it!’ or ‘That’s enough!’. 

Another way to express that lack of patience for something or someone in Spanish is to say ¡Basta! or ¡Basta ya!.

Se acabó has become the slogan of the social uproar in Spain over the non consensual kiss on the lips Spain’s football federation head Luis Rubiales gave player Jenni Hermoso after her team won the Women’s World Cup. 

#Seacabó is now a popular hashtag and many see it as the continuation of the #MeToo movement, so you can expect to hear these two words a lot in the weeks to come in Spain. 

There’s also the Spanish expression se acabó lo que se daba, which is a bit like saying ‘end of’ or ‘end of story’.

Examples:

¡Ya está! ¡Se acabó! Castigado sin tele hasta que hagas los deberes.

That’s it! Enough! No TV until you do your homework.

Se acabó! Me tienes harta y ya no quiero estar contigo.

That’s enough! I’ve had enough of you and I don’t want to be with you anymore.

¿Ya no queda pan? – No, se acabó.

Isn’t there any bread left? No, it’s finished. 

El sexismo y abuso de poder en el fútbol femenino se acabó, hay que echar a Rubiales.

Sexism and abuse of power in women’s football is over, Rubiales has to be sacked.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY

Spanish Words of the Day: Top Manta

If you've spent time in any major Spanish city or tourist spot, you'll have no doubt seen 'top manta' happening.

Spanish Words of the Day: Top Manta

Top manta is a Spanish expression used to refer to the illegal sale of fake and counterfeit goods on bedsheets and blankets in the street.

Known as manteros in Spanish, these street hawkers are usually from sub-Saharan African countries, and they sell fake and copied products such as CDs, DVDs and phone cases, as well as imitation clothes (often football shirts), handbags, watches and shoes.

Selling in this way is illegal in Spain, and the idea behind using bedsheets is that they can quickly wrap up their stuff in a sack (there’s often a string attached) and disappear whenever the police pass through the area.

The phrase is pretty simple: manta means bedsheet, blanket, or throw. Top is the English adjective (as in best), used to refer to the supposed quality of the goods on sale.

Many manteros are undocumented migrants, so street selling is often the only form of income they can find in Spain.

However, that hasn’t stopped a group of migrants in Barcelona forming a clothing collective and launching their own clothing brand ‘Top Manta’ that sells its own brand of shoes with the slogan: ‘True clothes for a fake system.’

READ ALSO: In Spain, migrant-designed trainers kick against system

Top manta is illegal but still a common sight in Spanish city centres. (Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP)

Though top manta sellers are a familiar sight on streets around Spain, manteros have gained traction in the Spanish media in recent years.

Amadou Diouf, a Senegalese mantero, told El Diario that “a person who dedicates himself to top manta does so because the law on foreigners forces him to do so”, despite the fact that one “arrives in Spain with a desire to work and integrate into society.”

READ ALSO: Spain to debate blanket legalisation of its 500,000 undocumented migrants

If the laws were changed, Diouf said, manteros “would dedicate themselves to their own trade”, and he stressed that he and many others were not street sellers in Senegal or their home countries, but started to do so in Spain because they had no other option.

Top Manta used in the Spanish press.

Some years ago a top manta seller who goes by Lory Money went viral on Spanish social media for his song in which he talks about ‘doing a Santa Claus’ (hago el santa claus) referring to the way street sellers quickly turn their manta into a sack, like Santa Claus, before running away.

Examples of top manta in speech

Aunque el top manta sea ilegal, los que lo dedican a ello lo hacen para sobrevivir (Even though street hawking is illegal, the guys who do it for a living need it to survive).

Creo que la policía ha pillado a algunos de los manteros, (I think they caught some of the street vendors).

SHOW COMMENTS