Al final, terminé por quedarme en casa porque hacía frío.

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Breakdown of Al final, terminé por quedarme en casa porque hacía frío.

• la casa: the house
• en: at
• porque: because

Questions & Answers about Al final, terminé por quedarme en casa porque hacía frío.

What does Al final mean here, and is it the same as finalmente or al fin?

Al final here means in the end or eventually.

In many cases, al final and finalmente can be similar, but there is a small nuance:

• al final = after considering different possibilities, this was the outcome
• finalmente = finally / eventually, often a bit more formal
• al fin = finally / at last, often with a stronger feeling of relief

So in this sentence, Al final fits well because it suggests that staying at home was the final result of the situation.

Examples:

• Al final, no fui. = In the end, I didn’t go.
• Finalmente, decidió aceptar. = Finally / In the end, he decided to accept.
• ¡Al fin llegó! = He finally arrived! / At last he arrived!

Why is it terminé por quedarme? What does terminar por + infinitive mean?

Terminar por + infinitive is a very common structure meaning:

• to end up doing something
• to finally do something after all
• sometimes to wind up doing something

So:

• terminé por quedarme en casa = I ended up staying at home

This structure often suggests that the result was not necessarily the original plan.

More examples:

• Terminó por aceptar la oferta. = He ended up accepting the offer.
• Terminaron por vender el coche. = They ended up selling the car.

Here, por is part of the expression terminar por + infinitive. You should learn it as a chunk.