Ending Up Doing Something
When a project takes much longer than expected, gets complicated, or involves a lot of hesitation, you can express the final outcome—what you "ended up" doing—using the verb acabar.
There are two common ways to build this structure. The first is acabar followed by a gerund (the -ando or -iendo form).
| The renovation got complicated and the grandfather ended up breaking a tile. | La reforma se complicó y el abuelo acabó rompiendo un azulejo. |
| My girlfriend started to follow the tutorial, but it ended up being frustrating. | Mi novia se puso a seguir el tutorial, pero acabó siendo frustrante. |
| That man bought a paint roller, but he ended up applying the plaster with his hands. | Aquel hombre compró un rodillo, pero acabó aplicando el yeso con las manos. |
Using "acabar por"
You can also express the exact same idea using acabar por followed by an infinitive. This is especially common when someone finally gives in and takes a specific action after trying other options.
| At first my mother tried to fix the pipe, but she ended up calling a professional. | Al principio mi madre intentó arreglar la tubería, pero acabó por llamar a un profesional. |
| We were going to change the tiles, but we ended up breaking the pipe. | Íbamos a cambiar los azulejos, pero acabamos por romper la tubería. |
Whether you use the gerund or por + infinitive, both structures are perfect for describing those ambitious do-it-yourself projects that turn into an infuriating botched job (una chapuza desesperante).
| The piece of furniture broke on them and the result ended up being an infuriating botched job. | Se les rompió el mueble y el resultado acabó por ser una chapuza desesperante. |
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