окончи́ть vs зако́нчить

okonchit vs zakonchit — complete/graduate vs finish

What it really means

Окончи́ть is a perfective, somewhat formal verb meaning to complete a course of study or graduate from an educational institution. It can also mean bring something to completion, but in modern ordinary conversation the education sense is especially prominent: окончить университет. The related imperfective is ока́нчивать, though заканчивать is much more common in everyday speech.

Зако́нчить is the broad everyday perfective verb “finish” or “complete.” It works with tasks, conversations, books, lessons, work, and institutions: закончить проект or закончить школу. For graduation, both verbs may occur, but окончить sounds more formal and emphasizes completing the institution, while закончить is neutral and more frequent.

Examples in natural speech

Она окончи́ла медицинский институт.
She graduated from medical school.
Он окончи́л курс с отличием.
He completed the course with distinction.
Я зако́нчил отчёт вчера.
I finished the report yesterday.
Мы зако́нчили разговор поздно ночью.
We finished the conversation late at night.
Моя сестра зако́нчила школу в прошлом году.
My sister finished school last year.

Common mistakes

Do not treat окончить as the neutral everyday replacement for every instance of “finish”; it is most natural with education and sounds formal elsewhere. Закончить is the normal choice for a completed task or activity and is also acceptable for finishing school or university. Do not confuse perfective окончи́ть with imperfective ока́нчивать.

Memory tip

For ordinary finishing, use зако́нчить; for a formal statement of completing an institution or course, окончи́ть is a good fit.

Frequently asked questions

Can зако́нчить mean graduate?

Yes: закончить университет or школу is neutral and common for completing an institution.

Is окончи́ть formal?

It is somewhat formal or bookish, especially outside educational contexts.

What is the imperfective of окончи́ть?

Окан́чивать is its imperfective counterpart, though заканчивать is more common in everyday speech.

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