To Finish Something
To End Something
transitive verb, ichidan verb
This word consists of kanji with hiragana attached. Because the hiragana ends with an う sound, you know this word is a verb. The kanji itself means finish, so the verb version is to finish something or to end something.
This is a transitive verb, meaning you finish something, like a long day at work!
You need to differentiate this from 終わる, which is when something just ends on its own. 終える is about when you make something end. Remember it like this: Canadians always end their sentences with "eh" え, right? Well that's how you know they're ending their sentence. Just listen for the "eh," eh?
Since this word has okurigana (hiragana attached to the kanji) you know that it's probably going to be the kun'yomi reading, which you didn't learn with the kanji. Here's a mnemonic to help you:
You finally finished your school project. "Oh, A!" (おえ) you say to yourself, as though you can grade your own project.
五時には仕事を終えて会社を出たい。
I want to finish work and leave the office by five.
王女はケーキを食べ終えるとすぐに、お茶を飲んだ。
As soon as the princess finished the cake, she had some tea.
ほとんどの魚は水中で一生を終える。
Most fish spend their entire life in water.