終わる vs. 終了する: Everyday Japanese and Formal Japanese

Introduction

The Japanese words 終わる and 終了する both express the idea that something comes to an end.

For example, both of the following sentences can describe the end of a class:

授業が終わりました。
The class ended.

授業が終了しました。
The class has concluded.

The basic meaning is similar, but the tone and the situations in which the two words are used are different.

終わる is the natural, everyday choice used in ordinary conversations. 終了する sounds more formal and objective, so it frequently appears in announcements, business communication, official notices, and computer-related instructions.

Understanding this difference will help you sound more natural and choose the correct answer in JLPT vocabulary and reading questions.

The Main Difference

終わる (owaru / to end) is a common everyday word used when an activity, period, event, or situation comes to an end.

終了する (shūryō suru / to conclude or terminate) is a more formal expression used when an organized activity, service, operation, or officially scheduled period ends.

A simple way to remember the difference is:

• Use 終わる in ordinary conversation.
• Use 終了する in formal announcements, business situations, and system messages.

This basic rule will help you choose naturally in most situations.

Understanding 終わる

終わる means that something that was continuing is no longer continuing.

It is a very flexible word and can be used with work, classes, homework, movies, seasons, relationships, discussions, and many other things.

Common combinations include:

• 仕事が終わる
  Work ends.

• 授業が終わる
  Class ends.

• 宿題が終わる
  Homework is finished.

• 夏が終わる
  Summer ends.

• 話が終わる
  The conversation or story ends.

終わる normally presents the end of something in a direct and natural way. It does not sound particularly formal or technical.

Because of this, it is one of the most common words used in everyday Japanese.

Understanding 終了する

終了する also means that something comes to an end, but it has a more formal, official, or objective tone.

It is commonly used for things with a clearly defined beginning and ending, such as meetings, events, registration periods, services, broadcasts, computer programs, and business operations.

Common combinations include:

• 会議が終了する
  The meeting concludes.

• 受付が終了する
  Registration or reception closes.

• イベントが終了する
  The event concludes.

• サービスが終了する
  The service is discontinued.

• システムを終了する
  To close or shut down the system.

終了する focuses less on the speaker’s personal feelings and more on the official status of an activity or process.

Differences in Usage

Everyday Conversations

In conversations with friends, family members, and classmates, 終わる is usually the natural choice.

アルバイトは何時に終わるの？
What time does your part-time job finish?

宿題はもう終わった？
Have you finished your homework yet?

映画が終わったら、ご飯を食べよう。
Let’s eat after the movie ends.

Using 終了する in these situations is not necessarily grammatically wrong, but it can sound unnecessarily stiff.

For example:

宿題はもう終了しましたか。
Has your homework already been completed?

This sounds as though a teacher, supervisor, or administrator is formally checking the completion status.

In ordinary conversation, the following is much more natural:

宿題はもう終わった？
Have you finished your homework yet?

Announcements and Official Notices

終了する is common in announcements made by stores, companies, stations, event organizers, and public facilities.

本日の受付は終了しました。
Registration for today has closed.

まもなくイベントを終了します。
The event will conclude shortly.

このサービスは三月末で終了します。
This service will end at the end of March.

Because these sentences communicate official information to many people, the formal tone of 終了する is appropriate.

Business Situations

Both words are used in business, depending on the situation.

In an ordinary conversation between coworkers, 終わる sounds natural:

この作業は今日中に終わります。
This task will be finished today.

In a meeting announcement, official report, or customer notice, 終了する is more common:

以上をもちまして、本日の会議を終了します。
This concludes today’s meeting.

キャンペーンは八月三十一日に終了します。
The campaign will end on August 31.

Even within the same company, the appropriate word changes according to the audience and the level of formality.

JLPT Reading Passages

JLPT reading questions often include notices from stores, public facilities, companies, and event organizers.

In these passages, you may see expressions such as:

• 受付終了
  Registration closed

• 販売終了
  End of sales or discontinued

• サービス終了
  End of service

• 応募終了
  Applications closed

In conversations, personal messages, and diary-style passages, 終わる is generally more common:

仕事が終わる
Work ends.

授業が終わる
Class ends.

夏休みが終わる
Summer vacation ends.

Recognizing the type of passage can help you choose the correct word.

Example Sentences with 終わる

Example 1

授業は午後三時に終わります。
The class ends at 3:00 p.m.

This is a normal, everyday way to state when the class finishes. It sounds natural in conversations between students.

Example 2

宿題が終わったら、ゲームをしてもいいです。
You may play games after you finish your homework.

The sentence describes an ordinary daily activity, so 終わる is the natural choice.

Example 3

長かった冬がようやく終わりました。
The long winter has finally ended.

終わる can be used for seasons and periods of time. 終了する would sound too formal in this sentence.

Example 4

二人の話し合いは、何の結論も出ないまま終わりました。
Their discussion ended without reaching any conclusion.

The discussion stopped, even though the participants did not reach a result. 終わる simply describes the fact that it came to an end.

Example 5

仕事が終わったら、駅前で会いましょう。
Let’s meet in front of the station after work.

This is a very common conversational pattern. The speaker is talking naturally about what will happen after work.

Example Sentences with 終了する

Example 1

本日の受付は午後五時に終了します。
Today’s registration closes at 5:00 p.m.

This is a formal announcement from a facility, store, or organization. 終了する gives it an official tone.

Example 2

このサービスは九月三十日をもって終了します。
This service will end on September 30.

The provider is formally informing users that the service will no longer be available.

The pattern 日付をもって終了する is frequently used in official announcements.

Example 3

以上で、本日の会議を終了します。
This concludes today’s meeting.

The chairperson or presenter is intentionally bringing the meeting to an end.

Unlike 終わる, 終了する can be used transitively in the form 名詞を終了する.

Example 4

作業が終了すると、画面にメッセージが表示されます。
When the operation is complete, a message will appear on the screen.

終了する is often used in computer manuals and technical instructions because it sounds objective and precise.

Example 5

予定されていたすべての試合が終了しました。
All the scheduled matches have concluded.

This sounds like an official report, news announcement, or tournament update.

Common Mistakes

Using 終了する Too Often in Everyday Conversation

Learners sometimes use 終了する whenever they want to say “finish” because it sounds precise.

However, it can be too formal for ordinary actions.

Unnatural in everyday conversation:

ご飯を食べるのが終了したら、電話します。
I will call after the act of eating has concluded.

Natural:

ご飯を食べ終わったら、電話します。
I will call after I finish eating.

Another natural option is:

食事が終わったら、電話します。
I will call after the meal is over.

For personal, everyday actions, 終わる or the verb pattern ます-stem plus 終わる is usually more natural.

Examples include:

• 食べ終わる
  Finish eating

• 読み終わる
  Finish reading

• 書き終わる
  Finish writing

Confusing 終わる and 終える

終わる is primarily an intransitive verb. It describes something coming to an end.

会議が終わります。
The meeting will end.

終える is a transitive verb. It describes someone intentionally finishing something.

会議を終えます。
We will finish the meeting.

終了する can be used in both patterns, depending on the context:

会議が終了します。
The meeting will conclude.

会議を終了します。
We will conclude the meeting.

This difference is especially important in grammar and vocabulary questions.

Using 終了する for Natural Changes

終了する is not equally natural with every noun.

For example:

夏が終了しました。
Summer has officially terminated.

This sounds overly technical or humorous in normal conversation.

The natural sentence is:

夏が終わりました。
Summer has ended.

終わる is normally used for seasons, relationships, dreams, eras, and other changes that are not managed like official programs.

Examples include:

恋が終わる。
A romantic relationship ends.

一つの時代が終わる。
An era comes to an end.

長い戦争が終わる。
A long war ends.

In contrast, 終了する works well for organized events, controlled periods, and official services:

大会が終了する。
The tournament concludes.

任期が終了する。
The term of office expires.

契約期間が終了する。
The contract period ends.

How to Choose on the JLPT

When you are unsure whether to choose 終わる or 終了する, check the following points.

1. Is the Context Casual or Official?

Choose 終わる when the sentence describes an everyday conversation, personal schedule, diary entry, or ordinary activity.

授業が終わったら帰ります。
I will go home after class ends.

仕事がなかなか終わりません。
My work is taking a long time to finish.

宿題が終わるまでテレビを見ません。
I will not watch television until I finish my homework.

Choose 終了する when the sentence appears in a formal notice, business announcement, news report, or instruction manual.

受付は午後四時に終了します。
Registration closes at 4:00 p.m.

商品の販売を終了します。
We will discontinue sales of the product.

処理が終了するまでお待ちください。
Please wait until the process is complete.

2. Is the Ending Officially Scheduled or Controlled?

終了する is commonly used when the ending time is officially decided or managed.

This includes:

• Registration periods
• Campaigns
• Examinations
• Events
• Services
• Computer processes
• Contracts
• Business operations

For example:

参加の申し込みは、定員に達した時点で終了します。
Applications will close when the maximum number of participants is reached.

Because this is an official notice with a defined condition, 終了する is the more appropriate choice.

3. Check the Particle

終わる is commonly used in the pattern 名詞が終わる.

試験が終わる。
The examination ends.

夏休みが終わる。
Summer vacation ends.

会議が終わる。
The meeting ends.

終了する can appear in both 名詞が終了する and 名詞を終了する.

試験が終了する。
The examination concludes.

受付が終了する。
Registration closes.

会議を終了する。
To conclude the meeting.

システムを終了する。
To close the system.

When answering a JLPT question, do not look only at the meaning of the word. Check the particle immediately before it.

Summary

終わる and 終了する both express the end of something, but they differ in tone and usage.

• 終わる is the natural everyday word.
• 終了する is more formal, official, and objective.
• Use 終わる in ordinary conversations and personal situations.
• Use 終了する in announcements, business writing, services, and computer-related contexts.
• Check whether the sentence uses が or を.
• Consider whether the ending is natural or officially controlled.

Learning dictionary definitions is not always enough to master similar Japanese words. You also need to see how each word is used in realistic sentences and situations.

At RJT: Rapid Japanese Training, you can practice JLPT vocabulary and grammar through multiple-choice questions designed to test these subtle differences.

Build the ability to choose the most natural expression and turn “I understand the meaning, but I cannot choose the answer” into confidence.