Thread: 'заканчиваю работать в пять вечера'.. is заканчивать an 'auxillary' verb here?

I'd expect 'работу' not 'работать' here; granted, I know nothing!
Is 'заканчивать' working like 'мочь' in 'может быть'?
I have looked this verb up in my dictionary, and grammar books, but it's not explained in this context.

"работу" is ok too.
It's very like "start work" (начать работу) vs "start to work"/"start working" (начать работать).

Okay, that makes sense, thanks Alex.

Nope, there is a distinct differance between "заканчивать работу" and "заканчивать работать".

Imagine you come and see your friend working. You want your friend to go with you and you say:

- Заканчивай работать и пошли со мной. Here you mean stop the proccess of working and come with me.

Your friend replies:

- Сейчас не могу, мне нужно закончить работу. Here he means that he can't go with you now, because he needs to finish the work he's been doing.

In short, when you say закончить работать, you mean to stop the proccess of working
When you say, закончить работу, you mean to finish the specific task you've been working on.

Originally Posted by iCake

...
In short, when you say закончить работать, you mean to stop the proccess of working
When you say, закончить работу, you mean to finish the specific task you've been working on.

Yes. But there is nothing wrong in phrase "я заканчиваю работу в пять вечера", because this "specific task" can be process of working itself. "(My job is to sell goods and) I will stop doing it at 5:00". It is absolutely ok.

Never said it wasn't. I just wanted to point out how different those two can be.

Thanks both, I think I understand that one could say "заканчивать работу" for "To finish work" OR "заканчивать работать" for "To finish working". And "закончить работу" and "закончить работать" for "will finish work/ will finish working.

This is quite new to me, so I may not have that right.

Originally Posted by grafrich

And "закончить работу" and "закончить работать" for "will finish work/ will finish working.

No.
Заканчивать is "continuos" form. Закончить is "perfect" form. Past/present/future are regulated by endings and surrounding words.
"Я закончил..." - "I had/have finished..." (past/present is defined by surrounding words like "сейчас", "вчера" or context. You may think as if in russian "past-perfect form" includes moment ago)
"Я закончу" - "I will finish"
"Я заканчивал" - "I was finishing..."
"Я заканчиваю" - "I am finishing/I will finish" (present/future via "сейчас", "завтра" or context)
"Я буду заканчивать" - "I will be finishing (??? not sure if it is corrrect)

I didn't express that very well; using the infinitive form of the verbs didn't help. What I ought to have said was that I think maybe it can be expressed as

"Я заканчиваю работу.." - "I am finishing work"
"Я заканчиваю работать.." - "I am finishing working" (maybe finishing working on/as something)
"Я закончу работу.." - "I will finish work"
"Я закончу работать.." - "I will finish working"

My point was that "работу" is the noun 'work' in English, and "работать" after another verb would be "working"; which would (I think) count as a verbal noun in English.

"Я буду заканчивать" - "I will be finishing" -yes, I think this correct, it's certainly good English.

"Я заканчиваю" - "I am finishing/I will finish" (present/future via "сейчас", "завтра" or context) - This is interesting; could one say "Я заканчиваю работать/работу завтра" to mean "I will finish working/work tomorrow"?
From what I have learned so far, I would want to say "Я буду заканчивать работать/работу завтра", or "Я закончу работать/работу завтра".

Originally Posted by grafrich

I didn't express that very well; using the infinitive form of the verbs didn't help. What I ought to have said was that I think maybe it can be expressed as
1. My point was that "работу" is the noun 'work' in English, and "работать" after another verb would be "working"; which would (I think) count as a verbal noun in English.

2. This is interesting; could one say "Я заканчиваю работать/работу завтра" to mean "I will finish working/work tomorrow"?

1. In russian it is clear verb. Just verb-after-verb. Like "start to work".
2. Yes. But it is hard for me to say exact rule...

Ok, I think maybe I understand it.

As for rules, I wouldn't usuallyknow what rules I construct English sentences by either.