Thread: finish and finish up

I have to translate this phrase: Давайте завершим наш разговор.

And i have to use the word 'finish'; which variant is grammatically correct?

1. Let's finish this discussion. or
2. Let's finish up this discussion.

And, please, can someone shed light on the meanings of 'finish up' as a phrasal verb.
Thanks for your help.)))

finish up - definition of finish up by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.
насколько я понимаю finish это окончить или закончить
finish up это "совершенно завершить", "наконец-то завершить" или "наконец-то достигнуть"
первый вариант означает факт что дискуссия завершается или должна быть завершена в ближайшее время, в не зависимости от результата
второй вариант это призыв завершить дискуссию и достигнуть некоего результата
IMHO

I don't know the sentence in Russian, but "finish up" is not quite right when talking about a conversation.
"Finish up" is more like "complete" or "do the last bit"

Here is how it's used:

-Have you finished up in there?
-Yes it's completely finished now. Let's start cleaning out the next room.

-He's just finishing up in the garage. He'll come in for dinner in five minutes.
(the person has been doing something in the garage and is just about to finish and leave).

This is a minor detail in native level English. It does not matter if you do not know this, there is practically no difference between saying "finish up "and "finish". If you are not sure how to use "finish up" then there is no particular reason to use it.

And what about "to finish off"? Google translates it as "прикончить", which is actually "to kill".

It means "to end" something so there is nothing left.

Did you finish off the entire roasted pig? You must be so full!

(they ate an entire roasted pig (Christmas food....) and left nothing)

Let's finish off this pie, have another piece! I have no space in the fridge for it...

The mafia finished him off.... (the mafia killed him)

Once again, there is little I can add to Hanna's high-quality explanation, apart from this:

Did you finish off the entire roasted pig? You must be so full!
Let's finish off this pie, have another piece!

This example is 100% correct. But to be absolutely clear about it, note that in general, we wouldn't say "Finish off your piece of the roasted pig" or "Finish off your slice of pie".

However, we might say "Finish up your piece of pie [or pig, or turkey, or cake, etc.], so that we can finish off the whole pie [or pig, turkey, cake, etc.]."

So there is a slight usage difference between "finish up" and "finish off", in the context of eating food. But in both cases, you can omit the preposition "up" or "off" from the phrasal verb, and just say "finish" -- it doesn't really change the meaning.

On the other hand, if the meaning is "to kill", you should only say "finish (someone) off" -- "finish (someone) up" is impossible, and "finish (someone)" is possible as an imperative ("Finish him!" = "Kill him!"), but "Finish him off!" sounds more natural and colloquial.

P.S. One point on which I disagree with Hanna: "Let's finish up this discussion" is totally okay, and it means exactly the same thing as "Let's finish this discussion." The difference here is one of euphony -- i.e., which one "sounds more attractive"? -- and of course, that's very subjective. Some people would say that using "up" improves the rhythm of the sentence, and makes the sentence flow more easily from the lips; others would disagree. But either way, it's a question of aesthetics, not grammar.

Originally Posted by Throbert McGee

P.S. One point on which I disagree with Hanna: "Let's finish up this discussion" is totally okay, and it means exactly the same thing as "Let's finish this discussion." The difference here is one of euphony -- i.e., which one "sounds more attractive"? -- and of course, that's very subjective. Some people would say that using "up" improves the rhythm of the sentence, and makes the sentence flow more easily from the lips; others would disagree. But either way, it's a question of aesthetics, not grammar.

Am I totally wrong with my understanding of the differences?

Throbert, thanks for the great explanation. 

Here is the link from OALD (i think this is a very good dictionary): finish - Definition and pronunciation | Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com