At the End vs. In the End in Portuguese: No Final or No Fim?
No fim can name the end of a time or place; no fim das contas often means ‘in the end’ or ‘when all is said and done.’
Real Life Portuguese · 4 min read · Updated October 15, 2026
The short answer
No fim de points to the end of a timeline, route, or sequence. It is often followed by a noun such as semana, rua, or reunião.
Use no fim for the end of a period or place
A gente conversa no fim da semana.
We’ll talk at the end of the week.
O banheiro fica no fim do corredor.
The bathroom is at the end of the hallway.
Use no final for a concluding part
No final commonly refers to the final part of a film, book, event, or process. It can overlap with no fim, but often points to the closing section rather than a result reached after events.
A resposta aparece no final do vídeo.
The answer appears at the end of the video.
No final da reunião, revisamos as tarefas.
At the end of the meeting, we reviewed the tasks.
Use no fim das contas for the outcome
No fim das contas is an idiom meaning ‘in the end,’ ‘after all,’ or ‘when all is said and done.’ It summarizes the result after considering the situation.
No fim das contas, foi uma boa decisão.
In the end, it was a good decision.
A viagem deu trabalho, mas no fim das contas valeu a pena.
The trip was a lot of work, but in the end it was worth it.
Put it into practice
Use no fim or no final for an endpoint and no fim das contas to summarize the final outcome.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “We’ll talk at the end of the week”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
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