# "to be done" versus "to be finished" - I'm done, I'm finished



## Antonio

Hi Group,

What does it mean this expression with the word done. Here are some examples:

"All right, that's it, I'm done with this job/partnership/project/relationship"
"After I learn English, I'm done" means it's over or what?
"Jimmy, You're done"
Jimmy, We're done"
"It's just not done"
"he's done in after working all night"

And another thing, "Well done" is not common to say in spoken English, right?, you say things like "Good Job", "Perfect" "Way to go", etc.


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## BeeDee

Hello Antonio,

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/results.asp?dict=CALD

Have a look at this link, it will give you a good idea how the verb "do" can be used. Place your cursor over any of the words/phrases and click on it for definitions.

As for your examples, here are some explanations (hope they help):

"All right, that's it, I'm done with this job/partnership/project/relationship"
-->  I've had it with .... ! (i.e. giving up/fed up)

"After I learn English, I'm done" means it's over or what?
--> something like that. Or, I'll do no more / that's enough.

"Jimmy, You're done"
--> sentence doesn't seem complete. Normally one would say "you're done with this job" ; basically means "you're finished."

Jimmy, We're done"
--> similar to above.

"It's just not done"
--> aaah, the classic phrase that means it's an improper or impolite thing to do (refers to social situations, usually). For example, picking one's nose in public is "just not done." (at least in North America).

"he's done in after working all night"
--> exhausted / too tired to do anything else

As for "well done", yes, it's used in English as praise.

Good luck!


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## Sharon

Well done, BeeDee !!   

I just would like to add that the expression "done" is also used in a bar to signify that someone is "cut off," they will receive no more alcohol for the evening. I work part-time in a bar, and the "Jimmy, you're done" expression is very familiar to me!!  It can also be used when talking about someone who is very drunk, if someone says, "Boy, he's drunk!" then you can say, "Oh yes, he's done."


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## Antonio

Now can you give me another example of the word "done" using the context "exhausted" and "very drunk", please.


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## VenusEnvy

Exhausted:
"I just ran a marathon. I am *done*!" *
"I just ran a marathon. I am spent!" (another way to say it)

Finished:
"I just ran a marathon. I am *done*!" *
"I am *done * with my dinner. I don't want to eat anymore."

Drunk:
"After having only 3 beers last night, I was *done*!"
"Jimmy, you've already had 3 shots. You are *done*!"

* This sentence can have a double meaning.


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## Antonio

But in the drunk context means drunk or very drunk?


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## Sharon

*Jeez,* Antonio, how do ya do it?

I will cover the examples for very drunk, as they are *very* familiar to me. These examples are very close to a conversation I have had too many times!

"James, you have three cigarettes burning, so I think you are done."
"No, James, you may not have another beer, you are done."
"Give me your keys, and I will call you a taxi/cab, because you are done."
"No, you may not have another beer, I told you that you are done."
"Sharon, James is practicing his Kung Fu moves in front of the jukebox, again. He's done drinking, isn't he?"
"Yes, Mike, there is a taxi on the way, and I've told him he's done...What, James?  No, you may not have a shot, I am done with you."


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## VenusEnvy

Sharon: LOL        Educational, AND amusing!


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## VenusEnvy

Antonio said:
			
		

> But in the drunk context means drunk or very drunk?



It means that you are drunk to the point that you need to stop!
(Yes, very drunk)


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## Antonio

Sharon,

I'm not sure what you mean when you say this sentences:

"James, you have three cigarettes burning, so I think you are done."

You're done when you smoke, I don't get it?

"Sharon, James is practicing his Kung Fu moves in front of the jukebox, again. He's done drinking, isn't he?"

In this context you mean he quit drinking, right?


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## jacinta

I have to laugh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Antonio, have you ever seen a sober person smoke three cigarettes at one time????  What Sharon is TRYING to say is that the person is so drunk he doesn't know that he already has a cigarette lit.  He keeps lighting more.  The bartender says to him, "James, you're done (drinking)."
And then James is doing Kung Fu (I love these examples) in front of the jukebox.
This is a hard concept to get, but it means he has had enough to drink and he has to stop.  He's done.  It's just an expression.  It means "You've had enough to drink.  You need to stop."


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## Sharon

Hee,hee,hee !!

VenusEnvy and Jacinta, thank you, glad it amused you. They say truth is funnier than fiction...or something like that.  (Poor James, I've seen that man use a barstool as a walker !)

Antonio, hope it helped.


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## Antonio

Thanks Sharon, just only one last question here:

"Jimmy you're done" in a non-drinking context, means you're finished or you're fired, right?


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## David

To be done or to be through are both ways of saying to be finished. Example of the differences between US and British speech:

US: Are you through (or done) with your cereal?
British: Have you finished your porridge?

Otra expresión: What´s done is done. Palo dado ni Dios lo quita.


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## Antonio

So, "You're done" means you're finished, right? So, I assume that fired doesn't apply for the context and is not right, right?

"What's done is done" what does it mean that phrase?


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## Sharon

I suppose it *could* be used to say that a person is fired. "Your employment with our company is done." "Your days as a member of this staff are done." I really would hope that an employer would find a better way to say it, and they probably would - "You're fired"   kind of says it all.

"What's done is done"  It more or less means that once something is done, there is no going back. It sort of is a way of shrugging off something that happened, that you wish would not have happened, but oh well, it's done and you can't take it back.
A lot of times, when something bad happens, people sit and think..."What if I had done that differently?" People will drive themselves crazy with those "What ifs"   People use the phrase  "What's done is done" as a way of saying, "I can't change it, I might as well get over it.'


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## Antonio

So, "You're done" means you're finished too, right?


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## Antonio

Is very confusing this word, if you don't pay attention to it, when I received this week a package, their is a company slogan that goes like this "Amazon, and you're done" what does it mean in this context?


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## jacinta

This means you go to your computer, click to Amazon, buy what you need and they send it to you.  You're done. You're finished with your shopping.  Easy.


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## Sharon

Antonio, you spend a lot of time learning how the language is spoken, and I commend you for it. You don't just want to know what it means, you want to know how it *feels*. (As an example of "feeling" a language; angry is not quite mad, irked, peeved, irate, furious, and so on.) You want to make sure you will be understood. You are persistent in wanting to learn. That's great!! 
You also have to spend a little bit of time learning the grammar. Vocabulary is useful, but you have to put it together.  You are not only learning to speak it, here in this forum you are learning to write it. With that in mind, I would like to help you with your last sentence: 


> Is very confusing this word, if you don't pay attention to it, when I received this week a package, their is a company slogan that goes like this "Amazon, and you're done" what does it mean in this context?


You have to start using "it." "*It* is very confusing."  So you would say, "It is very confusing, this word, if you don't pay attention to it." Then, you are changing the subject a bit, so you start a new sentence. "When I received..." (Now you have to say what is being received, then you can say when.) So now it is "When I received a package this week, *there* is a company slogan that goes like this "Amazon, and you're done."  You have to say "there" instead of "their" (A lot of people confuse the two, but just remember; "There is like here, only it's farther away, and there is no 'I' in here!" ) Now, since you are starting a new question, you have to capitalize the next sentence to ask, "What does it mean in this context?"

"It is very confusing, this word, if you don't pay attention to it. When I received a package this week, there is a company slogan that goes like this, "Amazon, and you're done." What does it mean in this context?"

That makes much more sense, but it still is not perfect. (Sorry to jump in with a grammar lesson when you didn't ask for one, but it will help you to be understood in this forum.)


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## Antonio

Thanks Sharon, to tell you the truth my weakness is grammar. I don't pay too much attention to it, but I know that is important for everything, but as I was saying previously in this forum, sometimes and take it as a fact, I'm kind of messy when I type. 

By the way, on the same page, you still haven't answer my questions what does it mean *"Amazon, and you're done"* for me it means in this context *"Amazon, and you're satisfy or satisfaction"* or something like that, I can think or another word. And another thing, and *so on * means etc, right?


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## Sharon

I know just how you feel, I've been trying to learn Spanish and *my* weakness is grammar. I spend a bit of time just reading in the Spanish/English forum, trying to help myself learn it. My suggestion to you would be that you read all of our answers twice, once for the meaning, and once to learn grammar, structure, and punctuation. It will slow you down a little, but it will help you in the end. (Speaking of slowing down a little, type a little slower!!  )
I agree with Jacinta's answer to what Amazon is saying. We have a concept of "One-stop shopping," and this basically means that everything you might ever want or need is in one place, so you can just go there, and be done with it (shopping.) I think Amazon is saying, (very loosely translated,) "We've got books, movies, CDs, one-stop, and you're done."
Don't forget the "and" when you use "and so on," but yes, it means etc.


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## Antonio

Sharon,

If you have a problem trying to understand some words or phrases, please let me know, how I can help you.


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## Sharon

I haven't even begun with idiomatic expressions, yet!! My problem is making the verb mean what I want it to say !!  Subjunctive, conditional,  they make my head swim!!


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## roniy

the words done finished are confusing me .....

i dont understand the difference betwwen 
i am done and i have done 
or i am finished ,i have finished , i finished ????

and the words done and finished are adjective in this case ,right ????
so the adjective meaning for this words is exausting isnt it ???? 
but if you say i am done you mean like you have been doing something and you finished , right ??? and this is a different meaning from exausting

so anybody can help me and explain me ,please .....


thanks ,
           Roni.


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## roniy

the words done finished are confusing me .....

i dont understand the difference betwwen 
i am done and i have done 
or i am finished ,i have finished , i finished ????

and the words done and finished are adjective in this case ,right ????
so the adjective meaning for this words is exausting isnt it ???? 
but if you say i am done you mean like you have been doing something and you finished , right ??? and this is a different meaning from exausting

so anybody can help me and explain me ,please .....


thanks ,
           Roni.


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## elroy

roniy said:
			
		

> the words done finished are confusing me .....
> 
> i dont understand the difference betwwen
> i am done and i have done
> or i am finished ,i have finished , i finished ????
> 
> and the words done and finished are adjective in this case ,right ????
> so the adjective meaning for this words is exausting isnt it ????
> but if you say i am done you mean like you have been doing something and you finished , right ??? and this is a different meaning from exausting
> 
> so anybody can help me and explain me ,please .....
> 
> 
> thanks ,
> Roni.


 
*I am done, I am finished:*

*-*I have brought something to an end, I have completed an action
OR
-I am tired, I am exhausted (although it is more common to hear "I am done for")

*I have done, I have finished:*

These cannot be said alone.  They need an object, such as in the following examples:

I have done my duty.
I have finished my homework.
I have done you no harm.
I have finished early every day for the past week. 

I hope this helps.


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## roniy

Thanks you for the help 

and i have another question from you explanation i understand that there are no differences between these senteses ,right ???

and what about "i finished "????

how its different ???

thank you


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## elroy

roniy said:
			
		

> Thanks you for the help
> 
> and i have another question from you explanation i understand that there are no differences between there senteses ,right ???


 
You are right. In the context of completing an action of being worn out, there is no difference between "I'm done" and "I'm finished."



> and what about "i finished "????
> 
> how its different ???
> 
> thank you


 
That also sounds like it's "hanging." I wouldn't normally use it without an object. However, it may be possible in answer to a question.

-When did you start your project?
-Last Saturday.
-What were you doing on Wednesday?
-I was still working on the project.
-What about Friday?
-In the morning I was still working on the project. But then around noon I finished.

Nevertheless, that sounds slightly awkward. I would probably say, "I finished it."

Let's wait to hear what others have to say. In the meantime, I would advise you to steer clear of "I finished" without an object.


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## roniy

ok i understand so what you say that all these sentenses are the same with bo diffrences right ???

and thank you very much for the help


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## elroy

roniy said:
			
		

> ok i understand so what you say that all these sentenses are the same with bo diffrences right ???
> 
> and thank you very much for the help


 
Which sentences?  "I am finished" and "I am done" are the only ones that are acceptable as independent sentences.

"I have finished..." and "I have done..." are incomplete sentences.  "I have finished..." has the meaning of completing an action, but requires an object to explain what it was that was finished.  "I have done..." does not mean the same as "I have finished..."  It means "I have performed...," for lack of a better word (how do you explain "to do"?)  It's עשיתי in Hebrew.  "I have finished..." = גמרתי

Moderators, I realize that this is the English-only forum, but I thought it was helpful to provide the Hebrew translations.  That's all I did, by the way, I was not putting anyone at a disadvantage by using a language other than English!


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## foxfirebrand

"I finished" needs an object, but it can be implied.  This is what you did when you supplied it with an antecedent, in the sentences leading up to "I finished."  Given that context, I think it sounds fine without the added "it."

I think roniy's use of the term "exhausting" might be in reference to a completed action-- not being tired.


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## elroy

foxfirebrand said:
			
		

> "I finished" needs an object, but it can be implied. This is what you did when you supplied it with an antecedent, in the sentences leading up to "I finished." Given that context, I think it sounds fine without the added "it."
> 
> I think roniy's use of the term "exhausting" might be in reference to a completed action-- not being tired.


 
Haven't you ever heard anyone say "I'm finished" or "I'm done (for)" to mean "I'm tired" or "I'm worn out"?  I know, it's a little far-fetched, but I think it is possible.  I personally think he meant "exhausted," but I guess we'll have to wait for him to clarify that.


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## foxfirebrand

elroy said:
			
		

> Haven't you ever heard anyone say "I'm finished" or "I'm done (for)" to mean "I'm tired" or "I'm worn out"?


 
No, to me "I'm done for" means I'm about to die or be killed.  Same with "I'm finished."  I can't think of a case where either expression would mean "I'm tired."

"I'm done *in*" means "I'm tired," though.  Or "all done in."  Sounds like something out of a novel, though, and not a real recent one.

Words do occur to me that _also_ mean "finished," but not that word itself.  "I'm completely spent," for example.  Oh-- you did mention "I'm worn out," and I agree about that one.


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## roniy

i think that i understand the meaning of the phrases thank you guys
and i meant tired ....

thank you all


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## elroy

foxfirebrand said:
			
		

> No, to me "I'm done for" means I'm about to die or be killed. Same with "I'm finished." I can't think of a case where either expression would mean "I'm tired."
> 
> "I'm done *in*" means "I'm tired," though. Or "all done in." Sounds like something out of a novel, though, and not a real recent one.
> 
> Words do occur to me that _also_ mean "finished," but not that word itself. "I'm completely spent," for example. Oh-- you did mention "I'm worn out," and I agree about that one.


 
Ok, ok, I think I was too hasty.  I think you're right.  I just realized I wouldn't say either to mean "I'm tired," either.  "I'm spent" or "I'm worn out" I would say.  I think I may have been thrown off because Roniy suggested that meaning (or at least I thought he did) and I impetuously thought "why not?"  

Nevertheless, dictionary.com does suggest "exhausted, worn out" as a possibility for "done for," although it concedes that it's pretty much archaic and provides an example with a computer.


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## roniy

foxfirebrand said:
			
		

> No, to me "I'm done for" means I'm about to die or be killed. Same with "I'm finished." I can't think of a case where either expression would mean "I'm tired."
> 
> "I'm done *in*" means "I'm tired," though. Or "all done in." Sounds like something out of a novel, though, and not a real recent one.
> 
> Words do occur to me that _also_ mean "finished," but not that word itself. "I'm completely spent," for example. Oh-- you did mention "I'm worn out," and I agree about that one.


 
why not??? i thinks i have heard the phrase"i'm done" like i'm tired...
or maybe im wrong?


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## elroy

roniy said:
			
		

> why not??? i thinks i have heard the phrase"i'm done" like i'm tired...
> or maybe im wrong?


 
I think if it's possible it's at best very uncommon.


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## Kelly B

I have done... requires an object: I have done my homework today. _I am done_ stands alone, meaning I am finished (which is the topic of this discussion up to this point.)


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## foxfirebrand

You're right.  But I think "I have done" could be used alone, in the proper context.

Could a BE speaker weigh in on the use of "I have done," standing alone?  Or "I already have done."  (with the emphasis on _have_)

Seems to me I've heard it said in contexts where an American would say "I have."  "Are you gonna be able to do such-and-such today?"  "I already have."  Would a Brit say "I already have done?"


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## Amityville

I have been avoiding this thread, as I never used 'done' like you do. (thought I might be lacking something). 
If someone said "Will you be able to do x today ?" I would say "I did it this morning." Or "I have already done it."


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## Isotta

Amityville said:
			
		

> I have been avoiding this thread, as I never use 'done' like you do. (thought I might be lacking something).
> If someone said "Will you be able to do x today ?" I would say "I did it this morning." Or "I have already done it."



Yes, I have been avoiding this thread, too. 

For me "I am finished" has a different meaning than has "I have finished." In "I am finished" it seems "finished" is trying to modify "I," while it is really the task that is finished. I hear it often, and sounds wrong to me. 

One of the most dissonant (to me) sentences in English is one I hear frequently at restaurants, "Are you finished? Or are you still working on it?" As if to dine were work! 

Does "am finished" sound odd/bad in this context to others?

Isotta.


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## Amityville

"Have you finished" sounds bad to me too in a restaurant context. I will tell you why; because it is too reminiscent of what mums say to their toddlers coping on their own in the loo. It is so strongly associated with that, that if I have people round to eat I cannot say that and always get round it another way. But "are you finished" is often used by analogy with "are you ready (to go)", though I wouldn't say it myself.


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## Isotta

Yes, I hear it often, too, but is there a rule against it? I could not find one, but I am away from my reference books and only have google.

I saw this, which leads me to believe it is acceptable to say "I am finished." 

Isotta.


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## Amityville

Your link is an American site, Isotta, so I can't comment.


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## Isotta

Well I suppose we'll have to wait for panj on this one.

Isotta.


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## Amityville

But he's Irish, I believe. If you mean, he'll be able to give you a rule about it, maybe so. Beep him !


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## panjandrum

I'm going to pretend that this thread started today - ignoring all the stuff from September last year


> the words done finished are confusing me ..


Do not be afraid, roniy, those words would confuse most of us - well, most of us BE speakers.
The rest of this post will be specific to BE and is about the short sentences roniy listed.





> i dont understand the difference betwwen
> i am done and i have done


The sentences "I am done," and "I have done," would be considered wrong in written English. 

But casually, "I'm done," is used by some to mean "I have finished," or "I am so tired that I can go no further."
As KellyB says, "I have done," really needs an object. I have done - something. It could occur without an object, but not as a sentence on its own. 
Suppose someone asked if you had ever bunjee-jumped from the Clifton Suspension Bridge. You might answer, "I have done, but I swear I'll never be so stupid again." But I really don't think it would be normal for you to answer, "I have done."





> or i am finished ,i have finished , i finished ????


"I am finished," should mean that I am close to my final breath - and always makes me think of "It is finished." It is used, casually, to mean more or less the same as "I have finished".
"I have finished," is a good sentence in many circumstances.
Only children learning to speak would say "I finished," as a sentence on its own.

AARGH - you are lying in wait for me I started looking at this before I went to read Brer Rabbit stories upstairs.


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## panjandrum

Sorry to double post, but I missed these points on the way past first time.





			
				Isotta said:
			
		

> One of the most dissonant (to me) sentences in English is one I hear frequently at restaurants, "Are you finished? *Or are you still working on it?*" As if to dine were work!


OOH - I wouldn't go back there 
I am not at all surprised when the waiting staff come along to my table and ask, "Have you finished?" I would be annoyed if I thought it should be obvious that I hadn't finished, but this happens very frequently if there is food left on the plate.


			
				foxfirebrand said:
			
		

> Could a BE speaker weigh in on the use of "I have done," standing alone? Or "I already have done." (with the emphasis on _have_)


Hmmm. See the long post for comment on "I have done." I don't think it works even with emphasis?
But, "I already *HAVE* done." I can hear that OK. 
"For goodness sake would you get upstairs and tidy your room!!!"
"I already *HAVE* done." Door slams. Teenager gone for the rest of the day Parent terrified to go near the room to check


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## foxfirebrand

Thanks, Panj for validating "I already *have* done."  It's something I was sure I've heard cropping up, now and then, in britcoms.  In AE we'd omit the "done."

I don't share the umbrage some feel when a waiter says "are you finished," provided he's waited things out for a decent interval.  What if I've finished my meal, but there's food left on my plate?  I might want to get on with my evening, and there's the damn waiter over there, standing on ceremony.

The phrase also smacks of parental oversight to me-- "Not till you've finished what's on your plate."  But to me a waitperson functions _in loco matris_ by nature of his/r job.

"I heard you're still slogging along, working toward your degree."  "No, I finished."  Reads okay to me.

And I hate to keep harking back to the KJV, but what about "It is finished?" 

Not trying to be plebean about this, but I just can't hear the dissonance in a simple "I'm done."  As I push the half-emptied plate away from me.  Or shut the book.  Or toss the wrench in the toolbox and slam the hood on my trashy-looking old beater.

In spite of this show of attitude, I probably mean I've gotten it running again-- if I'd given up on it altogether, I'd've said "I've had it!"

"Stick a fork in him, he's done."


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## panjandrum

MAX CHUCKLE ffb - thanks.





			
				foxfirebrand said:
			
		

> "I already *have* done." It's something I was sure I've heard cropping up, now and then, in britcoms. In AE we'd omit the "done."


Agree - that happens in BE too.





> I don't share the umbrage some feel when a waiter says "are you finished," provided he's waited things out for a decent interval. What if I've finished my meal, but there's food left on my plate? I might want to get on with my evening, and there's the damn waiter over there, standing on ceremony.


I would prefer them to say "Have you finished?" Good restaurant staff, those who get good tips, are able to spot the optimum moment


> "I heard you're still slogging along, working toward your degree." "No, I finished." Reads okay to me.


AE/BE thing, I think. We would say "No, I've finished."





> And I hate to keep harking back to the KJV, but what about "It is finished?"


Every time I hear "I am finished," that is what comes to my mind. You will be pleased to hear that most of the modern English versions keep that sentence. The exceptions are:
The Message: "It's done . . . complete."
The Contemporary English Version: "Everything is done."
Young's literal translation: "It hath been finished."


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## foxfirebrand

I sense an AE/BE difference in your preference for "have you finished." "Are ya" possibly sounds too blunt? To us the mannered nuance is off-putting. Unless the impatient waitperson doesn't get his answer quick enough, and makes like Dirty Harry. "Well *are* ya, _*p-p-punk?*_"


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## panjandrum

foxfirebrand said:
			
		

> I sense an AE/BE difference in your preference for "have you finished." "Are ya" possibly sounds too blunt? To us the mannered nuance is off-putting. Unless the impatient waitperson doesn't get his answer quick enough, and makes like Dirty Harry. "Well *are* ya, _*p-p-punk?*_"


  Do you really have impatient waitpeople?  It was in Boston that I first came across the "I'm Cindy.  I'm here to serve you this evening," kind of waitperson  Ya mean they're not all like that?

My dislike for "Are you finished," comes from my dislike for "I am finished," the answer.
The general acceptability might be an AE/BE thing, but this is not uncommon here.  Well, to be really honest, right here it would be no surprise to be asked, "Are yiz done?" - but that isn't typical BE


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## marinesea

hello,

what do 'i'm done' and 'i'm finished' mean? and when can you use them (in what context)?

thank you


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## whatonearth

Both mean broadly the same. "I'm done" can be used as a slightly more slang-y (?) way of saying "I'm finished". There can be a slight difference in meaning, "I'm finished" would mean the work/job/whatever is complete, "I'm done" can simply mean "I have done as much as I can do (for now)" or it can also mean "I've had enough". But (as always) it depends on the context really!


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## Isotta

You are in luck--we discussed this in full not too long ago! You can read about it here.

Hope this helps--

Isotta.


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## Edwin

I may have missed it, but in scanning this thread I didn't see anyone say that some uneducated people say things like these examples from the web:

*I done finished with that there book.*

*I done finished plowing the north forty.* 

*That very next day after she done finished her last triple shift they told her to go home.*


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## Isotta

Ah yes, that is a different story. My favorite is:

"Wanda Sue, don't furget to feed that dog of yers!"
"Done did." [I have already done it]

Warning: _very_ familiar speech. Confined mostly to mountain hollows in Appalachia.

Isotta.


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## daviesri

Isotta said:
			
		

> Ah yes, that is a different story. My favorite is:
> 
> "Wanda Sue, don't furget to feed that dog of yers!"
> "Done did." [I have already done it]
> 
> Warning: _very_ familiar speech. Confined mostly to mountain hollows in Appalachia.
> 
> Isotta.


 
I done thought proper Appalachia speak was "Done did*it*" .


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## Isotta

daviesri said:
			
		

> I done thought proper Appalachia speak was "Done did*it*" .



Yes, that is an alternative version.

Isotta.


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## Oros

In English, you should never write ''   what do 'i'm done' and 'i'm
 finished' mean? ''


In English, '' I '' is a capital letter. Wheher it is in the middle of a sentence or at the beginning of a sentence, you should write '' I  ''  . Never '' i  '' for obvious reasons.


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## panjandrum

marinesea said:
			
		

> hello,
> 
> what do 'I'm done' and 'I'm finished' mean? and when can you use them (in what context)?
> 
> thank you


You have asked a simple question.
The simple answer is that neither of these statements would be considered correct  - except in the sense that "I'm finished" means that I no longer have any future in this context.
whatonearth has explained what they mean, and that this is not standard in English.
I would suggest that you might find these used in very casual speech, but not at all in writing.


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## marinesea

Oros said:
			
		

> In English, you should never write ''   what do 'i'm done' and 'i'm
> finished' mean? ''
> 
> 
> In English, '' I '' is a capital letter. Wheher it is in the middle of a sentence or at the beginning of a sentence, you should write '' I  ''  . Never '' i  '' for obvious reasons.



Thank you for correcting me  I just feel lazy sometimes to press 'shift' for capital letters


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## suzzzenn

Hiya Pan, 

I'm not sure what you mean. "I'm finished" and "I'm done" sound like standard English to me. 

Person A: Please let me know who has completed the form. 
Person B: I'm finished. 
Person C. I'm done too.


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## panjandrum

suzzzenn said:
			
		

> Person A: Please let me know who has completed the form.
> Person B: I'm finished.
> Person C. I'm done too.


Hi Suzzzenn,
I would not be surprised to hear this conversation here, but if I happened to be person B, I would say "I've finished", and if person C, I would say "So have I."

Boring, but it's the way I'd do it


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## suzzzenn

Oh! You are talking about an adjective vs. verb distinction! 

Yes, to me it sounds fine to use finished and done as adjectives. 
*I am finished* or *I am done*. 
I never realized that it sounded odd or informal to some people. Do you think it is a BE/AE difference? (I agree that if the meaning of done/finished was a substitute for exhausted or fed up, then yes, that would be a colloquial use)


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## suzzzenn

OK, I just went back and read the previous thread on this topic where AE/BE differences were discussed in depth. Interesting!


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## river

"I was done with love for ever." Thomas Amory
"One farther favor and I'm done." Thomas Jefferson
"I'm done with official life for the present." Mark Twain
"But I'm done with apple-picking now." Robert Frost
"We're no sooner done eating than Clumsy brought out an old, thumbed greasy pack of cards." Robert Louis Stevenson 
"You can't be done, you've eaten nothing." George Bernard Shaw

_Done_ souds natural to me.


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## shush

I was thinking about 'I'm finished' in the fatalistic sense of the usage and realized that the equivalent usage with 'done' would probably be 'I'm done for'. Does anybody know why we use 'for' in this expression - seems a little queer?


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## panjandrum

Interesting quotes, river.
As I recall (I don't of course, I mean reading the thread again now) we were (I was ) specifically talking about "I'm done." and "I'm finished." as complete sentences, or at least as the ends of sentences.  Both still sound strange to me - colloquial in BE.  

Of course, the initial question didn't specify this kind of "I'm done..." and the quotes you've found include other contexts.

Two of the examples end with "... I'm done."  One is AE, the other is from a play by GBS.  
The rest are of the "done with" or "done vb" form.  "Done with" sounds literary.  "Done verb" sounds strange to my ear.


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## drei_lengua

I remember when I was in grammar school teachers would correct us if we said "I am done." after eating. They said that only "turkeys are done".  They then instructed us to use "I am finished." after eating.

Does anyone know of any grammar rules that we were violating? Any thoughts?

I look forward to your replies.
drei


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## eMurray

Teachers are very sophisticated and therefore they like to say "I am finished," instead of "I am done." I don't know any grammar rules you are breaking anyways. It's just they are teachers.


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## TrentinaNE

Interesting question, drei.  You might find this historical perspective helpful.  (I found it by searching "I am done I have finished" -- amazing what Google will turn up!)

Elizabeth


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## panjandrum

This question has been analysed thoroughly in three threads so far.
For our convenience, these three have been merged and the current query added to the end.


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## simonaj

"I'm done":what does this expression mean?


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## elroy

Welcome to the forums. 

Without more context, my guess is that it means "I'm finished."

Please give us more context, though.


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## the-pessimist

Hi Simon, welcome to the site.

Please check these previous threads:

http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=103986 << main one, by your Italian neighbour

http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=103944


Regards


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## simonaj

Thanks a lot


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## badgrammar

The expression "I'm done", all by itself, also has a meaning in its own right.  

My brother-in-law the ex-car salesman once told me that it is how he and the guys down at the car lot put an end to negotiations with customers endlessly trying to get a better price.  As in: "Thanks for coming in today but... I'm done".  As in "This conversation is finished".


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## Mr.Chimp

Hi guys, I have another question. Is it okay to say: " Are you done studying?" for example. Thanks


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## aurora18

"You're done" can be a very rude way of telling someone that they're fired, or no longer welcome in a certain position.
"We're done" is likewise used to end a friendship or relationship.


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