Spanish Phrase
Se me acabó la tinta del boli.
Meaning
The speaker is saying that the ink in their pen has run out. It conveys a mild inconvenience and often leads to a request for a new pen or a refill.
When to use
Use this phrase when you notice your pen is empty—at school, in the office, or while taking notes. It’s also handy when you need to explain why you can’t continue writing.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Semeacabólatintadelboli
Se me (accidental se)
The construction 'se me' is used to indicate that something happened to the speaker unintentionally or beyond their control.
Acabó (preterite)
Acabó is the third‑person singular preterite of acabar, meaning 'to run out' or 'to finish'.
Del (de + el)
Del is the contraction of the preposition de + the masculine singular article el.
Boli (colloquial)
Boli is an informal abbreviation of bolígrafo (pen); in formal contexts use bolígrafo.
🗨In Conversation
¿Me prestas un bolígrafo?
Can you lend me a pen?
Se me acabó la tinta del boli.
I ran out of ink in my pen.
✕Common Mistakes
Me se acabó la tinta del boli.
The correct order is 'se me', not 'me se'.
Se me acabó el tinta del boli.
Tinta is feminine; use 'la tinta'.
Se me acabó la tinta del boli.
In formal contexts replace 'boli' with 'bolígrafo'.
↔Alternatives
Se me quedó sin tinta el bolígrafo.
I ran out of ink in the pen.
Me quedé sin tinta del bolígrafo.
I ran out of ink from the pen.
Se me acabó la tinta del lápiz.
I ran out of pencil lead.
Cultural Tip
In most Spanish‑speaking countries 'boli' is a friendly, everyday term. In formal writing or business settings you should say 'bolígrafo'. The 'se me' construction is very common for expressing accidental or involuntary events, so mastering it helps you sound natural.