What does matar mean?
matar means to kill, slay in English. It is a regular -ar verb.
It can also be used with these related meanings: to put out, extinguish (a flame or light); to butcher.
Spanish verb guide
Matar Conjugation in Spanish
Learn matar, meaning to kill, slay, through verified forms and contextual examples.
regular-argerund: matandoparticiple: matado
Principal forms of matar
- Infinitive
- matar
- Gerund
- matando
- Past participle
- matado
Matar conjugation table
Compare the present, preterite, imperfect, and future forms. Reflexive pronouns are included where the verb requires them.
| Pronoun | Present | Preterite | Imperfect | Future |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | mato | maté | mataba | mataré |
| tú | matas | mataste | matabas | matarás |
| él / ella / usted | mata | mató | mataba | matará |
| nosotros/as | matamos | matamos | matábamos | mataremos |
| ellos/as / ustedes | matan | mataron | mataban | matarán |
Pattern notes
- Matar follows the regular -ar pattern in the four tenses shown here.
Examples with matar
Tom no mató a Mary.Tom didn't kill Mary.Tatoeba example · CC BY 2.0 FR
Yo los maté a ambos.I killed them both.Tatoeba example · CC BY 2.0 FR
Él mató a ese hombre.He killed that man.Tatoeba example · CC BY 2.0 FR
Practice prompts
- Conjugate matar for yo in the present.
- Use the preterite form for ella.
- Say the nosotros/as imperfect form.
- Write a short sentence in the future.
Practice matar online
Use VerbyGo for a quick conjugation round with instant feedback and accent checking.