Matar Examples, Sentences & Quiz

Introduction

matar means to kill, and it is one of those verbs that shows up everywhere once you start listening for it. It is a regular -ar verb verb, and this page puts it to work: real example sentences in several tenses, grouped by use, two short passages that show the verb in context, the mistakes learners make with it, a ten-question quiz and answers to common questions. If you only learn one sentence, make it «Yo mato todos los días» — I kill every day. The rest of this page builds out from there, tense by tense, so you can use matar the way native speakers do — in the present for habits, in the past for finished events, and in the subjunctive after wishes and doubts.

Matar in real example sentences

In the present: everyday use

The present is where matar lives most of the time — routines, facts and what is happening now:

  1. Yo mato todos los días. — I kill every day.
  2. Tú matas en el trabajo. — You kill at work.
  3. Él mata con mi familia. — He kills with my family.
  4. Nosotros matamos por la mañana. — We kill in the morning.

Talking about the past

In the past, choose the preterite for a finished event and the imperfect for a habit or background:

  1. Ayer yo maté por la tarde. — Yesterday I killed in the afternoon.
  2. Antes, yo mataba todos los días. — In the past, I used to kill every day.
  3. La semana pasada él mató dos veces. — Last week He killed twice.

Plans and things already done

The future, the conditional and the present perfect round out the picture — plans, hypotheticals and recent events:

  1. Mañana yo mataré sin falta. — Tomorrow I will kill without fail.
  2. Si tuviera más tiempo, yo mataría ahora mismo. — If I had more time, I would kill right now.
  3. Hoy yo he matado dos veces. — Today I have killed twice.

More everyday uses

The subjunctive, the imperative and the progressive cover wishes, commands and actions in progress:

  1. Espero que tú mates pronto. — I hope You kill soon.
  2. ¡mata, por favor! — Kill, please!
  3. Ahora mismo yo estoy matando. — Right now I am killing.

Matar in context

A short dialogue

Ana: «Yo mato en el trabajo.» — I kill at work. Luis: «¡Qué bien! Yo mato con mi familia.» — I kill with my family. Ana: «Mañana yo mataré sin falta.» — Tomorrow I will kill without fail. Luis: «Si tuviera más tiempo, yo mataría ahora mismo.» — If I had more time, I would kill right now. Ana: «Hoy yo he matado dos veces.» — Today I have killed twice.

A short paragraph

Ayer yo maté por la tarde. Antes, yo mataba todos los días. Hoy yo he matado dos veces. Mañana yo mataré sin falta.

Yesterday I killed in the afternoon. In the past, I used to kill every day. Today I have killed twice. Tomorrow I will kill without fail.

Common mistakes with matar

1. Using the imperfect for a finished event

Wrong: Ayer yo mataba.

Right: Ayer yo maté.

Yesterday's finished action needs the preterite, maté. The imperfect mataba describes what used to happen or what was going on, not a single completed event.

2. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger

Wrong: Espero que tú matas.

Right: Espero que tú mates.

After espero que, Spanish requires the subjunctive: mates, not the indicative matas. Wishes, hopes and doubts all trigger this change.

3. Using the affirmative imperative after no

Wrong: No mata.

Right: No mates.

Negative commands use the subjunctive-based forms: no mates. The affirmative mata can never follow no.

4. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

Wrong: Yo matar todos los días.

Right: Yo mato todos los días.

The infinitive matar names the action; it never works as the main verb of a sentence. Conjugate it for the person: yo mato.

5. Confusing the gerund with the past participle

Wrong: He matando.

Right: He matado.

The perfect tenses use haber plus the past participle: he matado. The gerund matando goes with estar for actions in progress («Estoy matando»), never with haber.

Quiz: matar in use

Test yourself on matar in use. Choose the correct answer, then check the key below.

1. What is the nosotros/as form of matar in the present indicative?

- (a) mato
- (b) matas
- (c) mata
- (d) matamos

2. What is the vosotros/as form of matar in the preterite?

- (a) matasteis
- (b) maté
- (c) mató
- (d) mataste

3. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of matar in the future?

- (a) mataré
- (b) matarás
- (c) matará
- (d) matarán

4. What is the yo form of matar in the present perfect?

- (a) has matado
- (b) hemos matado
- (c) ha matado
- (d) he matado

5. What is the nosotros/as form of matar in the imperfect?

- (a) mataba
- (b) mataba
- (c) matabas
- (d) matábamos

6. What is the gerund of matar?

- (a) matando
- (b) matar
- (c) mato
- (d) matado

7. What is the past participle of matar?

- (a) matando
- (b) maté
- (c) matado
- (d) matar

8. Which sentence uses matar correctly?

- (a) *Yo mato todos los días.* — I kill every day.
- (b) *Yo matar todos los días.*
- (c) *Yo mata todos los días.*
- (d) *Yo matas todos los días.*

9. Which sentence uses matar correctly?

- (a) *Ayer yo maté por la tarde.* — Yesterday I killed in the afternoon.
- (b) *Ayer yo matar por la tarde.*
- (c) *Ayer yo mato por la tarde.*
- (d) *Ayer yo mataba por la tarde.*

10. What does matar mean?

- (a) to kill
- (b) to get into
- (c) to stay
- (d) to apply makeup to

Answer key

1. (d) — In the present indicative, the nosotros/as form of matar is matamos. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 2. (a) — In the preterite, the vosotros/as form of matar is matasteis. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 3. (d) — In the future, the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of matar is matarán. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 4. (d) — In the present perfect, the yo form of matar is he matado. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 5. (d) — In the imperfect, the nosotros/as form of matar is matábamos. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 6. (a) — The gerund of matar is matando. It is used with estar for the progressive: «Estoy matando». 7. (c) — The past participle of matar is matado. It follows haber in all the perfect tenses: «he matado». 8. (a) — Only this sentence pairs the right person with the right form of matar; the others mix a person with another person's form, or use the infinitive instead of a conjugated form. 9. (a) — Only this sentence pairs the right person with the right form of matar; the others mix a person with another person's form, or use the infinitive instead of a conjugated form. 10. (a) — matar means «to kill».

Frequently asked questions

How do you say 'I kill' in Spanish?

Say «Yo mato todos los días». That is the present-tense yo form, and it is the sentence you will use most with this verb.

How do you say 'I killed' about yesterday?

Say «Ayer yo maté por la tarde». The preterite is the tense for a finished event: yesterday, last week, last night.

Is matar reflexive?

No — matar is not reflexive. It conjugates without a pronoun: yo mato, tú matas, él mata. If you see a -se form of a similar verb, that is a different verb with its own meaning.

Which tense do learners find hardest with matar?

Most learners struggle with choosing between the preterite and the imperfect, not with the forms themselves. Use the preterite (maté) for a single finished event and the imperfect (mataba) for habits and background. After that, the subjunctive is the next step.

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