Matar in the Present Tense

Introduction

The present tense of matar — «to kill» — is the form you will reach for most often. It talks about habits, facts and what is happening right now, and it is the first tense to master for this verb. matar is a regular -ar verb verb, so the present follows the -ar endings. On this page you will find the full present-tense table, how the forms are built, five usage rules with examples, a comparison with the preterite, more example sentences, the mistakes learners make in this tense, an eight-question quiz and answers to common questions. A good first sentence is «Yo mato todos los días» — I kill every day.

Matar in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
yo mato
tú matas
él/ella/Ud. mata
nosotros/as matamos
vosotros/as matáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. matan

Gerund: matando · Past participle: matado

How the present tense of matar is formed

Take the stem mat — the infinitive matar without its -ar ending — and add the present endings. The table below shows the build for every person, using the actual stem of each form:

Person Stem Ending Form
yo mat -o mato
tú mat -as matas
él/ella/Ud. mat -a mata
nosotros/as mat -amos matamos
vosotros/as mat -áis matáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. mat -an matan

The present is the only tense where the yo form ends in -o for all three verb classes, which makes it a useful anchor: if you know mato, you can build the rest of the table from the stem and the endings above.

When to use the present tense of matar

1. Daily routines and habits

The most common use: things you do regularly. Time words like todos los días, siempre and a veces are the giveaway.

Yo mato todos los días. — I kill every day.

2. General truths and facts

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. No time expression is needed — the statement stands on its own.

Él mata con mi familia. — He kills with my family.

3. What is happening right now

For an action in progress, the present works on its own in Spanish, and you can also use estar + the gerund matando for emphasis. Both are correct; the gerund version stresses that it is happening this very moment.

Nosotros matamos por la mañana. — We kill in the morning.

4. Scheduled near-future plans

Spanish often uses the present for a fixed plan in the near future, where English would say «going to». A time expression such as mañana or la semana que viene makes the future meaning clear.

Tú matas en el trabajo. — You kill at work.

5. Narrating and commenting

The present is the tense of live commentary and of stories told as if they were happening now. It keeps the listener in the moment, and it is the tense of instructions and explanations.

Ellos matan a veces. — They kill sometimes.

Present Tense vs Preterite: how to choose

The present and the preterite answer different questions. The present says what happens in general or what is happening now; the preterite says what happened once and is over. Compare the pairs below — same verb, different time frame:

  • Present: Yo mato todos los días. — I kill every day.

  • Preterite: Ayer yo maté por la tarde. — Yesterday I killed in the afternoon.

  • A routine against a single finished event. The present describes the habit; the preterite reports the one time it happened.

  • Present: Él mata por la mañana. — He kills in the morning.

  • Preterite: Ayer él mató por la tarde. — Yesterday He killed in the afternoon.

  • What happens in the morning in general, against what happened yesterday afternoon. The time expression decides the tense.

  • Present: Nosotros matamos con mi familia. — We kill with my family.

  • Preterite: La semana pasada nosotros matamos dos veces. — Last week We killed twice.

  • A shared habit against a shared finished event. If the action repeats, use the present; if it happened once and ended, use the preterite.

Example sentences: matar in the present

  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.
  5. Vosotros matáis cuando hay tiempo. — You kill when there is time.
  6. Ellos matan a veces. — They kill sometimes.
  7. Yo mato en el trabajo. — I kill at work.
  8. Él mata todos los días. — He kills every day.

Common mistakes with matar in the present

1. Forgetting the accent on the vosotros form

Wrong: Vosotros matais.

Right: Vosotros matáis.

The vosotros form matáis carries a written accent on the ending. Without it the word is misspelled, and in speech the stress falls in the wrong place.

2. Using the present for a finished event

Wrong: Ayer yo mato.

Right: Ayer yo maté.

Ayer belongs with the preterite. The present mato talks about now or about a habit; a finished yesterday needs maté.

3. Using the yo form for every person

Wrong: Ellos mato.

Right: Ellos matan.

Each person has its own form: ellos take matan, not the yo form mato. The -n ending on matan is what marks the third-person plural.

4. Using the present instead of the progressive

Wrong: Estoy mato.

Right: Estoy matando.

After estar, Spanish needs the gerund: estoy matando. The conjugated present mato never follows estar.

Quiz: matar in the present

Test yourself on the present tense of matar. Choose the correct answer, then check the key below.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

5. What is the tú form of matar in the present indicative?

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

6. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of matar in the present indicative?

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

7. What is the gerund of matar?

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

8. What is the past participle of matar?

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

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 present indicative, the vosotros/as form of matar is matáis. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 3. (a) — In the present indicative, the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of matar is matan. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 4. (c) — In the present indicative, the yo form of matar is mato. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 5. (a) — In the present indicative, the tú form of matar is matas. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 6. (d) — In the present indicative, the él/ella/Ud. form of matar is mata. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 7. (b) — The gerund of matar is matando. It is used with estar for the progressive: «Estoy matando». 8. (c) — The past participle of matar is matado. It follows haber in all the perfect tenses: «he matado».

Frequently asked questions

Is matar regular in the present?

Yes — matar is regular in the present. The stem mat never changes and the endings are -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an for -ar verbs (with the matching sets for -er and -ir verbs).

What is the yo form of matar in the present?

It is mato. Use it for talking about yourself right now.

How is the present different from the preterite for matar?

The present (mato) describes habits and what is happening now; the preterite (maté) reports a single finished event. «Yo mato todos los días» is a habit, while «Ayer yo maté» is one event that ended yesterday.

Can I use the present of matar with estar and the gerund?

Yes — «Estoy matando» means «I am killing right now», with the emphasis on the action in progress. The plain present «Yo mato» is also correct for what is happening now; the gerund version simply stresses the moment.

Related pages