The Conditional Mood of matar is used to express hypothetical or imagined situations, for example: Si pudiera, no mataría ni una mosca. (If I could, I wouldn’t kill a fly.)

Matar is a regular verb in Spanish, which means its conjugations in the Conditional follow the same pattern as similar verbs ending in -ar.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Picar (to chop/sting) in the Conditional Mood tense (Latin American Spanish):

The conditional mood of matar is used to express hypothetical or imagined situations, often with an implied condition.

To kill or murder: The most literal meaning, referring to taking someone’s life. For example, Si fuera un asesino, mataría a mi enemigo. (If I were an assassin, I would kill my enemy.)

To exhaust or tire out: Used figuratively to express extreme fatigue or exhaustion. For example, Me mataría trabajar tanto. (I would kill myself working so much.)

To turn off or deactivate: Referring to stopping the operation of a device or system. For example, Mataría la computadora si se calienta demasiado. (I would turn off the computer if it gets too hot.)

To dull or diminish: Used to express reducing the intensity or effect of something. For example, Mataría el dolor con analgésicos. (I would dull the pain with painkillers.)

To suppress or stifle: Referring to preventing the expression or development of something. For example, No mataría sus sueños. (I wouldn’t kill their dreams.)

To finish or consume completely (colloquial): Used informally to express consuming something entirely. For example, Me mataría una hamburguesa ahora mismo. (I would kill a hamburger right now.)

Examples

Examples of Picar in the Conditional Mood

Si tuviera que matar a alguien, mataría a un insecto molesto. (If I had to kill someone, I would kill an annoying insect.)

Nunca mataríamos a un animal por diversión. (We would never kill an animal for fun.)

Los cazadores furtivos matarían a los animales en peligro de extinción por dinero. (Poachers would kill endangered animals for money.)

En la película de terror, el asesino mataría a sus víctimas de manera brutal. (In the horror movie, the killer would brutally kill their victims.)

En un videojuego violento, matarías a tus enemigos para avanzar al siguiente nivel. (In a violent video game, you would kill your enemies to advance to the next level.)

Si fuera un soldado, mataría al enemigo en defensa propia. (If I were a soldier, I would kill the enemy in self-defense.)

En una situación extrema, mataríamos por comida para sobrevivir. (In an extreme situation, we would kill for food to survive.)

Los revolucionarios matarían al dictador para liberar al país. (The revolutionaries would kill the dictator to liberate the country.)

En una pelea callejera, algunos matarían por honor o respeto. (In a street fight, some would kill for honor or respect.)

Si fuera un asesino a sueldo, mataría a quien me pagaran por matar. (If I were a hitman, I would kill whoever I was paid to kill.)

Los granjeros a veces matarían a los animales para obtener carne. (Farmers would sometimes kill animals to obtain meat.)

En una situación desesperada, mataría por proteger a mi familia. (In a desperate situation, I would kill to protect my family.)

En una guerra, los soldados enemigos se matarían unos a otros. (In a war, enemy soldiers would kill each other.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Picar (to chop/sting) in the Conditional Mood tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Conditional mood is also known as the Simple Conditional, Conditional Simple, Would Tense, or Future of the Past in English, and as Condicional Simple, Pospretérito, Potencial Simple, or Condicional de Indicativo in Spanish.