The Present Tense of matar is used to describe actions that are happening right now or that occur habitually, for example, Ella mata las cucarachas. (She kills the cockroaches.)
Matar is a regular -ar verb, which means its conjugations follow the typical pattern for verbs ending in -ar in the present tense.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Matar (to kill) in the Present Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):
Pronoun | Conjugation |
---|---|
Yo | mato |
Tú | matas |
Él / Ella / Usted | mata |
Nosotros / Nosotras | matamos |
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | matan |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Matar (to kill) in the Present Tense to help you learn faster.
Pro Tip: Play the audio on a loop as you study the chart. This repetition will solidify the correct conjugations in your memory.
Usage of Matar in the Present Tense
Matar generally means to kill or slay, but has several different meanings in the Present Tense, some of which might surprise you.
Literal meaning: To end the life of a living being, for example, Yo mato una cucaracha. (I kill a cockroach.)
Figurative meaning: To exhaust or tire someone out, for example, Este trabajo me mata. (This job is killing me.)
Slang meaning: To do something with great intensity or passion, for example, Mato en el escenario. (I kill it on stage.)
Idiomatic meaning: To turn something off or stop its operation, for example, Mato la televisión. (I turn off the TV.)
Colloquial meaning: To mock or make fun of someone, for example, Siempre me matan por mi acento. (They always make fun of my accent.)
Examples
Examples of Matar in the Present Tense
Cada mañana, mato el tiempo jugando videojuegos antes de ir al trabajo. (Every morning, I kill time playing video games before going to work.)
Mi hermana mata las plantas con demasiado agua. (My sister kills the plants by overwatering them.)
Los niños matan el aburrimiento viendo películas los fines de semana. (The kids kill boredom by watching movies on the weekends.)
Tú matas dos pájaros de un tiro cuando haces ejercicio y ahorras dinero. (You kill two birds with one stone when you exercise and save money.)
Nosotros matamos el tiempo en el aeropuerto jugando juegos en nuestros teléfonos. (We kill time at the airport playing games on our phones.)
¿Por qué matas las esperanzas de tus hijos con comentarios negativos? (Why do you kill your children’s hopes with negative comments?)
Los atletas matan el estrés haciendo ejercicio regularmente. (Athletes kill stress by exercising regularly.)
Tú matas dos pájaros de una pedrada cuando aprendes español y culturas nuevas. (You kill two birds with one stone when you learn Spanish and new cultures.)
Ella mata el tiempo libre leyendo novelas en su hammaca. (She kills free time reading novels in her hammock.)
Nosotros matamos la curiosidad de los turistas respondiendo sus preguntas sobre nuestra ciudad. (We kill the tourists’ curiosity by answering their questions about our city.)
¿Por qué matas las plantas con tanto sol? (Why do you kill the plants with too much sun?)
Ellos matan el aburrimiento explorando nuevos lugares de la ciudad. (They kill boredom by exploring new places in the city.)
Tú matas dos pájaros de un tiro cuando ahorras dinero y reduces tu huella de carbono. (You kill two birds with one stone when you save money and reduce your carbon footprint.)
Mi mamá mata las cucarachas con un zapato. (My mom kills cockroaches with a shoe.)
Nosotros matamos el tiempo esperando en la fila jugando juegos en nuestros teléfonos. (We kill time waiting in line by playing games on our phones.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Matar (to kill) in the Present Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:
Spanish | English |
---|---|
Yo mato | I kill |
Tú matas | You kill |
Él / Ella / Usted mata | He / She / You kills |
Nosotros / Nosotras matamos | We kill |
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes matan | They / You all kill |
This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian Spanish, click here
Synonyms
The Present tense is also known as the Simple Present, Present Simple, Present Tense, or Present Indicative in English, and as Presente de Indicativo, Presente Simple, Tiempo Presente, or Indicativo Presente in Spanish.