matar Present Conjugation
matar — to kill
The present tense of matar is regular: mato, matas, mata, matamos, matáis, matan.
matar Present Forms
When to Use the Present
Use the present tense to talk about current actions or general facts. It is also used in common idioms like 'killing time' or when a physical pain is 'killing' you.
Notes on matar in the Present
Matar is a completely regular -ar verb in the present tense; it follows the standard pattern without any stem changes.
Example Sentences
Esta música me mata de aburrimiento.
This music is killing me with boredom.
él/ella/usted
Siempre matamos el tiempo jugando a las cartas.
We always kill time playing cards.
nosotros
Mis zapatos nuevos me matan.
My new shoes are killing me.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using 'mato' to mean 'I died'.
Correct: Muero (from morir).
Why: Learners sometimes confuse the active verb 'to kill' with the state of 'dying' or 'being dead'.
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Related Tenses
Preterite
yo: maté
The preterite of matar is regular: maté, mataste, mató, matamos, matasteis, mataron.
Imperfect
yo: mataba
The imperfect of matar follows the regular -aba pattern: mataba, matabas, mataba, matábamos, matabais, mataban.
Future
yo: mataré
The future of matar is regular: matar + é, ás, á, emos, éis, án.
Conditional
yo: mataría
The conditional of matar is regular: mataría, matarías, mataría, mataríamos, mataríais, matarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: mate
The present subjunctive of matar uses -e endings: mate, mates, mate, matemos, matéis, maten.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: matara
The imperfect subjunctive of matar is matara, mataras, matara, matáramos, matarais, mataran.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: mata
The affirmative imperative of matar is: mata (tú), mate (usted), matemos (nosotros), matad (vosotros), maten (ustedes).
Negative Imperative
yo: no mates
The negative imperative of matar uses the present subjunctive: no mates, no mate, no matemos, no matéis, no maten.