matarle
/mah-TAR-leh/
to kill him
The literal meaning of 'matarle' is 'to kill him.'
matarle(verb)
to kill him
?The 'le' refers to a male person or object
,to kill her
?Used in some regions instead of 'la' (this is called 'leísmo')
,to kill you (formal)
?The 'le' refers to 'usted'
to end his life
?euphemistic
📝 In Action
No pudieron matarle, solo lo hirieron gravemente.
B1They couldn't kill him; they only wounded him seriously.
Decidió matarle antes de que él pudiera escapar.
A2She decided to kill him before he could escape.
💡 Grammar Points
Pronouns Attached to the End
In Spanish, when you use a verb in the infinitive (the base form), the pronouns that receive the action ('le' in this case) can be attached directly to the end. This 'le' means 'him,' 'her' (in some regions), or 'you' (formal).
Alternative Placement
You can also put the pronoun 'le' before the conjugated verb: 'No le quiero matar' means the same as 'No quiero matarle.' Choose whichever sounds more natural to you!
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing Object Pronouns
Mistake: "Usando 'lo matar' en lugar de 'matarle' o 'lo matar'"
Correction: When attaching the pronoun to the infinitive, it must be part of the word: 'matarle'. If you separate it, it goes before the conjugated verb: 'lo va a matar'. (Note: 'le' is often used for male direct objects, but 'lo' is the standard direct object pronoun for masculine things/people.)
⭐ Usage Tips
Remember the Base Verb
Think of 'matarle' as two parts: the action ('matar') and the recipient ('le'). This structure applies to all infinitives (e.g., 'comprarle' - to buy him something).
Figuratively, 'matarle' can mean 'to bore him stiff,' emphasizing extreme boredom.
matarle(verb)
to bore him stiff
?Figurative: to cause extreme boredom
,to exhaust him
?Figurative: to tire someone out completely
to kill him (with laughter/boredom)
?Idiomatic translation
📝 In Action
Esa reunión interminable va a matarle de aburrimiento.
B2That endless meeting is going to bore him to death.
El trabajo extra va a matarle si no toma un descanso.
B2The extra work is going to exhaust him if he doesn't take a break.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: matarle
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'matarle' in its figurative sense?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the pronoun 'le' attached to the end of 'matar'?
When using a Spanish verb in its base form (the infinitive, like 'matar'), you have the choice to attach the object pronoun ('le') directly to the end, forming a single word like 'matarle'. This is a very common and correct way to structure the sentence.
Does 'matarle' always mean 'to kill him'?
Not always. While the literal meaning is 'to kill him/her/you formal,' Spanish frequently uses 'matar' to exaggerate extreme feelings, like 'matarle de aburrimiento' (to bore him to death) or 'matarle de risa' (to make him die laughing).