matarnos
“matarnos” means “to kill us” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
to kill us, to murder us
Also: to finish us off
📝 In Action
Esa comida chatarra va a matarnos lentamente.
A2That junk food is going to kill us slowly.
¿Por qué intentan matarnos de hambre?
B1Why are they trying to starve us (literally: kill us with hunger)?
to kill ourselves
Also: to kill each other
📝 In Action
Tenemos que dejar de matarnos por estas tonterías.
B1We have to stop killing each other over these stupid things.
El plan era matarnos antes de ser capturados.
C1The plan was to kill ourselves before being captured.
to work ourselves to death, to exhaust ourselves
Also: to try our absolute hardest
📝 In Action
No vamos a matarnos estudiando toda la noche; tomemos un descanso.
B2We aren't going to kill ourselves studying all night; let's take a break.
Para terminar el proyecto, tuvimos que matarnos trabajando.
C1To finish the project, we had to work ourselves to death (work extremely hard).
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: matarnos
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'matarnos' in the figurative sense (to work hard)?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
The verb 'matar' comes from the Arabic word *māta*, meaning 'to die.' When it entered Spanish, it shifted slightly to mean 'to cause to die' or 'to kill.' The attached 'nos' comes from the Latin *nos*, meaning 'us.'
First recorded: Around the 10th century (for the base verb 'matar')
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'matarnos' sometimes mean 'to work hard'?
This is a common form of hyperbole (exaggeration) in Spanish. When you use the reflexive form 'matarse,' it intensifies the effort, suggesting you are working so hard it feels like you are 'killing yourself' with effort.
Can I separate the 'nos' from 'matar'?
Yes! When 'matarnos' follows a conjugated verb (a helping verb), you have a choice. You can say 'Debemos matarnos' (We must kill ourselves) or 'Nos debemos matar.' Both are perfectly correct.