matarte
“matarte” means “to kill you” in Spanish (as a direct object).
to kill you, to kill yourselfAlso: to wear yourself out, to exhaust yourself
📝 In Action
Si trabajas tanto, vas a matarte antes de los 40.
B1If you work that much, you are going to kill yourself (wear yourself out) before you're 40.
No quiero matarte; solo quiero advertirte.
B2I don't want to kill you; I just want to warn you.
El esfuerzo que tienes que hacer para matarte a estudiar es enorme.
C1The effort you have to make to study your head off (work yourself to death studying) is enormous.
Word Connections
Indicative
Present
Imperfect
Preterite
Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: matarte
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'matarte' in a figurative, non-literal sense?
📚 More Resources
🎵 Rhymes
📚 Etymology
The base verb 'matar' comes from the Latin word *mactare*, which originally meant 'to honor by sacrifice' or 'to slaughter for sacrifice,' but later evolved in Spanish to simply mean 'to kill.'
First recorded: Around the 13th century in Spanish texts.
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'matarte' have an accent mark when conjugating in the past tense, like 'mató'?
The accent mark on forms like 'mató' (he/she killed) is crucial because it shows which syllable should be stressed, distinguishing it from other words or tenses. However, notice that the infinitive 'matar' and the composite 'matarte' do not require an accent because the natural stress falls on the last syllable of the base verb.