mataría
/mah-tah-REE-ah/
would kill
This image shows the hypothetical action of ending something, translating to "would kill."
📝 In Action
Yo nunca mataría un animal por deporte.
B1I would never kill an animal for sport.
Él dice que mataría por un pedazo de ese pastel.
B2He says he would kill for a piece of that cake. (Figurative exaggeration)
Si ella viniera, ¿él la mataría?
B1If she came, would he kill her?
💡 Grammar Points
The Conditional Tense
The '-ría' ending tells you this action is hypothetical, meaning it 'would' happen under certain conditions. It's used for imagining what might be.
Who is Doing the Action?
In Spanish, 'mataría' can mean 'I would kill,' 'he/she/it would kill,' or the formal 'you would kill' (usted). Context usually makes the subject clear.
When followed by "de aburrimiento," mataría means "it would bore me stiff."
mataría(verb)
would bore me stiff
?When used with 'de aburrimiento' (of boredom)
would be exhausting
?Referring to a task or situation
,would hurt intensely
?Referring to pain
📝 In Action
Esa película me mataría de sueño.
B2That movie would bore me to death (make me extremely sleepy).
Un viaje tan largo me mataría, prefiero quedarme en casa.
B2Such a long trip would exhaust me completely; I prefer to stay home.
⭐ Usage Tips
Use with Reflexive Pronouns
This figurative use almost always requires a reflexive pronoun (me, te, le, nos, etc.) to show that the action affects the speaker: 'Me mataría' (It would kill me).
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: mataría
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'mataría' in the figurative sense of extreme boredom or pain?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'mataría' and 'mató'?
'Mató' is the past action: 'He/she killed' (a finished event). 'Mataría' is hypothetical: 'He/she would kill' (an imagined event depending on a condition). The '-ría' ending always signals 'would'.
Does 'mataría' always refer to 'I' or 'he/she'?
Yes. 'Mataría' can be 'Yo' (I), 'Él/Ella' (He/She/It), or 'Usted' (formal You). You must look at the subject (or implied subject) of the sentence to know who is performing the action.