mátalo
“mátalo” means “Kill him” in Spanish (Direct, informal command).
Kill him, Kill it
Also: Do away with him/it
📝 In Action
¡Esa mosca es molesta! Mátalo antes de que nos pique.
B1That fly is annoying! Kill it before it bites us.
Si ves al dragón, no dudes. ¡Mátalo de un solo golpe!
B2If you see the dragon, don't hesitate. Kill it with a single blow!
El director dijo: 'Ese plan no funciona, mátalo y empezamos de cero.'
C1The director said, 'That plan isn't working, kill it (scrap it) and let's start from scratch.'
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
imperfect
present
preterite
subjunctive
imperfect
present
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: mátalo
Question 1 of 2
Which of these is the correct negative command form corresponding to 'mátalo'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
The word 'matar' comes from the Latin verb *mactāre*, which originally meant 'to honor by sacrifice' or 'to slay in sacrifice.' Over time, this meaning softened to the general sense of 'to kill.' 'Mátalo' is the fusion of the command form 'mata' and the pronoun 'lo.'
First recorded: The root verb *matar* appeared in Spanish around the 13th century.
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'mátalo' have an accent mark?
The accent mark is required to keep the stress on the correct syllable. The command 'mata' is stressed on the first 'a' (MA-ta). When you add the pronoun 'lo' (MA-ta-lo), the stress would naturally shift to the second-to-last syllable, which is the second 'a.' The accent on the first 'a' (MÁ-ta-lo) forces the stress back to its original position.
How do I say 'Kill them' (plural) in this structure?
If you are referring to multiple people or things, you would use the plural pronoun 'los' (masculine/mixed) or 'las' (feminine). So, you would say 'mátalos' (kill them, masc.) or 'mátalas' (kill them, fem.).