How to Say "to assassinate" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “to assassinate” is “asesinar” — B1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
La investigación busca a la persona que pudo asesinar al periodista.
The investigation is looking for the person who could have murdered the journalist.
El dictador fue asesinado en 1985.
The dictator was assassinated in 1985.
No hay motivo para asesinar a nadie.
There is no reason to murder anyone.
Regular AR Verb
This is a regular verb ending in -ar, which means it follows the standard, predictable pattern for conjugation. Once you know one regular -ar verb (like 'hablar'), you know them all!
The Personal 'a'
Because 'asesinar' acts upon a person (the victim), you must use the little word 'a' right before the person's name or title: 'Asesinaron al presidente.'
Confusing 'asesinar' and 'matar'
Mistake: “Using 'asesinar' when you just mean 'kill' in a non-criminal context (like killing a bug).”
Correction: 'Asesinar' means *murder* or *assassinate* (always intentional and illegal). Use 'matar' for general killing. 'Maté una mosca' (I killed a fly).
Related Translations
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