How to Say "to slaughter" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to slaughter” is “masacrar” — use 'masacrar' when referring to the killing of many people or animals in a brutal and indiscriminate way, often in a violent conflict or act of cruelty..
masacrar
/mah-sah-krar//masaˈkɾaɾ/
Examples
Las tropas masacraron a los rebeldes sin piedad.
The troops massacred the rebels without mercy.
Es horrible cómo masacraron a esos elefantes por su marfil.
It's horrible how they slaughtered those elephants for their ivory.
El dictador ordenó masacrar a la población civil.
The dictator ordered the massacre of the civilian population.
Using the 'Personal A'
In Spanish, when the thing being 'masacrado' is a person or a pet, you must put the word 'a' before them. Example: 'Masacraron a los soldados' (They massacred the soldiers).
It's a Regular Verb
Good news! This verb follows the standard rules for verbs ending in -ar, so it has no surprise spelling changes in its conjugation.
Missing the 'A'
Mistake: “Masacraron los civiles.”
Correction: Masacraron a los civiles. You need the 'a' because civilians are people.
sacrificar
/sah-cree-fee-KAHR//sakɾifiˈkaɾ/
Examples
Tuvieron que sacrificar al perro porque estaba muy enfermo.
They had to put the dog down because he was very sick.
Las antiguas civilizaciones sacrificaban animales a sus dioses.
Ancient civilizations sacrificed animals to their gods.
Don't use it for murder
Mistake: “El ladrón sacrificó al hombre.”
Correction: El ladrón mató al hombre. 'Sacrificar' is for animals, rituals, or noble giving; it sounds very strange or overly dramatic when used for common crimes.
Masacrar vs. Sacrificar
Related Translations
Learn Spanish with Inklingo
Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.