How to Say "we killed" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “we killed” is “matamos” — B1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
Todos los veranos matamos las plagas del jardín.
Every summer we kill the pests in the garden.
Ayer matamos dos horas esperando el tren.
Yesterday we killed two hours waiting for the train.
Si matamos la luz, podremos ver las estrellas.
If we turn off the light, we will be able to see the stars.
The Dual Tense Trick
'Matamos' is special because it is the exact same form for both the Present tense ('we kill') and the Simple Past tense ('we killed'). This only happens with the 'nosotros' form of verbs that end in -ar.
'Nosotros' Form
This form always refers to 'we' (nosotros/nosotras) doing the action. The context of the sentence (like time markers) tells you if the action is happening now or happened in the past.
Confusing Tenses
Mistake: “Using 'Matamos' to mean 'We killed' without including a past time word, making the listener think you mean 'We kill' now.”
Correction: Always use a clear time marker for the past: 'Ayer matamos la luz' (Yesterday we turned off the light). If no time is mentioned, assume Present: 'Siempre matamos la luz' (We always turn off the light).
Related Translations
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