matar

See also: Matar, måtar, and mātar

Aragonese

Etymology

Most likely from Latin mactāre (through a Vulgar Latin root *mattāre). Alternatively, possibly from Vulgar Latin *mattāre, from Late Latin mattus (“drunk, intoxicated”), related to madidus.

Verb

matar

1. (transitive) to kill

References

• Bal Palazios, Santiago (2002), “matar”, in Dizionario breu de a luenga aragonesa, Zaragoza, →ISBN

Asturian

Etymology

Most likely from Latin mactāre, present active infinitive of mactō (through a Vulgar Latin root *mattāre). Alternatively, possibly from Vulgar Latin *mattāre, from Late Latin mattus (“drunk, intoxicated”), related to madidus.

Verb

matar (first-person singular indicative present mato, past participle matáu)

1. to kill

Conjugation

Conjugation of matar

infinitive		matar
gerund		matando
past participle		m matáu, f matada, n matao, m pl mataos, f pl mataes
person		first singular yo	second singular tu	third singular él/elli	first plural nosotros/nós	second plural vosotros/vós	third plural ellos
indicative	present	mato	mates	mata	matamos	matáis	maten
	imperfect	mataba	matabes	mataba	matábemos, matábamos	matabeis, matabais	mataben
	preterite	maté	matasti, matesti	mató	matemos	matastis, matestis	mataron
	pluperfect	matare, matara	matares, mataras	matare, matara	matáremos, matáramos	matareis, matarais	mataren, mataran
	future	mataré	matarás	matará	mataremos	mataréis	matarán
	conditional	mataría	mataríes	mataría	mataríemos, mataríamos	mataríeis, mataríais	mataríen
subjunctive	present	mate	mates, matas	mate	matemos	matéis	maten, matan
	imperfect	matare, matara	matares, mataras	matare, matara	matáremos, matáramos	matareis, matarais	mataren, mataran
imperative		—	mata	—	—	matái	—

Related terms

• matar

Catalan

Etymology

Most likely from Latin mactāre (through a Vulgar Latin root *mattāre). Alternatively, possibly from Vulgar Latin *mattāre, from Late Latin mattus (“drunk, intoxicated”), related to madidus.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Central) IPA^(key): /məˈta/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /maˈtaɾ/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -a(ɾ)

Verb

matar (first-person singular present mato, past participle matat)

1. to kill

   Synonym: (formal) occir

2. to extinguish

   Synonyms: extingir, apagar

Conjugation

The past participle can optionally be mort.

Conjugation of matar (first conjugation)

infinitive			matar
present participle			matant
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		matat		matada
		plural		matats		matades
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		jo	tu	ell/ella vostè	nosaltres nós	vosaltres vós	ells/elles vostès
	present	mato	mates	mata	matem	mateu	maten
	imperfect	matava	mataves	matava	matàvem	matàveu	mataven
	future	mataré	mataràs	matarà	matarem	matareu	mataran
	preterite	matí	matares	matà	matàrem	matàreu	mataren
	conditional	mataria	mataries	mataria	mataríem	mataríeu	matarien
subjunctive		jo	tu	ell/ella vostè	nosaltres nós	vosaltres vós	ells/elles vostès
	present	mati	matis	mati	matem	mateu	matin
	imperfect	matés	matessis	matés	matéssim	matéssiu	matessin
imperative		—	tu	vostè	nosaltres	vosaltres vós	vostès
		—	mata	mati	matem	mateu	matin

Derived terms

• matablat
• matabou
• matacabrit
• matador
• matadura
• matafred
• matagent
• matallops
• matament
• matamosques
• matança
• mataparent
• matapoll

 

Further reading

• “matar” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “matar”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2023
• “matar” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “matar” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Faroese

Verb

matar

1. second/third-person singular present of mata

Galician

Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese matar, most likely from Latin mactāre, present active infinitive of mactō (through a Vulgar Latin root *mattāre). Alternatively, possibly from Vulgar Latin *mattāre, from Late Latin mattus (“drunk, intoxicated”), related to madidus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /maˈtaɾ/

Verb

matar (first-person singular present mato, first-person singular preterite matei, past participle matado, short past participle morto)

1. (transitive) to kill
2. (takes a reflexive pronoun) to accidentally kill oneself
3. (takes a reflexive pronoun) to commit suicide

   Synonym: suicidar

4. (takes a reflexive pronoun, figurative) to kill oneself (exert oneself)

   Non te mates a barrer as follas agora; esta noite vai ventar. ― Don't kill yourself raking the leaves now; we're due for a windstorm tonight.

5. (transitive) to extinguish, turn off, quench

   Synonym: apagar

Conjugation

    Conjugation of matar (irregular short past participle)

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (ti)	Third-person (el / ela / Vde.)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / Vdes.)
Infinitive
Impersonal	matar
Personal	matar	matares	matar	matarmos	matardes	mataren
Gerund
	matando
Short past participle
Masculine	morto1			mortos1
Feminine	morta1			mortas1
Long past participle
Masculine	matado2			matados2
Feminine	matada2			matadas2
Indicative
Present	mato	matas	mata	matamos	matades	matan
Imperfect	mataba	matabas	mataba	matabamos	matabades	mataban
Preterite	matei	mataches	matou	matamos	matastes	mataron
Pluperfect	matara	mataras	matara	mataramos	matarades	mataran
Future	matarei	matarás	matará	mataremos	mataredes	matarán
Conditional	mataría	matarías	mataría	matariamos	matariades	matarían
Subjunctive
Present	mate	mates	mate	matemos	matedes	maten
Imperfect	matase	matases	matase	matásemos	matásedes	matasen
Future	matar	matares	matar	matarmos	matardes	mataren
Imperative
Affirmative		mata	mate	matemos	matade	maten
Negative (non)		non mates	non mate	non matemos	non matedes	non maten

¹Usually used with auxiliary verbs ser and estar.
²Usually used with auxiliary verbs haber and ter.

    Reintegrated conjugation of matar (irregular short past participle) (See Appendix:Reintegrationism)

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (ti / tu)	Third-person (ele / ela / você)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / vocês)
Infinitive
Impersonal	matar
Personal	matar	matares	matar	matarmos	matardes	matarem
Gerund
	matando
Short past participle
Masculine	morto1			mortos1
Feminine	morta1			mortas1
Long past participle
Masculine	matado2			matados2
Feminine	matada2			matadas2
Indicative
Present	mato	matas	mata	matamos	matades, matais	matam
Imperfect	matava	matavas	matava	matávamos	matávades, matáveis, matávais3	matavam
Preterite	matei	mataste, matache3	matou	matamos	matastes	matárom, mataram
Pluperfect	matara	mataras	matara	matáramos	matárades, matáreis, matárais3	mataram
Future	matarei	matarás	matará	mataremos	mataredes, matareis	matarám, matarão
Conditional	mataria	matarias	mataria	mataríamos	mataríades, mataríeis, mataríais3	matariam
Subjunctive
Present	mate	mates	mate	matemos	matedes, mateis	matem
Imperfect	matasse	matasses	matasse	matássemos	matássedes, matásseis	matassem
Future	matar	matares	matar	matarmos	matardes	matarem
Imperative
Affirmative		mata	mate	matemos	matade, matai	matem
Negative (nom)		nom mates	nom mate	nom matemos	nom matedes, nom mateis	nom matem

¹Usually used with auxiliary verbs ser and estar.
²Usually used with auxiliary verbs haver and ter.
³Less recommended.

Related terms

• matachín
• matadoiro
• matador

References

• “matar” in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval, SLI - ILGA 2006–2022.
• “matar” in Xavier Varela Barreiro & Xavier Gómez Guinovart: Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval. SLI / Grupo TALG / ILG, 2006–2018.
• “matar” in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega, SLI - ILGA 2006–2013.
• “matar” in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega, Royal Galician Academy.
• “matar” in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega. Santiago: ILG.
• “matar” in Dicionário Estraviz de galego (2014).
• “matar” in Álvarez, Rosario (coord.): Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués, Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega.

Ladino

Verb

matar (Latin spelling)

1. to kill

Portuguese

Alternative forms

• mattar (obsolete)
• matá (eye dialect, Brazilian)

Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese matar, probably from Latin mactāre (through Vulgar Latin *mattāre). The development of -ct- would be irregular, however. Hence possibly derived from or influenced by Late Latin mattus (“drunk, intoxicated”), related to madidus. Another possibility is an influence by Arabic مَاتَ‎ (māta, “to die”).

The short past participle is derived from Latin morīre, an unrelated verb that means "to die."

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /maˈta(ʁ)/ [maˈta(h)]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /maˈta(ʁ)/ [maˈta(h)]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /maˈta(ɾ)/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /maˈta(ʁ)/ [maˈta(χ)]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /maˈta(ɻ)/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /mɐˈtaɾ/

• Hyphenation: ma‧tar

Verb

matar (first-person singular present mato, first-person singular preterite matei, past participle matado, short past participle morto)

2. to kill (to cause to die)

   Synonym: assassinar

   Mataram-no a tiros! ― They shot him dead! (literally, “[They] killed him with gunshots!”)

   A geada matará a plantação. ― The frost will kill the crop.

   Ela matou-se com a faca. ― She killed herself with the knife.

4. (figurative, transitive) to kill; to eradicate; to destroy

   Synonyms: erradicar, destruir, acabar com

   Matou-lhe as esperanças ― He killed his hopes.

6. (figurative, informal, transitive) to kill (to cause extreme pain, distress or exhaustion in)

   Synonyms: acabar com, detonar, quebrar, arrebentar

   Minhas pernas estão me matando ― My legs are killing me!

   Essas palavras matam! ― These words kill!

8. (transitive) to kill (to write a story that conveys the death of)

   Hobbes matara o positivismo acerca da revolução. ― Hobbes had killed the positivism surrounding the revolution.

10. (figurative, transitive) to satisfy, to satiate, to quench (to fulfil an emotional or physiological need)

    Synonyms: saciar, satisfazer

    Antes de matar meu desejo de caminhar, preciso matar minha sede. ― Before I satisfy my desire to walk, I need to quench my thirst.

12. (figurative, takes a reflexive pronoun) to break one's back (to make a great effort)

    Synonym: arrebentar-se

    O homem se matava para sustentar a família. ― The man broke his back providing for his family.

14. (colloquial, transitive) to spend [a period of time] doing unimportant things

    Synonym: passar

    A escola ficou fechada hoje; tive o dia inteiro para matar. ― School was closed today; I had the entire day to goof around.

16. (Brazil, slang, transitive) to skip (not to be present in a class)

    Synonym: faltar

    Os alunos mataram a aula de geografia. ― The students skipped geography class.

18. (informal, transitive) to solve (to find the solution to a mystery)

    Synonyms: resolver, solucionar

    Finalmente matei a charada. ― I have finally solved the riddle.

20. (Brazil, slang, transitive) to consume something entirely (especially an alcoholic drink); to knock down

    Matamos uns cascos para relaxar. ― We knocked down a few forties to relax.

22. (sports, transitive) to stop a moving ball

    Synonym: parar

    Passei de longe para o atacante, que matou a bola no peito. ― I passed the ball to the striker from a distance; he then stopped it with his chest.

24. (cue sports, transitive) to pocket (to cause a ball to go into one of the pockets of the table)

    Synonym: encaçapar

    Ela sempre mata duas ou três bolas na primeira tacada. ― She always pockets two or three balls with the first strike.

Conjugation

    Conjugation of matar (irregular short past participle) (See Appendix:Portuguese verbs)

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (tu)	Third-person (ele / ela / você)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / vocês)
Infinitive
Impersonal	matar
Personal	matar	matares	matar	matarmos	matardes	matarem
Gerund
	matando
Short past participle
Masculine	morto1			mortos1
Feminine	morta1			mortas1
Long past participle
Masculine	matado2			matados2
Feminine	matada2			matadas2
Indicative
Present	mato	matas	mata	matamos	matais	matam
Imperfect	matava	matavas	matava	matávamos	matáveis	matavam
Preterite	matei	mataste	matou	matamos3, matámos4	matastes	mataram
Pluperfect	matara	mataras	matara	matáramos	matáreis	mataram
Future	matarei	matarás	matará	mataremos	matareis	matarão
Conditional	mataria	matarias	mataria	mataríamos	mataríeis	matariam
Subjunctive
Present	mate	mates	mate	matemos	mateis	matem
Imperfect	matasse	matasses	matasse	matássemos	matásseis	matassem
Future	matar	matares	matar	matarmos	matardes	matarem
Imperative
Affirmative		mata	mate	matemos	matai	matem
Negative (não)		não mates	não mate	não matemos	não mateis	não matem

¹Usually used with auxiliary verbs ser and estar.
²Usually used with auxiliary verbs haver and ter.
³Brazil.
⁴Portugal.

Quotations

For quotations using this term, see Citations:matar.

Synonyms

• (to commit suicide): suicidar

Derived terms

• matador
• matadouro, matadoiro
• matança

 

Further reading

• “matar” in iDicionário Aulete.
• “matar” in Dicionário inFormal.
• “matar” in Dicionário Aberto based on Novo Diccionário da Língua Portuguesa de Cândido de Figueiredo, 1913
• “matar” in Dicionário infopédia da Língua Portuguesa. Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2023.
• “matar” in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa.
• “matar” in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa.

Serbo-Croatian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mâtar/
• Hyphenation: ma‧tar

Noun

mȁtar m (Cyrillic spelling ма̏тар)

1. Alternative form of mȍtar (“sea fennel”)

Declension

Declension of matar

	singular	plural
nominative	matar	matri
genitive	matra	matara
dative	matru	matrima
accusative	matar	matre
vocative	matre	matri
locative	matru	matrima
instrumental	matrom	matrima

Spanish

Alternative forms

• amatar (obsolete)

Etymology

Several possibilities:

• From Latin mactāre (through a Vulgar Latin *mattāre). Thus, a potential cognate with English mactate.
• From Vulgar Latin *mattāre, from Late Latin mattus (“drunk, intoxicated”), related to madidus. Compare Portuguese and Catalan matar, archaic Italian mattare.
• From Spanish mazar, in turn from maza (“mace, club”); compare Italian ammazzare (“to kill”).
• From Arabic مَاتَ‎ (māta, “to die”), cf. Persian مات‎, the probable source of the second part of English checkmate.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /maˈtaɾ/ [maˈt̪aɾ]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɾ
• Syllabification: ma‧tar

Verb

matar (first-person singular present mato, first-person singular preterite maté, past participle matado)

1. to kill, slay
2. to put out, extinguish (a flame or light)

   Synonyms: extinguir, apagar

3. to butcher
4. to injure, damage

   Synonyms: dañar, enfermar

5. to fatigue, exhaust, tire out

   Synonyms: fatigar, cansar

6. to dull (render dim or obscure; to sully; to tarnish)

   Synonyms: apagar, deslustrar, opacar

7. to round off
8. to ruin

   Synonym: arruinar

9. (colloquial) to kill (to annoy)

   Synonyms: incomodar, molestar

10. (colloquial) to kill (to get mad at)
11. (colloquial) to kill (to amaze, exceed, stun)

    Synonyms: sorprender, asombrar

12. (colloquial) to beat (to be better than)
13. to postmark

    Synonym: matasellar

14. (reflexive) to kill oneself, to commit suicide
15. (reflexive) to be killed, to meet one’s death
16. (reflexive) to become galled, to become chafed, to get sores (said of horses)
17. (reflexive) to wear oneself out

Conjugation

    Conjugation of matar (See Appendix:Spanish verbs)

infinitive			matar
gerund			matando
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		matado		matada
		plural		matados		matadas
		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
indicative		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	mato	matastú matásvos	mata	matamos	matáis	matan
	imperfect	mataba	matabas	mataba	matábamos	matabais	mataban
	preterite	maté	mataste	mató	matamos	matasteis	mataron
	future	mataré	matarás	matará	mataremos	mataréis	matarán
	conditional	mataría	matarías	mataría	mataríamos	mataríais	matarían
subjunctive		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	mate	matestú matésvos2	mate	matemos	matéis	maten
	imperfect (ra)	matara	mataras	matara	matáramos	matarais	mataran
	imperfect (se)	matase	matases	matase	matásemos	mataseis	matasen
	future1	matare	matares	matare	matáremos	matareis	mataren
imperative		—	tú vos	usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ustedes
	affirmative		matatú matávos	mate	matemos	matad	maten
	negative		no mates	no mate	no matemos	no matéis	no maten

¹Mostly obsolete, now mainly used in legal language.
²Argentine and Uruguayan voseo prefers the tú form for the present subjunctive.

    Selected combined forms of matar

These forms are generated automatically and may not actually be used. Pronoun usage varies by region.

		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
with infinitive matar
	dative	matarme	matarte	matarle, matarse	matarnos	mataros	matarles, matarse
	accusative	matarme	matarte	matarlo, matarla, matarse	matarnos	mataros	matarlos, matarlas, matarse
with gerund matando
	dative	matándome	matándote	matándole, matándose	matándonos	matándoos	matándoles, matándose
	accusative	matándome	matándote	matándolo, matándola, matándose	matándonos	matándoos	matándolos, matándolas, matándose
with informal second-person singular tú imperative mata
	dative	mátame	mátate	mátale	mátanos	not used	mátales
	accusative	mátame	mátate	mátalo, mátala	mátanos	not used	mátalos, mátalas
with informal second-person singular vos imperative matá
	dative	matame	matate	matale	matanos	not used	matales
	accusative	matame	matate	matalo, matala	matanos	not used	matalos, matalas
with formal second-person singular imperative mate
	dative	máteme	not used	mátele, mátese	mátenos	not used	máteles
	accusative	máteme	not used	mátelo, mátela, mátese	mátenos	not used	mátelos, mátelas
with first-person plural imperative matemos
	dative	not used	matémoste	matémosle	matémonos	matémoos	matémosles
	accusative	not used	matémoste	matémoslo, matémosla	matémonos	matémoos	matémoslos, matémoslas
with informal second-person plural imperative matad
	dative	matadme	not used	matadle	matadnos	mataos	matadles
	accusative	matadme	not used	matadlo, matadla	matadnos	mataos	matadlos, matadlas
with formal second-person plural imperative maten
	dative	mátenme	not used	mátenle	mátennos	not used	mátenles, mátense
	accusative	mátenme	not used	mátenlo, mátenla	mátennos	not used	mátenlos, mátenlas, mátense

Derived terms

• aquí te pillo, aquí te mato
• cada quien tiene su manera de matar pulgas
• la curiosidad mató al gato
• lo que no mata, engorda
• matabichos
• mataburros
• matacandelas
• matacucarachas
• matadero
• matado
• matador
• matadura
• matahombres
• matahormigas
• Matajudíos
• Matamoros
• matamoros
• matamoscas
• matanza
• mataojos
• matapolicías
• matar al mensajero
• matar de hambre
• matar dos pájaros de un tiro
• matar el hambre
• matar el polvo
• matar la sed
• matarratas
• matarratones
• matasanos
• matasellos
• matasuegras
• matavenados
• mataviejos
• mató tunco tu tata
• matón
• por un perro que maté, mataperros me llamaron
• que me maten
• quien a hierro mata, a hierro muere
• rematar
• si la mirada matara
• suerte de matar
• tanto peca el que mata a la vaca como el que le agarra la pata

 

Related terms

• matarife
• matarse

 

Further reading

• “matar”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014

Swedish

Verb

matar

1. present indicative of mata

Anagrams

• Marta, ramat