Today's "Preterit or Imperfect " usage is from " Matar" ' to kill'

Question

Hola, y bienvenido al foro abiert de Español en SpanishDict.com. Hello, and welcome to the open forum at SpanishDict.com

As you already know, English has 7 tenses and Spanish has 13.

Today we will examine the preterite and imperfect Spanish tenses.

I will select the verb that we will use.

I will tell you its verb meaning…in general.

I will also give you the verbs conjugations.

You will need to select one of the conjugations and use it in a sentence.

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Example : “Matar” ‘to kill’… Maté las hormigas. (I killed the ants)

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Please answer in Spanish and English. Please use ‘clip art” if you have it.

And please…enjoy yourself.

Como ya lo sabes, el inglés tiene 7 tiempos y español tiene 13.

Hoy examinaremos los tiempos pretérito e imperfecto de español.

Seleccionaré el verbo que utilizaremos.

Les diré la significación del verbo…por lo general.

También les daré las conjugaciones del verbo.

Tendrán que seleccionar una de las conjugaciones y utilizarla en una frase.

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Por ejemplo : “to kill” – ‘Matar’…I killed the ants. (Maté las hormigas)

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Por favor conteste en español y en inglés. Por favor use ‘el arte de clip” si usted lo tiene. Y por favor … ¡ diviértanse!

El verbo será ; “to kill”, ‘Matar’

The verb will be ; “ Matar” ‘to kill’

El preterito –

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maté, mataste, mató, matamos, mataron

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El imperfecto –

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mataba, matabas, mataba, matábamos, mataban

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Choose one conjugation and use it in a sentence. Escojan una conjugación y utilícenla en una fraze.

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“ Matar ” – ‘ to kill’

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Escríbamela en inglés y español...por favor. Write it for me in English and Spanish please. ¡Incluyan caudros/dibujos…cuando los prefieran! Include pictures/drawings…when you prefer them!

we need a happy one next time viejito :-) - 0095ca4c, Aug 24, 2012

Answer 1

¿Viste una araña en mi cuarto y no la mataste? ¡Yo nunca voy a poder dormir esta noche!

You saw a spider in my room and you didn't kill it? I'm never going to be able to sleep tonight!

Thanks..:) - viejito, Aug 23, 2012

Digo a las arañas, "Si vinisteis en mi casa, voy a mataros." - Jubilado, Aug 24, 2012

Answer 2

Lo mataron a Osama Bin Laden, el líder del grupo extremista islámica Al-Qaeda este año.

They killed Osama Bin Laden, the leader of the Islamic extremist group Al-Qaeda this year.

Very nice, Pumpkin :) - viejito, Aug 23, 2012

I don't think you need that 'lo' pumpkin ;) - Kiwi-Girl, Aug 24, 2012

Answer 3

James Holmes mató doce gente al cine.

James Holmes killed 12 people in the theater.

It was a true tragedy. :( - viejito, Aug 24, 2012

I think he got mad at the university because he failed his oral phd exam. - Maria-Russell, Aug 24, 2012

Answer 4

The detective worked hard to discover who killed who.

El detective trabajó mucho para descubrir quien mató a otro.

Very detective looking :) - viejito, Aug 24, 2012

Answer 5

No sé si se usa la expresión como esto, pero ...

I don't know if the expression is used like this, but ...

Tenía un dolor de cabeza, y el ruido de los niños ¡me mataba!

I had a headache, and the children's noise was killing me!

Disculpe, viejito, no sé como poner "clip-art" aquí.

Está bien....y la frase también :) - viejito, Aug 24, 2012

Answer 6

Maté un conejo anoche para terminar su sufrimiento.

I killed a rabbit last night to end his suffering.

that poor rabbit, but, yum..rabbit stew :) - viejito, Aug 24, 2012

Answer 7

Sentado en una sala de espera para tantas horas me maté.

Sitting in a waiting room for so many hours killed me.

I might have put…”sentado en una sala de espera durante tantas horas me mató” but, worth the points ☺ - viejito, Aug 25, 2012

Answer 8

Yo maté una mosca con la matamosca.

I killed a fly with the flyswatter

:) - viejito, Aug 26, 2012

Answer 9

Él mataba muchas células de su cerebro con las bebidas alcoholicas.

He killed many brain cells with alcoholic beverages.

I would have used (mató ) because your sentence denotes a completed action…as though you are reporting a fact. But, the sentence is nice and deseves a vote ☺ - viejito, Aug 24, 2012

Thanks ,it was my first thought but since I didn't have a particular time I was going for repeated action to connotate habitual abuse. - louise365, Aug 25, 2012

Answer 10

Otro porque soy pacifisto...

No mataba a nadie hasta que me hicieran un soldado.

I didn't used to kill anybody until they made me a soldier.

I probably would have said…”Yo no mataría a nadie hasta que ellos me hicieran un soldado.” But, thanks…worth a vote ☺ - viejito, Aug 25, 2012

Answer 11

Les pidió que terminaran y de una vez lo mataran, y acabar de torturándole.

He asked them to get it over with and just kill him, and put him out of his misery.

imperfect, preterit ?- whoops- Lol :) But, worth a vote :) - viejito, Aug 24, 2012

oh whoopsie, lol, I must have still been in subunctive mood ayayay - Kiwi-Girl, Aug 25, 2012

Answer 12

No sé si el gato lo mató al fin.

I don't know whether the cat killed finally it.

Yes, you have the option with (si)…when assuming a positive…you erase a doubt…which removes a subjunctive mood. So, even though you don’t know, you are assuming, supposing a positive.Thanks, ☺ - viejito, Aug 24, 2012

The speaker decides his/her intent with (si). ☺ - viejito, Aug 24, 2012

No creo que un subjuntivo sea necesario. - Castor77, Aug 24, 2012

Answer 13

Despues mataba 77 gente, el hombre de Norway recibido solo 21 años en prisión.

After killing 77 people. the man from Norway only received 21 years in prison.

I might have put: …Depués de matar a 77 gente, el hombre de Noruega recibió… But, practice makes perfect…and it’s worth the vote☺ - viejito, Aug 24, 2012