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Can't figure out the conjugation of the verb 'matar'

 

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  #1  
Old February 22, 2012, 03:03 PM
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Exclamation Can't figure out the conjugation of the verb 'matar'

Hola,

So I'm still learning spanish, and I was wondering why we'd say '(yo) maté' when we want to say 'I killed', but we should say 'mató' as in 'It was me who killed him': 'Fui yo quien lo mató'. I mean it's still ME who killed HIM, so shouldn't I say 'maté' instead? That would make more sense in my opinion... I'm pretty sure I'm wrong, since I've heard this (the use of 'mató' instead of 'maté') many times in several movies. Could somebody please help me out here and explain to me why it should be this way?

Gracias!
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  #2  
Old February 22, 2012, 03:30 PM
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Because "quien" introduces a third person.

Yo lo maté. -> I killed him.
Fui yo quien lo mató. -> I was the one who killed him.
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  #3  
Old February 22, 2012, 03:43 PM
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Ahhh, ahora lo entiendo. Entonces, puedo decir 'Fui yo que lo maté' o 'Fui yo quien lo mató', no?
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  #4  
Old February 22, 2012, 03:43 PM
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ROBINDESBOIS ROBINDESBOIS is offline
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The explanation is because after a relative we use 3rd person sigular like in English.
Yo maté
Tu mataste
el mató
I,m not completely sure but if you think about it , its quite logical.
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Old February 22, 2012, 03:51 PM
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Muchas gracias, ahora lo entiendo. I was really confused because of that 3rd person-thing, but know I totally get it and it's indeed quite logical. Muy estúpido de mi parte...
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  #6  
Old February 27, 2012, 11:09 PM
ducviloxi ducviloxi is offline
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I was him (fui yo) + he killed him (lo mató) - the first person in the 1st part is clarifying the 3rd person in the 2nd part

I believe the quien is simply joining the two parts together just like in English.

I was the one who killed him
Fui yo quien lo mató

Last edited by ducviloxi; February 27, 2012 at 11:12 PM.
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  #7  
Old February 28, 2012, 06:48 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ducviloxi View Post
I believe the quien is simply joining the two parts together just like in English.

I was the one who killed him
Fui yo quien lo mató
Could you also say "it was me who killed him"? Any difference? Less formal or something like that?
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Old February 28, 2012, 07:07 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Don José View Post
Could you also say "it was me who killed him"? Any difference? Less formal or something like that?
Yes, they are basically equivalent, and they are both variations on "I killed him".

Expanding a basic sentence such as "I killed him" to either "I was the one who killed him" or "It was me who killed him" typically happens in a conversation where the facts are relayed over several sentences. The expanded sentences typically present the new, contrasting or emphasized information (I am responsible) and relate it to previously-known information (someone killed him).
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Old February 28, 2012, 10:39 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wrholt View Post
Yes, they are basically equivalent, and they are both variations on "I killed him".

Expanding a basic sentence such as "I killed him" to either "I was the one who killed him" or "It was me who killed him" typically happens in a conversation where the facts are relayed over several sentences. The expanded sentences typically present the new, contrasting or emphasized information (I am responsible) and relate it to previously-known information (someone killed him).
Thanks. In respect to the explanation, it is the same in Spanish.
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