matanza
/maˈtanθa/
The English phrase 'slaying' can be translated into Spanish as matanza.
matanza refers to the act of killing, often in a violent or large-scale manner.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of matanza is matanzas, which translates to 'slayings' or 'massacres'.
How do you pronounce it?
/maˈtanθa/
Did you know?
- In many parts of Spain, attending la matanza is a festive, social event rather than a grim or violent encounter. These community gatherings involve neighbors coming together to process meat and celebrate local traditions.
- The word matanza is built from the verb matar, which shares a common root with the Arabic word māta, meaning 'to die'.
- While 'slaying' in English can be used as slang for doing something exceptionally well, using matanza in this way would sound very strange and is not a common Spanish idiom.
Examples in context
- Logró derrotar a la competencia con su increíble carisma.He managed to slay the competition with his incredible charisma.
- Ana siempre arrasa en el escenario con su talento.Ana always slays on stage with her talent.
- ¡Juan rompió la pista de baile con sus movimientos increíbles!Juan slayed the dance floor with his amazing moves!
- La matanza de los lobos fue brutal.The slaying of the wolves was brutal.
- Fue una matanza de animales en el bosque.It was a slaying of animals in the forest.
- La historia narra una matanza sin precedentes.The story narrates an unprecedented slaying.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a historical documentary.
- SofíaSofía, ¿viste el documental sobre la guerra?Sofía, did you watch the documentary about the war?
- DanielSí, Daniel. Me horrorizó la matanza de civiles.Yes, Daniel. The slaying of civilians horrified me.
- SofíaFue una tragedia muy triste.It was a very sad tragedy.
- DanielEspero que no vuelva a ocurrir.I hope it never happens again.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry matanza, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries matanza, CC BY-SA 4.0.
