Translation
to subdue, to bring to heel, to quell
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Word origin
From the chess term échec et mat ('checkmate'), which came through Arabic from the Persian phrase shah mat ('the king is helpless').
- Origin
- Persian
- Root
- shah mat
- English cognates
- checkmate
Grammar
Conjugation
Regular -er conjugation. Pronouns: je, tu, il/elle, nous, vous, ils/elles.
Indicative
| Person | Present | Imperfect | Past historic | Future | Conditional |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| je | mate | matais | matai | materai | materais |
| tu | mates | matais | matas | materas | materais |
| il/elle | mate | matait | mata | matera | materait |
| nous | matons | mations | matâmes | materons | materions |
| vous | matez | matiez | matâtes | materez | materiez |
| ils/elles | matent | mataient | matèrent | materont | materaient |
Subjunctive
| Person | Present | Imperfect |
|---|---|---|
| je | mate | matasse |
| tu | mates | matasses |
| il/elle | mate | matât |
| nous | mations | matassions |
| vous | matiez | matassiez |
| ils/elles | matent | matassent |
Imperative
| Person | Affirmative |
|---|---|
| tu | mate |
| nous | matons |
| vous | matez |
Non-finite
- Gerund / present participle
- matant
- Past participle
- maté · matée · matés · matées
Examples
.
The army put down the revolt in a few hours.
.
That boy needs bringing to heel before he goes too far.
.
The boss keeps his staff in line through fear.
.
They bring the dog to heel as soon as it bares its teeth.
.
We are finally getting on top of this old noise problem.
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French · Free printables
mater: worksheet, infographic and listicleThe padlock and Plus mark show a Kilo Lingo Plus feature. Start your free week to unlock it - no card needed.
Free printable study downloads for the French word "mater" (to subdue, to bring to heel, to quell): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free week (no card)This word is taught in chapter 32, lesson 11: mater, domicile, banane and 7 more words.