Inklingo
← Dictionary

cavar

kah-BAHR/kaˈβaɾ/

“cavar” means “to dig” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

to dig

Also: to excavate
VerbA2regular ar
A silver shovel digging into brown earth to create a deep hole.
infinitivecavar
past Participlecavado
gerundcavando

📝 In Action

El perro empezó a cavar un hoyo para esconder su hueso.

A2

The dog started to dig a hole to hide his bone.

Tuvimos que cavar mucho para encontrar la tubería.

B1

We had to dig a lot to find the pipe.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • excavar (to excavate)
  • ahondar (to deepen)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • cavar un hoyo – to dig a hole
  • cavar una zanja – to dig a ditch
  • cavar la tierra – to dig the earth/soil

Idioms & Expressions

  • cavar su propia tumba – to do something that will cause your own failure or downfall

to hoe

Also: to till
VerbB2regular ar
A garden hoe loosening the soil around a small green leafy plant.
infinitivecavar
past Participlecavado
gerundcavando

📝 In Action

Es necesario cavar las vides en primavera.

B2

It is necessary to hoe the vines in spring.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • labrar (to till/work the land)

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

present

yocave
nosotroscavemos
ellos/ellas/ustedescaven
túcaves
vosotroscavéis
él/ella/ustedcave

imperfect

yocavara
nosotroscaváramos
ellos/ellas/ustedescavaran
túcavaras
vosotroscavarais
él/ella/ustedcavara

indicative

present

yocavo
nosotroscavamos
ellos/ellas/ustedescavan
túcavas
vosotroscaváis
él/ella/ustedcava

imperfect

yocavaba
nosotroscavábamos
ellos/ellas/ustedescavaban
túcavabas
vosotroscavabais
él/ella/ustedcavaba

preterite

yocavé
nosotroscavamos
ellos/ellas/ustedescavaron
túcavaste
vosotroscavasteis
él/ella/ustedcavó
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "cavar" in Spanish:

to dig→to excavate→to hoe→to till→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: cavar

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'cavar' to mean 'to dig a hole'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
cavador(digger/person who digs) — Noun
cavado(the act of digging or a dug-out space) — Noun
excavar(to excavate) — Verb
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin word 'cavāre', which comes from 'cavus' meaning 'hollow'. It's the same root that gave us the English word 'cave'.

First recorded: 12th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: excavateFrench: caverItalian: cavare

💡 Master Spanish

Take your Spanish to the next level. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories tailored to your level with the Inklingo app!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'cavar' an irregular verb?

No, 'cavar' is a perfectly regular -ar verb. It follows all the standard rules for conjugation.

What is the difference between 'cavar' and 'excavar'?

'Cavar' is the general word for digging (like a dog or a gardener). 'Excavar' is usually more formal, used for construction or archaeology.