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clavar

klah-BAHR/klaˈβaɾ/

to nail, to drive in

Also: to stick into
VerbA2regular ar
A hammer striking a silver nail into a wooden board.
gerundclavando
past Participleclavado
infinitiveclavar

📝 In Action

Necesito clavar este cuadro en la pared.

A2

I need to nail this picture to the wall.

Ten cuidado de no clavarte una espina en el pie.

B1

Be careful not to stick a thorn in your foot.

El carpintero clavó las maderas con fuerza.

A2

The carpenter nailed the pieces of wood together with force.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • hincar (to thrust into)
  • sujetar (to fasten)

Antonyms

  • desclavar (to unnail)
  • sacar (to pull out)

Common Collocations

  • clavar un clavo – to drive a nail
  • clavar una estaca – to drive a stake

to fix, to stare at

VerbB1regular ar
A person looking intently at a small butterfly on a leaf.

📝 In Action

Ella clavó los ojos en el extraño.

B1

She fixed her eyes on the stranger.

Él clavó la mirada en el suelo de pura vergüenza.

B1

He fixed his gaze on the floor out of pure shame.

Word Connections

Common Collocations

  • clavar la mirada – to fix one's gaze
  • clavar los ojos – to fix one's eyes

to nail it, to get exactly right

VerbB2regular arinformal
An archer's arrow hitting the exact center of a target.

📝 In Action

¡Clavaste el salto! Fue perfecto.

B2

You nailed the jump! It was perfect.

Clavó la respuesta en el primer intento.

B2

He got the answer exactly right on the first try.

to overcharge, to rip off

VerbC1regular arslang
A sad person holding a single apple while handing over a huge stack of gold coins.

📝 In Action

Nos clavaron cincuenta euros por dos hamburguesas.

C1

They ripped us off fifty euros for two hamburgers.

Ten cuidado en esa tienda, suelen clavar a los turistas.

C1

Be careful in 그 store, they usually overcharge tourists.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Idioms & Expressions

  • clavar un puñal por la espalda – To betray someone

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesclavaran
yoclavara
túclavaras
vosotrosclavarais
nosotrosclaváramos
él/ella/ustedclavara

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesclaven
yoclave
túclaves
vosotrosclavéis
nosotrosclavemos
él/ella/ustedclave

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedesclavaron
yoclavé
túclavaste
vosotrosclavasteis
nosotrosclavamos
él/ella/ustedclavó

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesclavaban
yoclavaba
túclavabas
vosotrosclavabais
nosotrosclavábamos
él/ella/ustedclavaba

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesclavan
yoclavo
túclavas
vosotrosclaváis
nosotrosclavamos
él/ella/ustedclava
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "clavar" in Spanish:

to fix→to nail→to overcharge→

🗣️ Practice in a Tongue Twister

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: clavar

Question 1 of 3

Which sentence uses 'clavar' to mean 'to overcharge'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
clavo(nail) — Noun
clavado(dive / nailed) — Noun / Adjective
clavija(plug / peg) — Noun
desclavar(to remove nails) — Verb
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin word 'clavare', which comes from 'clavus', meaning a nail or a pin.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: claveFrench: clouer

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'clavar' a regular verb?

Yes, it follows the standard pattern for verbs ending in -ar in all tenses.

How do I say 'I stuck a splinter in my finger'?

You should use the reflexive form: 'Me clavé una astilla en el dedo.'

Can 'clavar' be used for sports?

Yes! In sports like diving or gymnastics, if you land perfectly, people will say you 'clavaste' the move.