Inklingo

How to Say "plunge" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “plunge” is “caída” — use 'caída' when referring to a sudden, dramatic drop or fall, especially in financial markets, prices, or a physical descent..

English → Spanish

caída

nounB1general
Use 'caída' when referring to a sudden, dramatic drop or fall, especially in financial markets, prices, or a physical descent.

Examples

La caída de las acciones fue alarmante.

The fall of the stocks was alarming.

clavado

/klah-BAH-doh//klaˈβaðo/

nounA2general
Use 'clavado' specifically for a forceful, often athletic, jump or dive into water.
A person mid-air in a graceful dive towards a clear blue swimming pool.

Examples

El niño dio un clavado en la piscina.

The child took a dive into the pool.

El atleta hizo un clavado perfecto desde la plataforma.

The athlete did a perfect dive from the platform.

Me da miedo echarme un clavado en la parte honda.

I'm afraid to take a dive in the deep end.

Vimos los clavados en las Olimpiadas.

We watched the diving at the Olympics.

Action Verbs with Clavado

Unlike English where you just 'dive', in Spanish you usually 'throw' (echar) or 'give' (dar) a dive.

Using 'hacer' too much

Mistake: “Yo hice un clavado.”

Correction: Say 'Me eché un clavado'. While 'hacer' is okay in sports contexts, 'echarse' is much more natural for jumping in a pool.

Caída vs. Clavado

Learners often confuse 'caída' and 'clavado' by using 'caída' for a dive or 'clavado' for a market drop. Remember, 'caída' is for general falls, while 'clavado' is a specific type of dive into water.

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