Clavar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

clavar means “to nail, to stick in” in English, and this page shows you how it actually sounds in everyday Spanish — not just the conjugation table, but the verb in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make with it. Clavar means to nail or to stick in, to fix something with a nail or to push something sharp into a surface. It is a household and workshop verb, fully regular, and it is also used for staring fixedly at someone. Below you will find twelve example sentences grouped by tense, two short dialogues, the most common mistakes with corrections, and a ten-question quiz with explained answers. If you want the full tables first, start with the full conjugation of clavar; if you want to study one tense in depth, see the clavar present tense page.

clavar in everyday use: examples with translations

In the present tense

  1. Yo clavo un clavo en la pared. — “I nail a nail in the wall.”
  2. Él clava la mirada en el suelo. — “He nails my gaze on the ground.”
  3. Nosotros clavamos el cartel en la puerta. — “We nail the poster on the door.”
  4. Ellos clavan la estaca en la tierra. — “They nail the stake in the earth.”

In the past

  1. Ayer, yo clavé la mirada en el suelo. — “Yesterday, I nailed my gaze on the ground.”
  2. Antes, nosotros clavábamos el cartel en la puerta. — “Before, we used to nail the poster on the door.”
  3. Él clavó la estaca en la tierra. — “He nailed the stake in the earth.”
  4. Yo ya había clavado un clavo en la pared antes de salir. — “I had already nailed a nail in the wall before leaving.”

Plans, hopes and possibilities

  1. Mañana, tú clavarás un clavo en la pared. — “Tomorrow, you will nail a nail in the wall.”
  2. Yo clavaría la mirada en el suelo si tuviera más tiempo. — “I would nail my gaze on the ground if I had more time.”
  3. Él ha clavado el cartel en la puerta. — “He has nailed the poster on the door.”
  4. Espero que él clave la estaca en la tierra. — “I hope he nails the stake in the earth.”

clavar in conversation

Two short dialogues that use clavar the way people really speak it. Notice how the verb changes with the person, and how the same verb fits different situations.

Two friends talk about their day.

  • Ana: Yo clavo un clavo en la pared. — “I nail a nail in the wall.”
  • Bea: Él clava la mirada en el suelo. — “He nails my gaze on the ground.”
  • Ana: Ayer, yo clavé la mirada en el suelo. — “Yesterday, I nailed my gaze on the ground.”
  • Bea: Mañana, tú clavarás un clavo en la pared. — “Tomorrow, you will nail a nail in the wall.”

At home, talking about tomorrow.

  • Luis: Nosotros clavamos el cartel en la puerta. — “We nail the poster on the door.”
  • Marta: Antes, nosotros clavábamos el cartel en la puerta. — “Before, we used to nail the poster on the door.”
  • Luis: Yo clavaría la mirada en el suelo si tuviera más tiempo. — “I would nail my gaze on the ground if I had more time.”
  • Marta: Espero que él clave la estaca en la tierra. — “I hope he nails the stake in the earth.”

A short scene with clavar

A short scene shows how clavar works across the day. In the morning: Clavo un clavo en la pared. In the afternoon: Clava la mirada en el suelo. Yesterday it was different: Ayer, clavé el cartel en la puerta. And tomorrow: Mañana, clavaré la estaca en la tierra. Four small moments, four tenses, one verb — that is how clavar sounds in real life. Try changing the person in each sentence: say it about yourself, about a friend, and about your family, and the forms will start to feel automatic.

Common mistakes with clavar

The errors learners actually make with clavar, each with the wrong form, the right form, and why the right form is right.

✗ Yo clava un clavo en la pared.

✓ Correct: Yo clavo un clavo en la pared.

The person matters: clava is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is clavo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.

✗ Ayer yo clavo la mirada en el suelo.

✓ Correct: Ayer yo clavé la mirada en el suelo.

The present and the preterite are different tenses: clavo is happening now, while clavé is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.

✗ Treating clavar and fijar as identical in every context.

✓ Correct: Clavar means to nail, to stick in, while fijar means to fix in place.

They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: clavar fits sentences such as Clavo un clavo en la pared, while fijar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.

✗ Yo soy clavado la mirada en el suelo.

✓ Correct: Yo he clavado la mirada en el suelo.

Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he clavado, has clavado, ha clavado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.

✗ De niño, yo clavé el cartel en la puerta todos los días.

✓ Correct: De niño, yo clavaba el cartel en la puerta todos los días.

For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (clavaba), not the preterite. The preterite (clavé) is for one finished action.

Quiz: clavar in use

Ten questions on clavar — its forms, its tenses and its everyday use. Choose the best answer for each one, then check the answer key below, where every answer is explained.

1. Complete the sentence: Él ______ la mirada en el suelo. — “He/she nails my gaze on the ground.”

  • a) clava
  • b) clavo
  • c) clavas
  • d) clavamos

2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, yo ______ el cartel en la puerta. — “Yesterday, I nailed the poster on the door.”

  • a) clavaste
  • b) clavó
  • c) clavaron
  • d) clavé

3. Complete the sentence: Ellos ______ la estaca en la tierra cuando eran jóvenes. — “They used to nail the stake in the earth when they were young.”

  • a) clavabas
  • b) clavábamos
  • c) clavaban
  • d) clavaba

4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, nosotros ______ un clavo en la pared. — “Tomorrow, we will nail a nail in the wall.”

  • a) clavarán
  • b) clavaremos
  • c) clavaré
  • d) clavarás

5. Complete the sentence: Él ______ la mirada en el suelo si pudiera. — “He would nail my gaze on the ground if he could.”

  • a) clavaría
  • b) clavarías
  • c) clavaríamos
  • d) clavo

6. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ el cartel en la puerta. — “I have nailed the poster on the door.”

  • a) has clavado
  • b) ha clavado
  • c) han clavado
  • d) he clavado

7. Complete the sentence: Espero que tú ______ la estaca en la tierra. — “I hope you nail the stake in the earth.”

  • a) clavemos
  • b) clavo
  • c) claves
  • d) clave

8. Which is the past participle of clavar, used with haber in the perfect tenses?

  • a) clavé
  • b) clavado
  • c) clavando
  • d) clavo

9. What does clavar mean in English?

  • a) to nail, to stick in
  • b) to fix in place
  • c) to shelter, to cover
  • d) to rub shoulders with

10. Which sentence is correct?

  • a) Él clava la mirada en el suelo.
  • b) Él clavo la mirada en el suelo.
  • c) Nosotros clava el cartel en la puerta.
  • d) Yo clava un clavo en la pared.

Answer key

  1. a) clava — The sentence needs the él/ella/Ud. form in the present: clava.

  2. d) clavé — The sentence needs the yo form in the preterite: clavé, for one finished action yesterday.

  3. c) clavaban — The sentence needs the ellos/ellas form in the imperfect: clavaban, for a repeated past habit.

  4. b) clavaremos — The sentence needs the nosotros form in the future: clavaremos.

  5. a) clavaría — The sentence needs the él/ella/Ud. form in the conditional: clavaría.

  6. d) he clavado — The sentence needs the yo form in the present perfect: he clavado, haber + clavado.

  7. c) claves — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the tú present subjunctive is claves.

  8. b) clavado — The past participle is clavado: he clavado, has clavado, ha clavado. The gerund clavando is used with estar instead.

  9. a) to nail, to stick in — clavar means to nail, to stick in. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.

  10. a) Él clava la mirada en el suelo. — Él clava la mirada en el suelo. is correct: the verb agrees with its subject. The other sentences mix up the person and the form.

Frequently asked questions

How do I use clavar in everyday conversation?

Start with the phrases in the examples above — especially the common combinations such as Clavo un clavo en la pared and Clava la mirada en el suelo. Use the present tense for habits and general facts, and the preterite for things that happened once. Say the sentences aloud until the forms feel automatic, then swap in your own details: your own town, your own family, your own routine.

What is the difference between clavar and fijar?

Clavar means “to nail, to stick in”, while fijar means “to fix in place”. They are related words that learners often meet together, but they are not interchangeable — use clavar when you mean “to nail, to stick in” and fijar when you mean “to fix in place”.

Which tense do I need most with clavar?

The present tense, for habits, routines and general facts — that is where you will use clavar most. The preterite comes next, for things that happened once and ended. The examples on this page use both, plus the imperfect, the future and the present perfect, so you can see the verb across the tenses you actually need.

Is clavar formal or informal?

Clavar is neutral — it is used in both formal and informal Spanish, at home, at work and at school. There is no special formal version of it; the same forms work in a conversation with a friend and in a letter to a company. What changes is the situation, not the verb.

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