Clavar Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb clavar means to nail, to stick in, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know 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. Like every Spanish verb, clavar changes its ending for each person and tense, and this page gives you the complete picture: every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle, all from the verified conjugation tables. For example, in the present tense you say clavo un clavo en la pared, and in the preterite you say clavé el cartel en la puerta. Work through the tables below, read the notes for each tense, and then test yourself with the examples, the common mistakes and the quiz at the end of the page.

Quick facts

  • Infinitive: clavar
  • English: to nail, to stick in
  • Verb type: regular -ar verb
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: clavando
  • Past participle: clavado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + clavado)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for clavar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Clavar is fully regular: clavo, clava. It is nailing or sticking something in; fijar is fixing something so it stays put.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for clavar. The imperfect subjunctive is shown in its -ra forms; the -se forms use the same stem. For reflexive verbs, the pronoun column shows the reflexive pronoun that goes before each form.

Present indicative

Person Form
yo clavo
tú clavas
él/ella/Ud. clava
nosotros/as clavamos
vosotros/as claváis
ellos/ellas/Uds. clavan

Preterite

Person Form
yo clavé
tú clavaste
él/ella/Ud. clavó
nosotros/as clavamos
vosotros/as clavasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. clavaron

Imperfect

Person Form
yo clavaba
tú clavabas
él/ella/Ud. clavaba
nosotros/as clavábamos
vosotros/as clavabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. clavaban

Future

Person Form
yo clavaré
tú clavarás
él/ella/Ud. clavará
nosotros/as clavaremos
vosotros/as clavaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. clavarán

Conditional

Person Form
yo clavaría
tú clavarías
él/ella/Ud. clavaría
nosotros/as clavaríamos
vosotros/as clavaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. clavarían

Present perfect

Person Form
yo he clavado
tú has clavado
él/ella/Ud. ha clavado
nosotros/as hemos clavado
vosotros/as habéis clavado
ellos/ellas/Uds. han clavado

Pluperfect

Person Form
yo había clavado
tú habías clavado
él/ella/Ud. había clavado
nosotros/as habíamos clavado
vosotros/as habíais clavado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habían clavado

Future perfect

Person Form
yo habré clavado
tú habrás clavado
él/ella/Ud. habrá clavado
nosotros/as habremos clavado
vosotros/as habréis clavado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habrán clavado

Conditional perfect

Person Form
yo habría clavado
tú habrías clavado
él/ella/Ud. habría clavado
nosotros/as habríamos clavado
vosotros/as habríais clavado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habrían clavado

Present subjunctive

Person Form
yo clave
tú claves
él/ella/Ud. clave
nosotros/as clavemos
vosotros/as clavéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. claven

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo clavara
tú clavaras
él/ella/Ud. clavara
nosotros/as claváramos
vosotros/as clavarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. clavaran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú clava
él/ella/Ud. clave
nosotros/as clavemos
vosotros/as clavad
ellos/ellas/Uds. claven

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú claves
él/ella/Ud. clave
nosotros/as clavemos
vosotros/as clavéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. claven

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund clavando with estar for the progressive: estoy clavando
Past participle clavado with haber for the perfect tenses: he clavado

How to use each tense

Present indicative

Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For clavar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Clavo un clavo en la pared. Learn the present forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Preterite

Use the preterite for finished actions with a clear end, often with ayer, el año pasado or anoche. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For clavar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, clavé la mirada en el suelo. Learn the preterite forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Imperfect

Use the imperfect for background, habits and actions in progress in the past, often with de niño, antes or mientras. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For clavar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, clavaba el cartel en la puerta. Learn the imperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Future

Use the future for plans, predictions and promises, often with mañana, el año que viene or pronto. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For clavar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, clavaré la estaca en la tierra. Learn the future forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Conditional

Use the conditional for polite requests, hypotheticals and what would happen, often with si clauses. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For clavar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Clavaría un clavo en la pared si pudiera. Learn the conditional forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Present perfect

Use the present perfect for recent actions and experiences, often with hoy, esta semana or ya. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For clavar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he clavado la mirada en el suelo. Learn the present perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Pluperfect

Use the pluperfect when one past action happened before another past action. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For clavar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había clavado el cartel en la puerta antes de salir. Learn the pluperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Future perfect

Use the future perfect for something that will already be finished by a future time. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For clavar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré clavado la estaca en la tierra. Learn the future perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Conditional perfect

Use the conditional perfect for what would have happened under different conditions. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For clavar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría clavado un clavo en la pared con más tiempo. Learn the conditional perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Present subjunctive

Use the present subjunctive after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and hope, such as espero que or quiero que. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For clavar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él clave la mirada en el suelo. Learn the present subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Use the imperfect subjunctive after past wishes and in si clauses about the past, and note the -ra forms shown here; the -se forms use the same stem. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For clavar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él clavara el cartel en la puerta, todo cambiaría. Learn the imperfect subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Imperative (affirmative)

Use the affirmative imperative for direct commands, instructions and invitations. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For clavar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Clava la estaca en la tierra! Learn the affirmative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Imperative (negative)

Use the negative imperative, always with no, to tell someone not to do something. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For clavar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No claves un clavo en la pared. Learn the negative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Example sentences

Ten natural sentences with clavar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Clavo un clavo en la pared. — I nail a nail in the wall.
  2. Clava la mirada en el suelo. — He/she nails my gaze on the ground.
  3. Ayer, clavé el cartel en la puerta. — Yesterday, I nailed the poster on the door.
  4. Antes, nosotros clavábamos la estaca en la tierra. — Before, we used to nail the stake in the earth.
  5. Mañana, tú clavarás un clavo en la pared. — Tomorrow, you will nail a nail in the wall.
  6. Yo clavaría la mirada en el suelo si tuviera más tiempo. — I would nail my gaze on the ground if I had more time.
  7. Él ha clavado el cartel en la puerta. — He has nailed the poster on the door.
  8. Espero que él clave la estaca en la tierra. — I hope he nails the stake in the earth.
  9. Yo ya había clavado un clavo en la pared antes de salir. — I had already nailed a nail in the wall before leaving.
  10. Ellos clavaban la mirada en el suelo cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to nail my gaze on the ground when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo clava un clavo en la pared. — Right: 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.
  2. Wrong: Ayer yo clavo la mirada en el suelo. — Right: 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.
  3. Wrong: Treating clavar and fijar as identical in every context. — Right: 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.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy clavado la mirada en el suelo. — Right: 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.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo clavé el cartel en la puerta todos los días. — Right: 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: test yourself

Ten questions on clavar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ un clavo en la pared. (present tense) A. clavo B. clavas C. clava D. clavamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ la mirada en el suelo. (preterite) A. clavé B. clavaste C. clavaron D. clavó

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ el cartel en la puerta. (imperfect) A. clavabas B. clavaban C. clavábamos D. clavaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ la estaca en la tierra. (future) A. clavaremos B. clavarás C. clavaré D. clavará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ un clavo en la pared si pudiera. (conditional) A. clavaría B. clavarías C. clavarían D. clavo

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ la mirada en el suelo. (present subjunctive) A. claves B. clavemos C. clavo D. clave

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ el cartel en la puerta, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. claváramos B. clavo C. clavara D. clavaras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ la estaca en la tierra. (present perfect) A. han clavado B. hemos clavado C. he clavado D. has clavado

  9. Complete the command: ¡___ un clavo en la pared! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. clava B. clave C. clavemos D. clavad

  10. Which is the gerund of clavar, used with estar for the progressive? A. clavado B. clavo C. clavé D. clavando

Answer key

  1. clavo — The first-person present of clavar is clavo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. clavó — The third-person preterite of clavar is clavó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. clavábamos — The nosotros imperfect of clavar is clavábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. clavarás — The second-person future of clavar is clavarás.
  5. clavaría — The first-person conditional of clavar is clavaría, the form for what would happen.
  6. clave — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of clavar is clave.
  7. clavara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of clavar is clavara.
  8. hemos clavado — The nosotros present perfect of clavar is hemos clavado: hemos + clavado.
  9. clava — The affirmative tú imperative of clavar is clava.
  10. clavando — The gerund of clavar is clavando: estoy clavando. The participle clavado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does clavar mean in English?

Clavar means to nail, to stick in. It is used in everyday situations such as Clavo un clavo en la pared. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is clavar regular or irregular?

Clavar is a fully regular -ar verb, so every tense follows the standard endings for its class. Once you know the regular pattern, you can produce every form on this page, including clavo in the present and clavé in the preterite.

What is the difference between clavar and fijar?

Clavar means to nail, to stick in, while fijar means to fix in place. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use clavar when you mean to nail, to stick in, as in Clavo un clavo en la pared, and use fijar for to fix in place. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I nail” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo clavé la mirada en el suelo. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo clavaba el cartel en la puerta. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he clavado la mirada en el suelo.

How do I practise clavar?

Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the clavar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.

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