clavar

to hammer

to drive

clavar(

klah

bahr

)

A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g. I bought a book.).

transitive verb

1. (to force)

a. to hammer

Ayer clavé dos clavos en la pared del salón para colgar los cuadros.Yesterday, I hammered two nails into the living room wall to hang two paintings.

b. to drive

¡Te clavé una estaca en el pecho, vampiro! ¿Cómo es que sigues con vida?I drove a stake through your heart, vampire! How do you still live?

c. to thrust

El hombre le clavó un cuchillo en la pierna, pero por suerte no fue una herida grave.The man thrust a knife into her leg, but fortunately she wasn't badly wounded.

d. to pin

Clavé las tachuelas en mi corcho para poner las fotos más tarde.I pinned some tacks on my notice board to put up the pictures later.

e. to sink

El perro se asustó y le clavó los dientes en la mano.The dog got frightened and sank his teeth into her hand.

f. to stick

La mujer clavó la sombrilla en la arena para protegerse del sol.The woman stuck the beach umbrella in the sand to protect herself from the sun.

2. (to put up with nails)

a. to nail

Clavamos unas maderas en las ventanas para protegerlas del huracán.We nailed some pieces of wood into the windows to protect them against the hurricane.

3. (to stare)

a. to fix

Clavó la mirada en el ladrón y le dijo que se fuera.She fixed her gaze on the burglar and told him to get out.

A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).

(colloquial)

(to charge excessively)

a. to rip off

A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).

(colloquial)

Ya no voy más a esa tienda; me clavaron demasiadas veces.I stopped shopping at to that store; I was ripped off too often.

b. to get ripped off to the tune of

A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).

(colloquial)

En este supermercado me clavaron diez euros por una botella de aceite.In this supermarket, I got ripped off to the tune of ten euros for a bottle of oil.

5. (to make wait) (Southern Cone)

a. to stand up

No sé por qué sigo esperando a Gabi; siempre me clava.I don't know why I'm still waiting for Gabi; she always stands me up.

6. (sports)

a. to hammer

El jugador clavó la pelota en la canasta.The player hammered the ball into the basket.

b. to drive

Este futbolista clava el balón en la portería cada vez que juega.This footballer drives the ball into the goal every time he plays.

clavarse

A pronominal verb always uses a reflexive pronoun. (e.g. Te ves cansado.).

pronominal verb

7. (to force)

a. to get

Steve se clavó una espina en el dedo gordo del pie y le dolía mucho.Steve got a thorn in his big toe and it hurt a lot.

b. to stick

¡Ay! Me clavé un tenedor en la mano sin querer.Ouch! I accidentally stuck a fork in my hand.

A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).

(colloquial)

(to steal)

Regionalism used in Central America: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama

(Central America)

Regionalism used in Mexico

(Mexico)

a. to swipe

A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).

(colloquial)

Beatriz trató de clavarse un lápiz labial de la tienda.Beatriz tried to swipe a lipstick from the store.

b. to nick

A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).

(colloquial)

(United Kingdom)

Mario se clavó varias camisetas y las dependientas no se dieron cuenta.Mario nicked several T-shirts, and the store clerks didn't realize it.

c. to filch

A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).

(colloquial)

El policía vio al hombre clavarse una botella de vodka.The policeman saw the man filch a bottle of vodka.

9. (sports)

Regionalism used in Central America: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama

(Central America)

Regionalism used in Mexico

(Mexico)

a. to dive

Los clavadistas en Acapulco se clavan desde una altura de 35 metros.Divers in Acapulco dive from a height of 35 meters.

10.

A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).

(colloquial)

(to become obsessed; used with "con")

Regionalism used in Mexico

(Mexico)

a. to be fixated on

Me clavé con el libro que me prestaste. ¡Está buenísimo!I'm fixated on the book you lent me. It's so good!

b. to be into

A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).

(colloquial)

El profesor se clavó con el tema y los alumnos notaron su pasión.The teacher was into the topic, and the students could sense his passion.

11.

A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).

(colloquial)

(to fall in love with; used with "con")

Regionalism used in Central America: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama

(Central America)

Regionalism used in Mexico

(Mexico)

a. to fall for

Beto se clavó con mi compañera de cuarto y no deja de hablar de ella.Beto fell for my roommate and won't stop talking about her.

12.

A word or phrase that is crude, indecent, and generally rejected by society.

(vulgar)

(to have sex with)

Regionalism used in Latin America: all the countries in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Does not include Spain.

(Latin America)

a. to screw

A word or phrase that is crude, indecent, and generally rejected by society.

(vulgar)

Miguel se clavó a la chica que le gustaba el sábado en su casa.Miguel screwed the girl he liked last Saturday at his place.

clavar

A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g. I bought a book.).

transitive verb

1. (clavo, estaca)

a. to drive

2. (cuchillo)

a. to thrust

3. (chincheta, alfiler)

a. to stick

4. (letrero, placa)

a. to nail, to fix

clavó la suela de la botahe nailed on the sole of the boot

5. (mirada, atención)

a. to fix, to rivet

clavar los ojos o la mirada en algo/alguien ento stare at something/somebody

6. (colloquial)

me han clavado cien eurosthey stung me for a hundred euros

en esa tienda te clavanthey charge you an arm and a leg in that shop

A pronominal verb always uses a reflexive pronoun. (e.g. Te ves cansado.).

pronominal verb

7. (hincarse)

me clavé una astilla en el pieI got a splinter in my foot

clavar

transitive verb

1 (hincar) [+clavo] to hammer in

le clavó un cuchillo en el cuello he stuck a knife in his throat; me clavé un alfiler mientras cosía I stuck a needle in(to) my finger while I was sewing; le clavó las uñas en la cara she dug her nails into his face; clavar banderillas (Taur) to thrust banderillas into the bull's neck

el torero clavó banderillas que casi dejan tuerto al siniestro animal El joven Bohórquez clavó banderillas en su sitio

2 (fijar) (con clavos) to nail

ha clavado unas tablas en la puerta he has nailed some panels onto the door

he clavado una tira de madera a la pata de la silla /para que aguante

clavó con chinchetas un póster de su equipo he pinned up a poster of his team

clavaron el anuncio en la puerta con chinchetas

clavar la mirada o los ojos en algn/algo to fix one's gaze o one's eyes on sb/sth

apoyó el cuerpo en un árbol y clavó la mirada en el barro de la orilla le clavó una mirada de súplica ella volvió a clavar sus ojos en los míos clavó los ojos en el retrato de su abuela

3 [+joya] to set; mount

4 (Fútbol) [+pelota] to hammer; drive

el delantero clavó el balón en la red the forward hammered o drove the ball into the net

Sanchis clavó el balón en la red de Buyo hizo un pase perfecto sobre la cabeza del ruso y este clavó el balón donde jamás podría llegar el portero

5 (cobrar de más) to rip off (familiar)

me clavaron 350 euros por una cena I got ripped off to the tune of 350 euros for a meal; —pagué cuarenta euros —pues, te han clavado "I paid forty euros" — "you were ripped off"

6 (hacer perfecto)

—¿cómo has hecho el examen? —lo he clavado "how did the exam go?" — "it was spot on" (familiar)

7 (México) (robar) to swipe (familiar); nick (familiar); pinch (familiar)

pronominal verb

clavarse

1 [+espina, astilla]

se me ha clavado una astilla en la mano I've got a splinter in my hand; se me clavó una raspa en la garganta a fishbone got stuck in my throat

2 (reflexivo)

se clavó la espada he stabbed himself with his sword

3 (Centroamérica) (México) (Dep) to dive

Collins Complete Spanish Electronic Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

Examples

Phrases

clavar los ojos	to stare
clavar con tachuelas	to tack

Machine Translators

Translate clavar using machine translators

See Machine Translations

Conjugations

Participles

Present:	clavando
Past:	clavado

Indicative of "clavar"

	Present	Preterite	Imperfect	Conditional	Future
yo	clavo	clavé	clavaba	clavaría	clavaré
tú	clavas	clavaste	clavabas	clavarías	clavarás
él/ella/Ud.	clava	clavó	clavaba	clavaría	clavará
nosotros	clavamos	clavamos	clavábamos	clavaríamos	clavaremos
vosotros	claváis	clavasteis	clavabais	clavaríais	clavaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds.	clavan	clavaron	clavaban	clavarían	clavarán