Ella VerbsHow to conjugate Clavar in Spanish
clavar to hammer, to nail Regular AR Verb
At a glance: Clavar (to hammer, to nail) is a regular -AR verb in Spanish. In the present tense: clavo, clavas, clava, clavamos, claváis, clavan. Because it is fully regular, its endings apply directly to hundreds of other -AR verbs.
- Past participle
- clavado hammered
- Gerund
- clavando hammering
- Similar
- martillar
Table of contents
- Indicative tenses of Clavar
- Clavar in the Indicative Present
- Clavar in the Indicative Preterite
- Clavar in the Indicative Imperfect
- Clavar in the Indicative Present Continuous
- Clavar in the Indicative Informal Future
- Clavar in the Indicative Future
- Clavar in the Indicative Conditional
- Clavar in the Indicative Present Perfect
- Clavar in the Indicative Past Perfect
- Clavar in the Indicative Future Perfect
- Clavar in the Indicative Conditional Perfect
- Subjunctive tenses of Clavar
- Imperative tenses of Clavar
- Verbs that follow the same patterns
- Frequently asked questions
- Downloadable cheat sheet (PDF)
- Practise Clavar conjugations (free mobile app)
Get the Clavar conjugation tables by email
Want a handy PDF of clavar conjugations? Enter your email and we’ll send it straight to your inbox!
Indicative tenses of Clavar
Clavar in the Indicative Present
The Indicative Present of clavar is used to talk about situations, events or thoughts that are happening now or in the near future. It is also used to talk about facts and truths. For example, “clavo”, meaning “I hammer”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Present is known as "El Presente".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | clavo | I hammer |
| Tú | clavas | you hammer |
| Ella / Él / Usted | clava | s/he hammers |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | clavamos | we hammer |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | claváis | you (plural) hammer |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | clavan | they hammer |
How it’s built: Regular: stem clav- plus the -ar endings.
Or use our app:
Back to top
Clavar in the Indicative Preterite
The Indicative Preterite of clavar is used to talk about actions completed in the past, at a specific point in time. For example, “clavé”, meaning “I hammered”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Preterite is known as "El Pretérito Indefinido".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | clavé | I hammered |
| Tú | clavaste | you hammered |
| Ella / Él / Usted | clavó | s/he hammered |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | clavamos | we hammered |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | clavasteis | you (plural) hammered |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | clavaron | they hammered |
How it’s built: Regular: stem clav- plus the -ar endings.
Or use our app:
Back to top
Clavar in the Indicative Imperfect
The Indicative Imperfect of clavar is used to describe regular and repeated actions that happened in the past and descriptions of things you used to do. For example, “clavaba”, meaning “I used to hammer”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Imperfect is known as "El Pretérito Imperfecto".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | clavaba | I used to hammer |
| Tú | clavabas | you used to hammer |
| Ella / Él / Usted | clavaba | s/he used to hammer |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | clavábamos | we used to hammer |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | clavabais | you (plural) used to hammer |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | clavaban | they used to hammer |
How it’s built: Regular: stem clav- plus the -ar endings.
Or use our app:
Back to top
Clavar in the Indicative Present Continuous
The Indicative Present Continuous of clavar is used to talk about something that is happening continuously or right now. For example, “estoy clavando”, meaning “I am hammering”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Present Continuous is known as "El Presente Progresivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | estoy clavando | I am hammering |
| Tú | estás clavando | you are hammering |
| Ella / Él / Usted | está clavando | s/he is hammering |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | estamos clavando | we are hammering |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | estáis clavando | you (plural) are hammering |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | están clavando | they are hammering |
How it’s built: Estar in the present (estoy, estás, está, estamos, estáis, están) plus the gerund clavando.
Or use our app:
Back to top
Clavar in the Indicative Informal Future
The Indicative Informal Future of clavar is used to talk about something that will happen in the future, especially in the near future. For example, “voy a clavar”, meaning “I am going to hammer”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Informal Future is known as "El Futuro Próximo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | voy a clavar | I am going to hammer |
| Tú | vas a clavar | you are going to hammer |
| Ella / Él / Usted | va a clavar | s/he is going to hammer |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | vamos a clavar | we are going to hammer |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | vais a clavar | you (plural) are going to hammer |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | van a clavar | they are going to hammer |
How it’s built: Ir in the present (voy, vas, va, vamos, vais, van), then a, then the infinitive clavar.
Or use our app:
Back to top
Clavar in the Indicative Future
The Indicative Future of clavar is used to talk about something that will happen in the future. For example, “clavaré”, meaning “I will hammer”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Future is known as "El Futuro Simple".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | clavaré | I will hammer |
| Tú | clavarás | you will hammer |
| Ella / Él / Usted | clavará | s/he will hammer |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | clavaremos | we will hammer |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | clavaréis | you (plural) will hammer |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | clavarán | they will hammer |
How it’s built: Regular: the infinitive clavar plus the future endings.
Or use our app:
Back to top
Clavar in the Indicative Conditional
The Indicative Conditional of clavar is used to talk about something that may happen in the future, hypothesis and probabilities. For example, “clavaría”, meaning “I would hammer”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Conditional is known as "El Condicional Simple".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | clavaría | I would hammer |
| Tú | clavarías | you would hammer |
| Ella / Él / Usted | clavaría | s/he would hammer |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | clavaríamos | we would hammer |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | clavaríais | you (plural) would hammer |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | clavarían | they would hammer |
How it’s built: Regular: the infinitive clavar plus the conditional endings.
Or use our app:
Back to top
Clavar in the Indicative Present Perfect
The Indicative Present Perfect of clavar is used to describe actions that started recently (in the past) and are still happening now or things that have been done recently. For example, “he clavado”, meaning “I have hammered”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Present Perfect is known as "El Pretérito Perfecto".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | he clavado | I have hammered |
| Tú | has clavado | you have hammered |
| Ella / Él / Usted | ha clavado | s/he has hammered |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | hemos clavado | we have hammered |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | habéis clavado | you (plural) have hammered |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | han clavado | they have hammered |
How it’s built: Haber in the present (he, has, ha, hemos, habéis, han) plus the past participle clavado.
Or use our app:
Back to top
Clavar in the Indicative Past Perfect
The Indicative Past Perfect of clavar is used to talk about actions that happened before another action in the past. For example, “había clavado”, meaning “I had hammered”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Past Perfect is known as "El Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | había clavado | I had hammered |
| Tú | habías clavado | you had hammered |
| Ella / Él / Usted | había clavado | s/he had hammered |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | habíamos clavado | we had hammered |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | habíais clavado | you (plural) had hammered |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | habían clavado | they had hammered |
How it’s built: Haber in the imperfect (había, habías, había, habíamos, habíais, habían) plus the past participle clavado.
Or use our app:
Back to top
Clavar in the Indicative Future Perfect
The Indicative Future Perfect of clavar is used to talk about something that will have happened in the future after something else has already happened. For example, “habré clavado”, meaning “I will have hammered”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Future Perfect is known as "El Futuro Perfecto".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | habré clavado | I will have hammered |
| Tú | habrás clavado | you will have hammered |
| Ella / Él / Usted | habrá clavado | s/he will have hammered |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | habremos clavado | we will have hammered |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | habréis clavado | you (plural) will have hammered |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | habrán clavado | they will have hammered |
How it’s built: Haber in the future (habré, habrás, habrá, habremos, habréis, habrán) plus the past participle clavado.
Or use our app:
Back to top
Clavar in the Indicative Conditional Perfect
The Indicative Conditional Perfect of clavar is used to talk about something that would have happened in the past but didn’t due to another action. For example, “habría clavado”, meaning “I would have hammered”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Conditional Perfect is known as "El Condicional Perfecto".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | habría clavado | I would have hammered |
| Tú | habrías clavado | you would have hammered |
| Ella / Él / Usted | habría clavado | s/he would have hammered |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | habríamos clavado | we would have hammered |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | habríais clavado | you (plural) would have hammered |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | habrían clavado | they would have hammered |
How it’s built: Haber in the conditional (habría, habrías, habría, habríamos, habríais, habrían) plus the past participle clavado.
Or use our app:
Back to top
Want clavar to come out without thinking?
The app teaches the regular -ar verbs as one pattern, then quizzes you until clavar and every verb like it comes out automatically.
Subjunctive tenses of Clavar
Clavar in the Subjunctive Present
The Subjunctive Present is used to talk about situations of uncertainty, or emotions such as wishes, desires and hopes. It differs from the indicative mood due to the uncertainty of the events which are being spoken about. For example, “clave”, meaning “I hammer”.
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Present is known as "El Presente de Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | clave | I hammer |
| Tú | claves | you hammer |
| Ella / Él / Usted | clave | s/he hammers |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | clavemos | we hammer |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | clavéis | you (plural) hammer |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | claven | they hammer |
How it’s built: Regular: stem clav- plus the -ar subjunctive endings.
Or use our app:
Back to top
Clavar in the Subjunctive Imperfect
The Subjunctive Imperfect is used to speak about unlikely or uncertain events in the past or to cast an opinion (emotional) about something that happened in the past. For example, “clavara”, meaning “I hammered”.
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Imperfect is known as "El Imperfecto Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | clavara | I hammered |
| Tú | clavaras | you hammered |
| Ella / Él / Usted | clavara | s/he hammered |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | claváramos | we hammered |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | clavarais | you (plural) hammered |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | clavaran | they hammered |
How it’s built: Regular: the ellas/ellos preterite, clavaron, without -ron, plus the -ra endings; nosotros adds an accent (claváramos).
Or use our app:
Back to top
Clavar in the Subjunctive Future
The Subjunctive Future is used to speak about hypothetical situations, and actions/events that may happen in the future. For example, “clavare”, meaning “I will hammer”.
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Future is known as "El Futuro de Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | clavare | I will hammer |
| Tú | clavares | you will hammer |
| Ella / Él / Usted | clavare | s/he will hammer |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | claváremos | we will hammer |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | clavareis | you (plural) will hammer |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | clavaren | they will hammer |
How it’s built: Regular: the ellas/ellos preterite, clavaron, without -ron, plus the -re endings; nosotros adds an accent (claváremos).
Or use our app:
Back to top
Clavar in the Subjunctive Present Perfect
The Subjunctive Present Perfect is used to describe past actions or events that are still connected to the present day and to speak about an action that will have happened by a certain time in the future. For example, “haya clavado”, meaning “I have hammered”.
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Present Perfect is known as "El Pretérito Perfecto de Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | haya clavado | I have hammered |
| Tú | hayas clavado | you have hammered |
| Ella / Él / Usted | haya clavado | s/he has hammered |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | hayamos clavado | we have hammered |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | hayáis clavado | you (plural) have hammered |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | hayan clavado | they have hammered |
How it’s built: Haber in the subjunctive present (haya, hayas, haya, hayamos, hayáis, hayan) plus the past participle clavado.
Or use our app:
Back to top
Clavar in the Subjunctive Past Perfect
The Subjunctive Past Perfect is used to speak about hypothetical situations, and actions/events that occurred before other actions/events in the past. For example, “hubiera clavado”, meaning “I had hammered”.
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Past Perfect is known as "El Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto de Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | hubiera clavado | I had hammered |
| Tú | hubieras clavado | you had hammered |
| Ella / Él / Usted | hubiera clavado | s/he had hammered |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | hubiéramos clavado | we had hammered |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | hubierais clavado | you (plural) had hammered |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | hubieran clavado | they had hammered |
How it’s built: Haber in the subjunctive imperfect (hubiera, hubieras, hubiera, hubiéramos, hubierais, hubieran) plus the past participle clavado.
Or use our app:
Back to top
Clavar in the Subjunctive Future Perfect
The Subjunctive Future Perfect is used to speak about something that will have happened if a hypothetical situations occurs in the future. For example, “hubiere clavado”, meaning “I will have hammered”.
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Future Perfect is known as "El Futuro Perfecto de Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | hubiere clavado | I will have hammered |
| Tú | hubieres clavado | you will have hammered |
| Ella / Él / Usted | hubiere clavado | s/he will have hammered |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | hubiéremos clavado | we will have hammered |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | hubiereis clavado | you (plural) will have hammered |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | hubieren clavado | they will have hammered |
How it’s built: Haber in the subjunctive future (hubiere, hubieres, hubiere, hubiéremos, hubiereis, hubieren) plus the past participle clavado.
Or use our app:
Back to top
Imperative tenses of Clavar
Clavar in the Imperative Affirmative
The Imperative Affirmative is used to give orders and commands, to tell someone to do something. For example, “clave”, meaning “(to you formal) hammer!”.
In Spanish, the Imperative Affirmative is known as "El Imperativo Afirmativo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | - | - |
| Tú | clava | (to you) hammer! |
| Ella / Él / Usted | clave | (to you formal) hammer! |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | clavemos | let's hammer! |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | clavad | (to you plural) hammer! |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | claven | (to you plural formal) hammer! |
How it’s built: Tú takes the ella/él present (clava); usted, nosotros and ustedes take the subjunctive present (clave, clavemos, claven); vosotros swaps the final r of the infinitive for a d (clavad).
Or use our app:
Back to top
Clavar in the Imperative Negative
The Imperative Negative is used to give orders and commands, telling someone not to do something. For example, “no clave”, meaning “(to you formal) don't hammer!”.
In Spanish, the Imperative Negative is known as "El Imperativo Negativo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | - | - |
| Tú | no claves | (to you) don't hammer! |
| Ella / Él / Usted | no clave | (to you formal) don't hammer! |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | no clavemos | let's not hammer! |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | no clavéis | (to you plural) don't hammer! |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | no claven | (to you plural formal) don't hammer! |
How it’s built: No plus the subjunctive present: no claves, no clave, no clavemos, no clavéis, no claven.
Or use our app:
Back to top
Frequently asked questions about Clavar
Is clavar a regular or irregular verb?
Clavar is a fully regular -AR verb. It follows the standard -AR conjugation pattern in every tense and mood without any stem changes, spelling changes, or irregular forms. This makes it a model verb for learning the -AR conjugation system.
How do you conjugate clavar in the present tense (presente)?
In the present tense (presente), clavar is conjugated as: yo clavo, tú clavas, él/ella/usted clava, nosotros clavamos, vosotros claváis, ellos/ellas/ustedes clavan. The present tense is used To talk about situations, events or thoughts that are happening now or in the near future. It is also used to talk about facts and truths.
How do you conjugate clavar in the preterite (pretérito indefinido)?
In the preterite (pretérito indefinido), clavar is conjugated as: yo clavé, tú clavaste, él/ella/usted clavó, nosotros clavamos, vosotros clavasteis, ellos/ellas/ustedes clavaron. The preterite is used To talk about actions completed in the past, at a specific point in time.
How do you conjugate clavar in the imperfect (pretérito imperfecto)?
In the imperfect (pretérito imperfecto), clavar is conjugated as: yo clavaba, tú clavabas, él/ella/usted clavaba, nosotros clavábamos, vosotros clavabais, ellos/ellas/ustedes clavaban. The imperfect is used To describe regular and repeated actions that happened in the past and descriptions of things you used to do.
How do you conjugate clavar in the future tense (futuro simple)?
In the future tense (futuro simple), clavar is conjugated as: yo clavaré, tú clavarás, él/ella/usted clavará, nosotros clavaremos, vosotros clavaréis, ellos/ellas/ustedes clavarán. The future tense is used To talk about something that will happen in the future.
How do you conjugate clavar in the present subjunctive (subjuntivo presente)?
In the present subjunctive (subjuntivo presente), clavar is conjugated as: yo clave, tú claves, él/ella/usted clave, nosotros clavemos, vosotros clavéis, ellos/ellas/ustedes claven. The present subjunctive is used To talk about situations of uncertainty, or emotions such as wishes, desires and hopes. It differs from the indicative mood due to the uncertainty of the events which are being spoken about.
Back to top
Downloadable cheat sheets
Download and print a cheat sheet of Clavar Spanish conjugation tables in image or PDF format:
Back to top
Practise Clavar conjugations (free mobile & web app)
Get full conjugation tables for Clavar and 2,500+ other verbs on-the-go with Ella Verbs for iOS, Android, and web.
We also guide you through learning all Spanish tenses and test your knowledge with conjugation quizzes. Download it for free!
Back to top
About Ella Verbs
👋 Hola! We built Ella Verbs to help people (and ourselves!) master one of the hardest parts of Spanish – verb conjugation. It guides you through learning all tenses in an easy-to-follow way, giving you levels of bite-sized lessons and fun quizzes. Here is a 6 minute overview of all of the app’s features:
It has changed a lot over the 9+ years we have been working on it, but the goal remains the same – to help you master Spanish conjugation! You can download and try it for free, and, if you do, please send any and all feedback our way!
– Jane & Brian
Back to top
Want to explore other verb conjugations?
Why not check out Cobrar – to charge (money), to collect (money) or see the complete list of verbs here.
Back to top
