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Verb conjugation

clavarla

to nail it, to hit the nail on the head

Usage

Colloquial "to nail it" — to do something perfectly or get it exactly right, built from clavar ("to nail/drive in") plus the fixed object pronoun la: la clavó, "she nailed it." Very common in casual speech across Spain and Latin America for a great performance, a spot-on guess, or a well-aimed joke.

Examples
  • El comediante la clavó con ese chiste. — The comedian nailed it with that joke.
  • Estudié mucho y creo que la clavé en el examen. — I studied a lot and I think I nailed the exam.
  • El delantero la clavó en el ángulo. — The forward nailed it right in the corner of the goal.
Common mistake

The la is fixed and doesn't change to agree with the thing being "nailed" — it's always la clavó/la clavé, never lo clavó, regardless of what's being described.

Often confused with clavar.

Simple tenses

Imperative (imperativo)

túclávala
nosotrosclavémosla
vosotrosclavadla

Other

Gerund (gerundio)

clavándola

Infinitive (infinitivo)

clavarla

Want to practice? Try a conjugation exercise.

Frequently asked questions

What does "clavarla" mean?

"clavarla" means "to nail it, to hit the nail on the head".

What is the Imperative (imperativo) of "clavarla"?

The imperative (imperativo) of "clavarla" is: tú clávala, nosotros clavémosla, vosotros clavadla.

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