El martillo golpea el clavo.

The hammer hits the nail.

Breakdown of El martillo golpea el clavo.

• el martillo: the hammer
• el clavo: the nail
• golpear: to hit

Questions & Answers about El martillo golpea el clavo.

Why do we use the definite article el before martillo and clavo instead of an indefinite article like un?

In Spanish, when you make a general statement about a whole class of objects or tools (rather than a specific hammer or nail), you normally use the definite article.
• English: “A hammer hits a nail” (generic)
• Spanish: El martillo golpea el clavo (generic with el)
Using un martillo golpea un clavo would sound odd or overly specific.

Why is the verb golpear in the present indicative (golpea) rather than the past or the progressive?

Spanish uses the simple present tense both for actions happening right now and for habitual or general truths.
• Golpea can mean “it hits” (habitually or now).
If you wanted to stress that the hammer is hitting the nail at this very moment, you could say:
• El martillo está golpeando el clavo.
If you wanted to say it happened in the past:
• El martillo golpeó el clavo.

Why don’t we include a subject pronoun like él before golpea?

Spanish verbs carry their own subject information in the ending. Here, -a tells you it’s third person singular (he/it). Adding él is redundant unless you want to add emphasis or contrast.
• Neutral: El martillo golpea el clavo.
• Emphatic: Él golpea el clavo. (emphasizes “he does the hitting” vs someone else)

Is golpear a regular verb? How do I conjugate it in the present?

Yes, golpear is a regular –ar verb. Present indicative:
yo golpeo
tú golpeas
él/ella/usted golpea
nosotros golpeamos
vosotros golpeáis
ellos/ellas/ustedes golpean

So golpea matches the él/ella/usted form.

Could I say El martillo lo golpea instead of repeating el clavo?

Yes. In Spanish you can replace a masculine singular direct object with the pronoun lo:
• El martillo lo golpea. (The hammer hits it.)
But in simple sentences like this, Spanish often keeps the noun to stay clear, especially for learners.

Why must martillo and clavo be masculine? Is there a rule?

Most Spanish nouns ending in –o are masculine, and most ending in –a are feminine. There are exceptions, but martillo ends in –o and clavo also ends in –o, so they both take the masculine article el.

What’s the difference between golpear and pegar? Can I use pegar here?

Both can mean “to hit,” but:
• Golpear stresses the action of striking with force or an implement.
• Pegar, besides “hit,” can mean “to stick/glue” or “to match” (pegar algo). In many regions, though, people will say pegarle a algo to mean “to hit something.”
So yes, El martillo pega el clavo or El martillo le pega al clavo could be heard, but golpear is more precise for “strike with a hammer.”

Could I change the word order, for example Golpea el clavo el martillo?

Spanish word order is more flexible than English, but the most neutral order is Subject–Verb–Object:
• El martillo golpea el clavo.
If you swap them you either sound poetic/old‐fashioned or you emphasize a different element. It’s best to stick with SVO for clarity when learning.