caber Present Conjugation
caber — to fit
Caber is irregular only in the 'yo' form (quepo); all other forms follow the regular -er pattern.
caber Present Forms
When to Use the Present
Use the present tense to state whether an object fits inside a space right now or to express general capacity (e.g., how many people a room holds).
Notes on caber in the Present
The 'yo' form changes the 'c' to 'qu' and adds an 'p' to become 'quepo'. This is a unique irregularity that keeps the 'k' sound before the 'o'.
Example Sentences
No quepo en este asiento tan pequeño.
I don't fit in this very small seat.
yo
Esa maleta no cabe en el compartimento.
That suitcase doesn't fit in the compartment.
él/ella/usted
Todos cabemos en el coche de mi padre.
We all fit in my father's car.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Saying 'cabo' instead of 'quepo'.
Correct: quepo
Why: Learners often try to make the 'yo' form regular, but 'caber' is highly irregular in the first person.
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Related Tenses
Preterite
yo: cupe
Caber is highly irregular in the preterite, using the stem 'cup-' for all persons.
Imperfect
yo: cabía
Caber is completely regular in the imperfect: cabía, cabías, cabía, cabíamos, cabíais, cabían.
Future
yo: cabré
The future tense of caber uses the irregular stem 'cabr-'.
Conditional
yo: cabría
The conditional uses the same irregular stem as the future: 'cabr-'.
Present Subjunctive
yo: quepa
The present subjunctive is based on the irregular 'yo' form, using the stem 'quep-'.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: cupiera
The imperfect subjunctive uses the irregular preterite stem 'cup-'.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: cabe
The imperative uses 'cabe' for 'tú' but switches to 'quep-' for formal commands.
Negative Imperative
yo: no quepas
Negative commands for caber always use the 'quep-' stem from the present subjunctive.