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Conjugation Chart

“Cubrir” (to cover) in the Present Tense

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Understanding the Present Tense of “Cubrir”

The Present Tense of Cubrir is used to describe actions happening in the present moment or habitual actions, for example: Cubres la mesa con un mantel. (You cover the table with a tablecloth.)

Cubrir is a regular -ir verb, meaning its conjugations follow the standard pattern for verbs ending in -ir in the present tense.

How to Use Cubrir in the Present Tense

Cubrir generally means to cover or to cover up, but has several different meanings in the Present Tense, some of which might surprise you.

To cover (physically): For example, Yo cubro la mesa con un mantel. (I cover the table with a tablecloth.)

To cover (metaphorically): For example, El seguro cubre los gastos médicos. (The insurance covers the medical expenses.)

To take someone’s place: For example, Tú cubres mi turno mientras voy al baño. (You cover my shift while I go to the bathroom.)

To cover a distance: For example, Cubrimos 20 kilómetros en una hora. (We covered 20 kilometers in an hour.)

To cover up (hide): For example, Ella cubre sus mentiras con más mentiras. (She covers up her lies with more lies.)

To cover (report on): For example, Los periodistas cubren el evento. (The journalists cover the event.)

To cover (pay for): For example, Yo cubro la cuenta esta vez. (I’ll cover the bill this time.)

Slang: To cover (have sex with): For example, Vosotros os cubríis anoche, ¿no? (You guys covered each other last night, didn’t you?)

Real Life Examples of Cubrir in the Present Tense

Yo cubro los gastos de la casa con mi sueldo. (I cover the household expenses with my salary.)

Mi compañero de trabajo cubre mis turnos cuando estoy de vacaciones. (My co-worker covers my shifts when I’m on vacation.)

En la oficina, cubrimos todos los proyectos importantes con nuestro equipo. (At the office, we cover all the important projects with our team.)

¿Ustedes cubren los gastos del viaje o prefieren pagar por separado? (Do you cover the travel expenses or do you prefer to pay separately?)

Mis padres cubren la matrícula de la universidad para mis hermanos y para mí. (My parents cover the university tuition for my siblings and me.)

El seguro médico cubre la mayoría de los gastos, pero tenemos que pagar un deducible. (Health insurance covers most of the expenses, but we have to pay a deductible.)

Para el evento, cubrimos todos los detalles con anticipación para que todo salga perfecto. (For the event, we cover all the details in advance so that everything goes perfectly.)

Los periodistas cubren las noticias más importantes del día en su programa. (The journalists cover the most important news of the day on their program.)

Tú cubres la renta este mes y yo la cubro el próximo mes, ¿te parece justo? (You cover the rent this month and I’ll cover it next month, does that seem fair?)

Nuestro equipo cubre todas las bases para asegurar el éxito del proyecto. (Our team covers all the bases to ensure the success of the project.)

En la empresa, cubrimos todos los aspectos legales antes de lanzar un nuevo producto. (At the company, we cover all legal aspects before launching a new product.)

Los voluntarios cubren las necesidades básicas de las familias afectadas por el desastre natural. (The volunteers cover the basic needs of the families affected by the natural disaster.)

Mis amigos y yo cubrimos los gastos del viaje por partes iguales para que sea justo. (My friends and I cover the travel expenses equally so it’s fair.)

Conjugation Chart with English Translations

Conjugations of Cubrir (to cover) in the Present Tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Present tense is also known as the Simple Present, Present Simple, Present Tense, or Present Indicative in English, and as Presente de Indicativo, Presente Simple, Tiempo Presente, or Indicativo Presente in Spanish.