The Present Tense of cubrir is used to describe actions happening now or facts that are currently true. For example, Yo cubro la mesa con un mantel. (I cover the table with a tablecloth.)

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

Conjugations

Conjugations of Cubrir (to cover) in the Present Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

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

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

To pay for something: For example, Ella cubre los gastos de la fiesta (She covers the expenses of the party).

To replace someone: For example, Él cubre a su compañero enfermo (He covers for his sick coworker).

To fulfill a requirement: For example, Este trabajo cubre mis necesidades básicas (This job covers my basic needs).

Colloquial usage: For example, Nosotros cubrimos a nuestros amigos (We’ve got our friends’ backs, slang for supporting friends).

Rude usage: For example, ¡Ustedes cubren la mierda! (You guys cover up the crap!, a rude way to accuse someone of hiding something).

Examples

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 hermana cubre el turno de noche en el hospital. (My sister covers the night shift at the hospital.)

¿Quién cubre la clase de español hoy? (Who covers the Spanish class today?)

Nosotros cubrimos todos los eventos deportivos para el periódico. (We cover all the sporting events for the newspaper.)

Los bomberos cubren un área de 50 kilómetros cuadrados. (The firefighters cover an area of 50 square kilometers.)

En esta empresa, el seguro médico cubre los gastos de hospitalización. (At this company, the health insurance covers hospitalization costs.)

Cuando viajo, cubro mi cabeza con un sombrero para protegerme del sol. (When I travel, I cover my head with a hat to protect myself from the sun.)

Los periodistas cubren la conferencia de prensa del presidente. (The journalists are covering the president’s press conference.)

¿Tú cubres la cuota mensual del gimnasio? (Do you cover the monthly gym fee?)

En invierno, cubrimos las plantas para protegerlas del frío. (In winter, we cover the plants to protect them from the cold.)

La aseguradora cubre los daños causados por el huracán. (The insurance company covers the damages caused by the hurricane.)

Mis padres cubren los gastos de mi educación universitaria. (My parents cover the costs of my university education.)

En la fiesta, cubrimos la mesa con un mantel de encaje. (At the party, we cover the table with a lace tablecloth.)

Los equipos de rescate cubren la zona afectada por el terremoto. (The rescue teams are covering the area affected by the earthquake.)

Mis amigos y yo cubrimos los gastos del viaje entre todos. (My friends and I cover the travel expenses together.)

Conjugations with English Translations

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

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian 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.