# Cabo (Caber)



## JDWright

I'm working at a boys' home in Bolivia, and there are a few severe grammatical deficiencies that I have noticed.  Most notably, they almost always you the preterito perfecto for all past tense!  I don't want to talk about that one though.  

I've used the verb "caber" in first-person present a number of times here ("quepo," this isn't a pronunciation issue) and I've received a number of reactions ranging from confused looks to people correcting me and saying "cabo."  Is this a regionalism of which I am unaware, or could these boys just not know how to conjugate their verbs?  

I've also had people in the town clarify a "quepo" statement with the verb entrar.  Me: "Yo no quepo."  Ellos:  "No entras?"  Are these similar enough? 

The reason this word is coming up so much is because I am a 6'4" gringo trying to fit into tiny Bolivian taxis!  I guess apart from being a regionalism or bad grammar, maybe this gringo is using it wrong, so my last question is, if I don't fit in the back of the cab between two Cholitas and their 3 children, does it make sense to say, "No quepo?"

Thanks!


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## Agró

Stick to "quepo", that's the right conjugation.

"Cabo" is not a regionalism. Spanish small kids also use it.


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## Milton Sand

Hi, tall gringo,
Your use of "(yo) quepo, no quepo" is completely correct. "(Yo) cabo" is wrong for the rest the Spanish-speaking world. Anyway, a regional weird use, as long as it helps members of a society to communicate among them efficiently, is not really a problem. 

Anyway, "a donde fueres, haz lo que vieres". You can use "cabo" if you want, only when talking to them. But it is so wrong...

You have reminded me of a silly joke:

—¡Métase a la trinchera, soldado!
—Pero no cabo, mi cabo.
—Que no se dice: «cabo». ¡Se dice: «quepo»!
—¡Ay, disculpe mi quepo!

Saludos,


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## JDWright

Thank you thank you.  Any thoughts on my "No entras" question?

Oh, and I like the joke!  Haha!


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## Milton Sand

JDWright said:


> Thank you thank you.  Any thoughts on my "No entras" question?


I've heard it and it's perfectly right. We use them both in Colombia: «¿Crees que la gordita quepa/entre en esta blusa?».
At least here in Colombia, educated people seem to love using synonyms instead of sticking to a limited set of words.


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## KirkandRafer

JDWright said:


> Hi Kirk,
> 
> The event could have happened 6 months ago and have no effect on the present and many of the boys will still say "Qué has hecho?"  It drives me nuts.


Thanks. In Central Spain there are people who would use it the same way.

As for, "¿No entras?", it's in common usage here too. You could even hear "¿No coges?".


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## JDWright

Thank you.


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## Adolfo Afogutu

> "Yo no quepo."  Ellos:  "No entras?"  Are these similar enough?


No del todo, pero es aceptable, entiendo yo, más si se trata de niños. Si digo que mi portátil no entra en mi mochila, en sentido estricto podría interpretarse que no pasa por la abertura, por la boca de la mochila. Puede que, en cambio, pase por la boca, pero una vez dentro, no se pueda correr el cierre, quede toda apretujada, vaya contra el sentido común metarla allí: entrar, entró, pero no cabe.
Saludos

Portátil: notebook.
Mochila: morral, en algunos países. Habrá otros nombres, pero no me acuerdo.


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## JDWright

Gracias, Adolfo


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## Milton Sand

Adolfo Afogutu said:


> No del todo, pero es aceptable, entiendo yo, más si se trata de niños. Si digo que mi portátil no entra en mi mochila, en sentido estricto podría interpretarse que no pasa por la abertura, por la boca de la mochila. Puede que, en cambio, pase por la boca, pero una vez dentro, no se pueda correr el cierre, quede toda apretujada, vaya contra el sentido común metarla allí: entrar, entró, pero no cabe.
> Saludos


OK, well, yes... Technically, "entrar" and "caber" are not the same. Still, it is quite common for "entrar" to used as "caber" (but not viceversa), since "caber" implies "entrar por completo".


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## Gabriel

En Argentina, es decir cruzando el charco que nos separa de Adolfo Afoguto, es más normal decir que algo "no entra" que que algo "no cabe" (salgo en frases hechas, como "no me cabe duda", "no me cabe en la cabeza cómo pudiste hacer tal cosa", etc.). Pero si subes a un taxi y le pides que por favor corra hacia adelante el asiento del acompañante porque "no quepo", el taxista te entenderá pero le sonarás raro. Cualquier argie diría, por ejemplo, "¿No me corrés el asiento para adelante que no me entran las piernas?"


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## Lurrezko

KirkandRafer said:


> You could even hear "¿No coges?".



Habrá que ir con cuidado con esa.  Espero que no sea offtopic, pero es famosa la anécdota de Francisco Ayala durante su exilio en Argentina: al ver que una anciana no se atrevía a subir al autobús porque estaba muy lleno, le dijo a voz en grito: "¡Suba, señora, que aquí cogemos todos!"

Un saludo


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## k-in-sc

Lurrezko said:


> Habrá que ir con cuidado con esa.  Espero que no sea offtopic, pero es famosa la anécdota de Francisco Ayala durante su exilio en Argentina: al ver que una anciana no se atrevía a subir al autobús porque estaba muy lleno, le dijo a voz en grito: "¡Suba, señora, que aquí cogemos todos!"


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## KirkandRafer

Lurrezko said:


> Habrá que ir con cuidado con esa.  Espero que no sea offtopic, pero es famosa la anécdota de Francisco Ayala durante su exilio en Argentina: al ver que una anciana no se atrevía a subir al autobús porque estaba muy lleno, le dijo a voz en grito: "¡Suba, señora, que aquí cogemos todos!"
> 
> Un saludo




Supongo que el autor del hilo sabrá que en determinadas partes de América puede dar a malentendidos y a situaciones como la de Ayala. Pero yo cojo mi coger cuando quiero, ya lo sabes tú.


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## k-in-sc

But I did wonder why the OP was using "caber" when everybody around him (and me) says "entrar."


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## Julvenzor

k-in-sc said:


> But I did wonder why the OP was using "caber" when everybody around him (and me) says "entrar."




"Caber" is more appropriate than "entrar", my opinion. "Cabo!!!" Oh my God! Spanish is breaking down so quickly!


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## k-in-sc

But the local usage is "entrar."


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## Gabriel

I agree with Julvenzor that "caber" is more appropiate. But as true as that, here "entrar" is much more widely used. And I think that it is in part because the conjugation of the verb "caber" is quite strange-sounding for our ears.


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## JDWright

K,

I used "quepo" because that's what I learned and have only recently arrived here in Bolivia so I have no yet adjusted to all the local preferences.  I prefer the most correct option, so I may continue with "quepo."  I do however enjoy learning the local preferences.


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## k-in-sc

Well, that's jolly good, old chap, carry on talking in your style, do ...

Oh! And throw in a few "coger"s too, see how that goes over!


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## flljob

Los niños, cuando están aprendiendo a hablar dicen "no cabo", "no sabo".


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## Gabriel

flljob said:


> Los niños, cuando están aprendiendo a hablar dicen "no cabo", "no sabo".



Igual que los alumnos de español


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## k-in-sc

As was said in #2


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## duvija

k-in-sc said:


> Well, that's jolly good, old chap, carry on talking in your style, do ...
> 
> Oh! And throw in a few "coger"s too, see how that goes over!



I wish I'd be there...


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## Milton Sand

Gabriel said:


> I agree with Julvenzor that "caber" is more appropiate. But as true as that, here "entrar" is much more widely used. And I think that it is in part because the conjugation of the verb "caber" is quite strange-sounding for our ears.





JDWright said:


> I used "quepo" because that's what I learned and have only recently arrived here in Bolivia so I have no yet adjusted to all the local preferences.  I prefer the most correct option, so I may continue with "quepo."  I do however enjoy learning the local preferences.



In Colombia, the general usage is with «caber,» although we do understand «no entro» and maybe even use it once in a while. 



flljob said:


> Los niños, cuando están aprendiendo a hablar dicen "no cabo", "no sabo".


Es cierto; ¡en todas partes! Sin embargo, JDWright dice que toda la gente de allá le corrige el «quepo» con «cabo».

Saludos,


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## JDWright

Milton, just to clarify:  While I have yet to hear anyone else use "quepo" (because they are using "entrar"), not _everyone_ one corrects me with "cabo."  Though it happened enough for me to start this thread.


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## juan082937

JDWright said:


> I'm working at a boys' home in Bolivia, and there are a few severe grammatical deficiencies that I have noticed.  Most notably, they almost always you the preterito perfecto for all past tense!  I don't want to talk about that one though.
> 
> I've used the verb "caber" in first-person present a number of times here ("quepo," this isn't a pronunciation issue) and I've received a number of reactions ranging from confused looks to people correcting me and saying "cabo."  Is this a regionalism of which I am unaware, or could these boys just not know how to conjugate their verbs?
> I've also had people in the town clarify a "quepo" statement with the verb entrar.  Me: "Yo no quepo."  Ellos:  "No entras?"  Are these similar enough?
> The reason this word is coming up so much is because I am a 6'4" gringo trying to fit into tiny Bolivian taxis!  I guess apart from being a regionalism or bad grammar, maybe this gringo is using it wrong, so my last question is, if I don't fit in the back of the cab between two Cholitas and their 3 children, does it make sense to say, "No quepo?"
> Thanks!


Caber, quepo (yo)
Cupe (simple past)
Cabré (simple future)
Cabía ( Imperfect past)
Quepa ( presente subjunctive)
Cupiera/ese ( Imperfect subjunctive)

Esa camisa no /me/te queda bien
Ese pantalón no te entra (smaller)
Esa camiseta no te entra ( smaller)
Este pantalón me aprieta (smaller)
La camisa me aprieta (smaller)


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## Milton Sand

juan082937 said:


> Ese pantalón no te entra (smaller)
> Esa camiseta no te entra ( smaller))


Hola:
Ese uso de "entrar" me resulta muy raro; es al revés, lo que entra es el cuerpo o parte de él. En el siglo pasado, no recuerdo haberlo oído; ni siquiera mi gente lo usa. Sin embargo, ahora parece usual en telenovelas.



JDWright said:


> Milton, just to clarify: While I have yet to hear anyone else use "quepo" (because they are using "entrar"), not _everyone_ one corrects me with "cabo." Though it happened enough for me to start this thread.


Oh, I see. They just looked confused, then. What are you planning, to stick to "quepo" or to give up in favor to "cabo"?

Saludos,


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## lospazio

En la Argentina, entre los más jóvenes, se usa _caber_ con el sentido de _venir bien, gustar, tener ganas_: Por ejemplo: _¿Te _*cabe*_ un cine hoy?_ Curiosamente, en esta acepción, el pretérito es regular: _cabió_.


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## Wandering JJ

Is not the difference in usage rather like 'I don't fit' and 'I can't get in'?

In England I wouldn't say to a taxi driver 'please move the seat forward - I don't fit' but 'please move the seat forward - I can't get in'.


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## k-in-sc

Presumably you realize you are too crowded after you are already in ...


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