Se esta não couber, vou experimentar aquela.

not

Breakdown of Se esta não couber, vou experimentar aquela.

• ir: to go (future auxiliary)
• se: if
• experimentar: to try on

Questions & Answers about Se esta não couber, vou experimentar aquela.

Why is couber used instead of cabe?

Because after se when you are talking about a future possibility, Portuguese often uses the future subjunctive.

• Se esta não couber... = If this one doesn’t fit...
• The speaker is not describing a fact now; they are talking about a possible situation in the future.

The verb is caber (to fit), and its future subjunctive form is:

• quando eu couber
• se ela couber

So couber here is completely normal grammar.

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What does caber mean in this sentence?

Here, caber means to fit.

In this context, it usually means:

• a piece of clothing fits your body
• there is enough room for something

So:

• Se esta não couber... = If this one doesn’t fit...

With clothes, Brazilian Portuguese may also use other verbs such as:

• servir = to fit / suit
• ficar bem = to look good / fit well

But caber is perfectly possible, especially when the idea is physical fit.

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Why are esta and aquela feminine?