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Los niños no caben en el carro.

Los niños no caben en el carro.
The children do not fit in the car.
FromLesson 7inHardcore Spanish (Latin America)

Breakdown of Los niños no caben en el carro.

en
in
el niño
the child
no
not
caber
to fit
el carro
the car

Questions & Answers about Los niños no caben en el carro.

Why is it "caben" instead of "cabe"?
"Caben" is the third-person plural form of the verb caber—it corresponds to they (i.e., los niños). If the subject were singular (e.g., el niño), it would be cabe.
What does "caber" mean and how is it commonly used?

In general, caber means to fit. It expresses whether a person or thing fits into a space. For example:
• No quepo en estos zapatos = I don't fit in these shoes.
• Caben dos maletas en el baúl = Two suitcases fit in the trunk.

Why is the article "el" used before "carro"?
Spanish requires an article (definite or indefinite) before most nouns. Since the sentence refers to a specific car, the definite article el is appropriate. In English, you might say the car; similarly, in Spanish, it's el carro.
Is "carro" the only word for "car" in Spanish?
In many parts of Latin America, carro is the most common word for car. However, you may also hear auto (in countries like Argentina or Chile) or coche (more commonly in Spain). All are correct, but usage varies by region.
Why is it "Los niños" instead of "Los hijos"?
Niños means children in general, and it doesn't specify they belong to the speaker. Hijos specifically means someone's children. For instance, Mis hijos = my children. In the sentence Los niños no caben en el carro, there's no direct indication that these children are the speaker’s own, so niños seems more general.
Could the sentence use "en el carro" or "en la camioneta" interchangeably?
It depends on the vehicle. Carro is a car, while camioneta is usually a pickup truck or van. If the actual vehicle is a truck or van, you'd say en la camioneta. The important part is the preposition en to show they do or don’t fit in that vehicle.
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“How does verb conjugation work in Spanish?”
Spanish verbs change form based on the subject, tense, and mood. Regular verbs follow predictable patterns depending on whether they end in ‑ar, ‑er, or ‑ir. For example, "hablar" (to speak) becomes "hablo" (I speak), "hablas" (you speak), and "habla" (he/she speaks) in the present tense.

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