Cabecear Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

cabecear means “to nod (the head)” in English, and this page shows you how it actually sounds in everyday Spanish — not just the conjugation table, but the verb in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make with it. Cabecear means to nod the head, usually to say yes or to show agreement, and also to doze off with the head dropping. It is a fully regular verb used in conversation and at meetings. Below you will find twelve example sentences grouped by tense, two short dialogues, the most common mistakes with corrections, and a ten-question quiz with explained answers. If you want the full tables first, start with the full conjugation of cabecear; if you want to study one tense in depth, see the cabecear present tense page.

cabecear in everyday use: examples with translations

In the present tense

  1. Yo cabeceo con aprobación en la reunión. — “I nod in agreement in the meeting.”
  2. Él cabecea para decir que sí. — “He nods to say yes.”
  3. Nosotros cabeceamos de sueño en el tren. — “We nod with sleepiness on the train.”
  4. Ellos cabecean al escuchar al profesor. — “They nod while listening to the teacher.”

In the past

  1. Ayer, yo cabeceé para decir que sí. — “Yesterday, I nodded to say yes.”
  2. Antes, nosotros cabeceábamos de sueño en el tren. — “Before, we used to nod with sleepiness on the train.”
  3. Él cabeceó al escuchar al profesor. — “He nodded while listening to the teacher.”
  4. Yo ya había cabeceado con aprobación en la reunión antes de salir. — “I had already nodded in agreement in the meeting before leaving.”

Plans, hopes and possibilities

  1. Mañana, tú cabecearás con aprobación en la reunión. — “Tomorrow, you will nod in agreement in the meeting.”
  2. Yo cabecearía para decir que sí si tuviera más tiempo. — “I would nod to say yes if I had more time.”
  3. Él ha cabeceado de sueño en el tren. — “He has nodded with sleepiness on the train.”
  4. Espero que él cabecee al escuchar al profesor. — “I hope he nods while listening to the teacher.”

cabecear in conversation

Two short dialogues that use cabecear the way people really speak it. Notice how the verb changes with the person, and how the same verb fits different situations.

Two friends talk about their day.

  • Ana: Yo cabeceo con aprobación en la reunión. — “I nod in agreement in the meeting.”
  • Bea: Él cabecea para decir que sí. — “He nods to say yes.”
  • Ana: Ayer, yo cabeceé para decir que sí. — “Yesterday, I nodded to say yes.”
  • Bea: Mañana, tú cabecearás con aprobación en la reunión. — “Tomorrow, you will nod in agreement in the meeting.”

At home, talking about tomorrow.

  • Luis: Nosotros cabeceamos de sueño en el tren. — “We nod with sleepiness on the train.”
  • Marta: Antes, nosotros cabeceábamos de sueño en el tren. — “Before, we used to nod with sleepiness on the train.”
  • Luis: Yo cabecearía para decir que sí si tuviera más tiempo. — “I would nod to say yes if I had more time.”
  • Marta: Espero que él cabecee al escuchar al profesor. — “I hope he nods while listening to the teacher.”

A short scene with cabecear

A short scene shows how cabecear works across the day. In the morning: Cabeceo con aprobación en la reunión. In the afternoon: Cabecea para decir que sí. Yesterday it was different: Ayer, cabeceé de sueño en el tren. And tomorrow: Mañana, cabecearé al escuchar al profesor. Four small moments, four tenses, one verb — that is how cabecear sounds in real life. Try changing the person in each sentence: say it about yourself, about a friend, and about your family, and the forms will start to feel automatic.

Common mistakes with cabecear

The errors learners actually make with cabecear, each with the wrong form, the right form, and why the right form is right.

✗ Yo cabecea con aprobación en la reunión.

✓ Correct: Yo cabeceo con aprobación en la reunión.

The person matters: cabecea is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is cabeceo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.

✗ Ayer yo cabeceo para decir que sí.

✓ Correct: Ayer yo cabeceé para decir que sí.

The present and the preterite are different tenses: cabeceo is happening now, while cabeceé is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.

✗ Treating cabecear and asentir as identical in every context.

✓ Correct: Cabecear means to nod (the head), while asentir means to nod in agreement.

They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: cabecear fits sentences such as Cabeceo con aprobación en la reunión, while asentir belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.

✗ Yo soy cabeceado para decir que sí.

✓ Correct: Yo he cabeceado para decir que sí.

Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he cabeceado, has cabeceado, ha cabeceado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.

✗ De niño, yo cabeceé de sueño en el tren todos los días.

✓ Correct: De niño, yo cabeceaba de sueño en el tren todos los días.

For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (cabeceaba), not the preterite. The preterite (cabeceé) is for one finished action.

Quiz: cabecear in use

Ten questions on cabecear — its forms, its tenses and its everyday use. Choose the best answer for each one, then check the answer key below, where every answer is explained.

1. Complete the sentence: Él ______ para decir que sí. — “He/she nods to say yes.”

  • a) cabecea
  • b) cabeceo
  • c) cabeceas
  • d) cabeceamos

2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, yo ______ de sueño en el tren. — “Yesterday, I nodded with sleepiness on the train.”

  • a) cabeceaste
  • b) cabeceó
  • c) cabecearon
  • d) cabeceé

3. Complete the sentence: Ellos ______ al escuchar al profesor cuando eran jóvenes. — “They used to nod while listening to the teacher when they were young.”

  • a) cabeceabas
  • b) cabeceábamos
  • c) cabeceaban
  • d) cabeceaba

4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, nosotros ______ con aprobación en la reunión. — “Tomorrow, we will nod in agreement in the meeting.”

  • a) cabecearán
  • b) cabecearemos
  • c) cabecearé
  • d) cabecearás

5. Complete the sentence: Él ______ para decir que sí si pudiera. — “He would nod to say yes if he could.”

  • a) cabecearía
  • b) cabecearías
  • c) cabecearíamos
  • d) cabeceo

6. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ de sueño en el tren. — “I have nodded with sleepiness on the train.”

  • a) has cabeceado
  • b) ha cabeceado
  • c) han cabeceado
  • d) he cabeceado

7. Complete the sentence: Espero que tú ______ al escuchar al profesor. — “I hope you nod while listening to the teacher.”

  • a) cabeceemos
  • b) cabeceo
  • c) cabecees
  • d) cabecee

8. Which is the past participle of cabecear, used with haber in the perfect tenses?

  • a) cabeceé
  • b) cabeceado
  • c) cabeceando
  • d) cabeceo

9. What does cabecear mean in English?

  • a) to nod (the head)
  • b) to nod in agreement
  • c) to give in, to cede
  • d) to centre, to focus

10. Which sentence is correct?

  • a) Él cabecea para decir que sí.
  • b) Él cabeceo para decir que sí.
  • c) Nosotros cabecea de sueño en el tren.
  • d) Yo cabecea con aprobación en la reunión.

Answer key

  1. a) cabecea — The sentence needs the él/ella/Ud. form in the present: cabecea.

  2. d) cabeceé — The sentence needs the yo form in the preterite: cabeceé, for one finished action yesterday.

  3. c) cabeceaban — The sentence needs the ellos/ellas form in the imperfect: cabeceaban, for a repeated past habit.

  4. b) cabecearemos — The sentence needs the nosotros form in the future: cabecearemos.

  5. a) cabecearía — The sentence needs the él/ella/Ud. form in the conditional: cabecearía.

  6. d) he cabeceado — The sentence needs the yo form in the present perfect: he cabeceado, haber + cabeceado.

  7. c) cabecees — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the tú present subjunctive is cabecees.

  8. b) cabeceado — The past participle is cabeceado: he cabeceado, has cabeceado, ha cabeceado. The gerund cabeceando is used with estar instead.

  9. a) to nod (the head) — cabecear means to nod (the head). The other options are the meanings of different verbs.

  10. a) Él cabecea para decir que sí. — Él cabecea para decir que sí. is correct: the verb agrees with its subject. The other sentences mix up the person and the form.

Frequently asked questions

How do I use cabecear in everyday conversation?

Start with the phrases in the examples above — especially the common combinations such as Cabeceo con aprobación en la reunión and Cabecea para decir que sí. Use the present tense for habits and general facts, and the preterite for things that happened once. Say the sentences aloud until the forms feel automatic, then swap in your own details: your own town, your own family, your own routine.

What is the difference between cabecear and asentir?

Cabecear means “to nod (the head)”, while asentir means “to nod in agreement”. They are related words that learners often meet together, but they are not interchangeable — use cabecear when you mean “to nod (the head)” and asentir when you mean “to nod in agreement”.

Which tense do I need most with cabecear?

The present tense, for habits, routines and general facts — that is where you will use cabecear most. The preterite comes next, for things that happened once and ended. The examples on this page use both, plus the imperfect, the future and the present perfect, so you can see the verb across the tenses you actually need.

Is cabecear formal or informal?

Cabecear is neutral — it is used in both formal and informal Spanish, at home, at work and at school. There is no special formal version of it; the same forms work in a conversation with a friend and in a letter to a company. What changes is the situation, not the verb.

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