Cabecear Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of cabecear — “to nod (the head)” in English — is the form you need for what happens now, for habits and for general truths. This page gives you the full present conjugation table for cabecear with all six persons, explains exactly how the tense is formed for this verb, shows when to use it with real examples, and finishes with a quiz so you can test yourself. 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. To see it in a real sentence: Cabeceo con aprobación en la reunión. — “I nod in agreement in the meeting.” Learn the six forms in the table below, and the present tense of cabecear will be ready for everyday conversation.
Present tense conjugation table: cabecear
Every person of cabecear in the present tense. The gerund is cabeceando and the past participle is cabeceado.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cabeceo |
| tú | cabeceas |
| él/ella/Ud. | cabecea |
| nosotros/as | cabeceamos |
| vosotros/as | cabeceáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cabecean |
How the present indicative of cabecear is formed
The present indicative of cabecear is built from the stem plus the present indicative endings for -ar verbs. Take the infinitive, drop the -ar ending, and add the ending that matches the person. The table below shows the endings, and the full table above shows them attached to the stem.
| Person | Ending | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | cabeceo |
| tú | -as | cabeceas |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | cabecea |
| nosotros/as | -amos | cabeceamos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | cabeceáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | cabecean |
Cabecear is a regular -ar verb in the present tense, so the table above is completely regular. The stem is cabece- and the endings are the normal -ar endings, so once you know the pattern you can produce every form on this page.
The gerund of cabecear is cabeceando and the past participle is cabeceado. Both are regular for this verb, and the participle is the form you need for all the perfect tenses with haber.
When to use the present tense of cabecear
The present tense is not one single use — it covers several situations, and cabecear appears in all of them. The five uses below are the ones you will meet most often, each with an example that shows the verb in a natural sentence.
Routines and habits
Use the present for things you do regularly, every day or every week. The present is the tense of routine, and cabecear fits naturally into daily life.
“Yo cabeceo con aprobación en la reunión todos los días.” — “I nod in agreement in the meeting every day.”
General facts
Use the present for facts that are true in general, not just today. When you state how something is, the present is the tense to use.
“Él cabecea para decir que sí.” — “He/she nods to say yes.”
What is happening right now
Use the present for what is happening at this moment. Spanish often uses the simple present where English uses the progressive, so cabeceo can mean both “I nod” and “I am noding”.
“Ahora mismo, yo cabeceo de sueño en el tren.” — “Right now, I nod with sleepiness on the train.”
Fixed plans in the near future
Use the present for a plan that is already fixed, such as something arranged for tomorrow. Spanish uses the present for near-future plans much more freely than English does.
“Mañana, yo cabeceo al escuchar al profesor.” — “Tomorrow, I will nod while listening to the teacher.”
Questions and negatives
Use the present to ask about habits and to say what does not happen. The question and the negative use exactly the same forms as the statement.
“¿Tú cabeceas con aprobación en la reunión?” — “Do you nod in agreement in the meeting?”
The present tense vs the closest tenses
Present — habit or general fact vs Preterite — one finished occasion
The present describes a habit, a routine or a general fact — something that happens again and again or that is true in general. The preterite reports one finished occasion in the past. Use the present when the action repeats or is still true, and the preterite when you are telling what happened once, on a specific day.
- Present — habit or general fact: Cabecea para decir que sí. — “He/she nods to say yes.”
- Preterite — one finished occasion: Cabeceó para decir que sí. — the same idea, placed in the preterite.
Present — now vs Imperfect — a past habit or background
The present talks about now. The imperfect talks about the past as a background — a repeated habit, an ongoing situation, something that used to happen. If you can add “used to” in English, the imperfect is usually the right choice; if it is happening now or always, use the present.
- Present — now: Cabecean de sueño en el tren. — “They nod with sleepiness on the train.”
- Imperfect — a past habit or background: Cabeceaban de sueño en el tren. — the same idea, placed in the imperfect.
Present — now or a fixed plan vs Future — what will happen
The present describes what happens now, what you do regularly, or a plan that is already fixed. The future describes what will happen later — a promise, a prediction, a plan that is not yet under way. Spanish often uses the present for near-future plans, but the future is the form for a clear statement about tomorrow.
- Present — now or a fixed plan: Cabeceas al escuchar al profesor. — “You nod while listening to the teacher.”
- Future — what will happen: Cabecearás al escuchar al profesor. — the same idea, placed in the future.
Examples: cabecear in the present tense
Seven sentences that show cabecear in the present tense only, across all six persons. Read each one aloud, notice the ending, and check the translation.
- Yo cabeceo con aprobación en la reunión. — “I nod in agreement in the meeting.”
- Tú cabeceas para decir que sí. — “You nod to say yes.”
- Él cabecea de sueño en el tren. — “He nods with sleepiness on the train.”
- Nosotros cabeceamos al escuchar al profesor. — “We nod while listening to the teacher.”
- Vosotros cabeceáis con aprobación en la reunión. — “You (plural) nod in agreement in the meeting.”
- Ellos cabecean para decir que sí. — “They nod to say yes.”
- ¿Tú cabeceas de sueño en el tren? — “Do you nod with sleepiness on the train?”
Common mistakes with cabecear in the present tense
These are the errors learners actually make with cabecear in the present tense. Each one shows the wrong form, the right form, and why the right form is right.
✗ Yo cabecear con aprobación en la reunión. (using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form).
✓ Correct: Yo cabeceo con aprobación en la reunión.
The infinitive is not a conjugated form. With yo, the present tense of cabecear is cabeceo, not the infinitive cabecear.
✗ Vosotros cabeceais con aprobación en la reunión. (forgetting the accent on the vosotros form).
✓ Correct: Vosotros cabeceáis con aprobación en la reunión.
The vosotros present form carries a written accent: cabeceáis, not cabeceais. The accent marks the stressed vowel, and leaving it out is a spelling mistake.
✗ Ayer, yo cabeceo para decir que sí. (using the present for a finished past action).
✓ 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. (confusing cabecear with asentir).
✓ 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.
Quiz: cabecear in the present tense
Eight questions on the present tense of cabecear. Choose the best answer for each one, then check the answer key below — every answer is explained.
1. Which is the correct present tense form of cabecear for tú?
- a) cabeceas
- b) cabeceo
- c) cabecea
- d) cabecean
2. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ con aprobación en la reunión. — “I nod in agreement in the meeting.”
- a) cabecea
- b) cabeceamos
- c) cabeceas
- d) cabeceo
3. Complete the sentence: Él ______ para decir que sí. — “He/she nods to say yes.” (present tense)
- a) cabeceaba
- b) cabeceará
- c) cabecea
- d) cabeceó
4. Which is the correct present tense form of cabecear for nosotros?
- a) cabecean
- b) cabeceamos
- c) cabeceo
- d) cabecea
5. Which sentence uses cabecear correctly in the present tense?
- a) Él cabeceó para decir que sí.
- b) Él cabecea para decir que sí.
- c) Él cabeceará para decir que sí.
- d) Ellos cabecea para decir que sí.
6. Complete the sentence: Ellos ______ de sueño en el tren. — “They nod with sleepiness on the train.”
- a) cabeceo
- b) cabecea
- c) cabeceamos
- d) cabecean
7. Complete the question: ¿Tú ______ al escuchar al profesor? — “Do you nod while listening to the teacher?”
- a) cabecea
- b) cabecearás
- c) cabeceas
- d) cabeceo
8. What is the gerund of cabecear?
- a) cabeceé
- b) cabeceando
- c) cabeceado
- d) cabeceo
Answer key
a) cabeceas — The tú form is cabeceas. The -s ending belongs to tú in the present; cabeceo is yo, cabecea is él/ella and cabecean is ellos/ellas.
d) cabeceo — The sentence needs the yo form in the present: cabeceo. The other options are the wrong person.
c) cabecea — The sentence needs the él/ella/Ud. form in the present: cabecea. The other options are the preterite, the imperfect and the future.
b) cabeceamos — Nosotros takes cabeceamos. In the present the nosotros ending for -ar verbs is -amos, attached to the stem.
b) Él cabecea para decir que sí. — Él cabecea para decir que sí. is correct: the verb agrees with its subject. The other sentences use the wrong person or the wrong tense.
d) cabecean — The subject is ellos/ellas/Uds., so the present form is cabecean.
c) cabeceas — The question needs the tú form in the present: cabeceas.
b) cabeceando — The gerund is cabeceando. It is the form you use with estar for the progressive (estar + gerund), and it is not the past participle cabeceado.
Frequently asked questions
Is cabecear regular in the present tense?
Yes. Cabecear is a regular -ar verb in the present tense, so the forms follow the standard endings: cabeceo, cabeceas, cabecea, cabeceamos, cabeceáis and cabecean.
What is the gerund and the past participle of cabecear?
The gerund is cabeceando and the past participle is cabeceado. Use the gerund with estar for the progressive, and the participle with haber for the perfect tenses.
How do you say “I nod” in Spanish?
Say cabeceo. For example: Cabeceo con aprobación en la reunión. — “I nod in agreement in the meeting.”
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”. The full conjugation of cabecear is on its own page.
Related links
- Full conjugation of cabecear — every tense and mood, with the complete tables.
- cabecear examples and quiz — more sentences, dialogues and a longer quiz.
- Spanish Present tense guide — how the present tense works for all Spanish verbs.
- Spanish verbs — the full list of Spanish verbs on VerbFlow.
- Botar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with cabecear.
- Centrar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with cabecear.
- Bromear conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with cabecear.
- Present Tense Conjugator — practise this verb in the interactive tool.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on Spanish verbs.