Cobijar Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb cobijar means to shelter, to cover, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Cobijar means to shelter or to cover, to protect someone from cold, rain or danger with a blanket, a roof or your arms. It is a warm, protective verb, fully regular, and it is used in homes and in figurative speech. Like every Spanish verb, cobijar changes its ending for each person and tense, and this page gives you the complete picture: every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle, all from the verified conjugation tables. For example, in the present tense you say cobijo al niño con una manta, and in the preterite you say cobijé al perro de la lluvia. Work through the tables below, read the notes for each tense, and then test yourself with the examples, the common mistakes and the quiz at the end of the page.

Quick facts

  • Infinitive: cobijar
  • English: to shelter, to cover
  • Verb type: regular -ar verb
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: cobijando
  • Past participle: cobijado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + cobijado)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for cobijar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Cobijar is fully regular: cobijo, cobija. It is sheltering someone warmly, like a blanket; proteger is protecting in general.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for cobijar. The imperfect subjunctive is shown in its -ra forms; the -se forms use the same stem. For reflexive verbs, the pronoun column shows the reflexive pronoun that goes before each form.

Present indicative

Person Form
yo cobijo
tú cobijas
él/ella/Ud. cobija
nosotros/as cobijamos
vosotros/as cobijáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. cobijan

Preterite

Person Form
yo cobijé
tú cobijaste
él/ella/Ud. cobijó
nosotros/as cobijamos
vosotros/as cobijasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. cobijaron

Imperfect

Person Form
yo cobijaba
tú cobijabas
él/ella/Ud. cobijaba
nosotros/as cobijábamos
vosotros/as cobijabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. cobijaban

Future

Person Form
yo cobijaré
tú cobijarás
él/ella/Ud. cobijará
nosotros/as cobijaremos
vosotros/as cobijaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. cobijarán

Conditional

Person Form
yo cobijaría
tú cobijarías
él/ella/Ud. cobijaría
nosotros/as cobijaríamos
vosotros/as cobijaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. cobijarían

Present perfect

Person Form
yo he cobijado
tú has cobijado
él/ella/Ud. ha cobijado
nosotros/as hemos cobijado
vosotros/as habéis cobijado
ellos/ellas/Uds. han cobijado

Pluperfect

Person Form
yo había cobijado
tú habías cobijado
él/ella/Ud. había cobijado
nosotros/as habíamos cobijado
vosotros/as habíais cobijado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habían cobijado

Future perfect

Person Form
yo habré cobijado
tú habrás cobijado
él/ella/Ud. habrá cobijado
nosotros/as habremos cobijado
vosotros/as habréis cobijado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habrán cobijado

Conditional perfect

Person Form
yo habría cobijado
tú habrías cobijado
él/ella/Ud. habría cobijado
nosotros/as habríamos cobijado
vosotros/as habríais cobijado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habrían cobijado

Present subjunctive

Person Form
yo cobije
tú cobijes
él/ella/Ud. cobije
nosotros/as cobijemos
vosotros/as cobijéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. cobijen

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo cobijara
tú cobijaras
él/ella/Ud. cobijara
nosotros/as cobijáramos
vosotros/as cobijarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. cobijaran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú cobija
él/ella/Ud. cobije
nosotros/as cobijemos
vosotros/as cobijad
ellos/ellas/Uds. cobijen

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú cobijes
él/ella/Ud. cobije
nosotros/as cobijemos
vosotros/as cobijéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. cobijen

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund cobijando with estar for the progressive: estoy cobijando
Past participle cobijado with haber for the perfect tenses: he cobijado

How to use each tense

Present indicative

Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For cobijar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Cobijo al niño con una manta. Learn the present forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Preterite

Use the preterite for finished actions with a clear end, often with ayer, el año pasado or anoche. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For cobijar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, cobijé a su familia bajo el techo. Learn the preterite forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Imperfect

Use the imperfect for background, habits and actions in progress in the past, often with de niño, antes or mientras. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For cobijar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, cobijaba al perro de la lluvia. Learn the imperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Future

Use the future for plans, predictions and promises, often with mañana, el año que viene or pronto. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For cobijar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, cobijaré al bebé en sus brazos. Learn the future forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Conditional

Use the conditional for polite requests, hypotheticals and what would happen, often with si clauses. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For cobijar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Cobijaría al niño con una manta si pudiera. Learn the conditional forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Present perfect

Use the present perfect for recent actions and experiences, often with hoy, esta semana or ya. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For cobijar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he cobijado a su familia bajo el techo. Learn the present perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Pluperfect

Use the pluperfect when one past action happened before another past action. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For cobijar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había cobijado al perro de la lluvia antes de salir. Learn the pluperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Future perfect

Use the future perfect for something that will already be finished by a future time. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For cobijar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré cobijado al bebé en sus brazos. Learn the future perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Conditional perfect

Use the conditional perfect for what would have happened under different conditions. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For cobijar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría cobijado al niño con una manta con más tiempo. Learn the conditional perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Present subjunctive

Use the present subjunctive after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and hope, such as espero que or quiero que. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For cobijar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él cobije a su familia bajo el techo. Learn the present subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Use the imperfect subjunctive after past wishes and in si clauses about the past, and note the -ra forms shown here; the -se forms use the same stem. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For cobijar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él cobijara al perro de la lluvia, todo cambiaría. Learn the imperfect subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Imperative (affirmative)

Use the affirmative imperative for direct commands, instructions and invitations. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For cobijar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Cobija al bebé en sus brazos! Learn the affirmative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Imperative (negative)

Use the negative imperative, always with no, to tell someone not to do something. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For cobijar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No cobijes al niño con una manta. Learn the negative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Example sentences

Ten natural sentences with cobijar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Cobijo al niño con una manta. — I shelter the child with a blanket.
  2. Cobija a su familia bajo el techo. — He/she shelters his family under the roof.
  3. Ayer, cobijé al perro de la lluvia. — Yesterday, I sheltered the dog from the rain.
  4. Antes, nosotros cobijábamos al bebé en sus brazos. — Before, we used to shelter the baby in my arms.
  5. Mañana, tú cobijarás al niño con una manta. — Tomorrow, you will shelter the child with a blanket.
  6. Yo cobijaría a su familia bajo el techo si tuviera más tiempo. — I would shelter his family under the roof if I had more time.
  7. Él ha cobijado al perro de la lluvia. — He has sheltered the dog from the rain.
  8. Espero que él cobije al bebé en sus brazos. — I hope he shelters the baby in my arms.
  9. Yo ya había cobijado al niño con una manta antes de salir. — I had already sheltered the child with a blanket before leaving.
  10. Ellos cobijaban a su familia bajo el techo cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to shelter his family under the roof when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo cobija al niño con una manta. — Right: Yo cobijo al niño con una manta. — The person matters: cobija is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is cobijo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Ayer yo cobijo a su familia bajo el techo. — Right: Ayer yo cobijé a su familia bajo el techo. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: cobijo is happening now, while cobijé is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
  3. Wrong: Treating cobijar and proteger as identical in every context. — Right: Cobijar means to shelter, to cover, while proteger means to protect. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: cobijar fits sentences such as Cobijo al niño con una manta, while proteger belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy cobijado a su familia bajo el techo. — Right: Yo he cobijado a su familia bajo el techo. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he cobijado, has cobijado, ha cobijado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo cobijé al perro de la lluvia todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo cobijaba al perro de la lluvia todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (cobijaba), not the preterite. The preterite (cobijé) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on cobijar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ al niño con una manta. (present tense) A. cobijo B. cobijas C. cobija D. cobijamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ a su familia bajo el techo. (preterite) A. cobijé B. cobijaste C. cobijaron D. cobijó

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ al perro de la lluvia. (imperfect) A. cobijabas B. cobijaban C. cobijábamos D. cobijaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ al bebé en sus brazos. (future) A. cobijaremos B. cobijarás C. cobijaré D. cobijará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ al niño con una manta si pudiera. (conditional) A. cobijaría B. cobijarías C. cobijarían D. cobijo

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ a su familia bajo el techo. (present subjunctive) A. cobijes B. cobijemos C. cobijo D. cobije

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ al perro de la lluvia, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. cobijáramos B. cobijo C. cobijara D. cobijaras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ al bebé en sus brazos. (present perfect) A. han cobijado B. hemos cobijado C. he cobijado D. has cobijado

  9. Complete the command: ¡___ al niño con una manta! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. cobija B. cobije C. cobijemos D. cobijad

  10. Which is the gerund of cobijar, used with estar for the progressive? A. cobijado B. cobijo C. cobijé D. cobijando

Answer key

  1. cobijo — The first-person present of cobijar is cobijo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. cobijó — The third-person preterite of cobijar is cobijó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. cobijábamos — The nosotros imperfect of cobijar is cobijábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. cobijarás — The second-person future of cobijar is cobijarás.
  5. cobijaría — The first-person conditional of cobijar is cobijaría, the form for what would happen.
  6. cobije — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of cobijar is cobije.
  7. cobijara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of cobijar is cobijara.
  8. hemos cobijado — The nosotros present perfect of cobijar is hemos cobijado: hemos + cobijado.
  9. cobija — The affirmative tú imperative of cobijar is cobija.
  10. cobijando — The gerund of cobijar is cobijando: estoy cobijando. The participle cobijado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does cobijar mean in English?

Cobijar means to shelter, to cover. It is used in everyday situations such as Cobijo al niño con una manta. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is cobijar regular or irregular?

Cobijar is a fully regular -ar verb, so every tense follows the standard endings for its class. Once you know the regular pattern, you can produce every form on this page, including cobijo in the present and cobijé in the preterite.

What is the difference between cobijar and proteger?

Cobijar means to shelter, to cover, while proteger means to protect. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use cobijar when you mean to shelter, to cover, as in Cobijo al niño con una manta, and use proteger for to protect. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I shelter” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo cobijé a su familia bajo el techo. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo cobijaba al perro de la lluvia. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he cobijado a su familia bajo el techo.

How do I practise cobijar?

Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the cobijar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.

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