Cobrar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish
The Spanish verb cobrar means to charge, to collect. You can learn its forms from the full cobrar conjugation, but forms on their own are not enough: you need to see the verb in real sentences, in conversation, and in the mistakes people actually make. That is what this page is for. Below you will find example sentences grouped by use, two short dialogues, the common mistakes, a ten-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions learners ask most. One sentence to start: Yo cobro cien euros por la reparación. — "I charge a hundred euros for the repair."
Cobrar example sentences
Everyday use — the present tense
- Yo cobro cien euros por la reparación. — "I charge a hundred euros for the repair."
- Tú cobras por el trabajo a fin de mes. — "you charge for the work at the end of the month."
- Él cobra veinte euros por la clase. — "he/she charges twenty euros for the lesson."
- Nosotros cobramos en efectivo. — "we charge in cash."
Talking about the past
- Yo cobré veinte euros por la clase. — "I charged twenty euros for the lesson."
- Él cobraba en efectivo. — "he/she used to charge in cash."
- Nosotros cobramos por el trabajo. — "we charged for the work."
Plans and wishes
- Yo cobraré por el trabajo. — "I will charge for the work."
- Tú cobrarías todos los meses. — "you would charge every month."
More examples with cobrar
- Cobro cien euros por la reparación. — "I charge a hundred euros for the repair."
- Mi hermana cobra el sueldo a fin de mes. — "My sister gets her salary at the end of the month."
- Ayer cobré veinte euros por la clase. — "Yesterday I charged twenty euros for the lesson."
- De joven, cobraba en efectivo por el trabajo. — "When I was young, I used to get paid in cash for the work."
- Mañana cobraré por el trabajo de esta semana. — "Tomorrow I will get paid for this week's work."
- Si pudiera, cobraría más por la reparación. — "If I could, I would charge more for the repair."
Cobrar in conversation
Two short dialogues using cobrar naturally. Read them out loud: hearing the verb in a question and an answer is the fastest way to make the forms stick.
Dialogue 1: making plans
María: ¿Tú cobras cien euros por la reparación? Carlos: Sí, yo cobro cien euros por la reparación. ¿Y tú? María: Yo también. ¿Cobra por el trabajo a fin de mes? Carlos: Sí, él cobra por el trabajo a fin de mes todos los días. María: ¿Y mañana? ¿Tú cobrarás veinte euros por la clase? Carlos: Sí, mañana yo cobraré veinte euros por la clase.
In this dialogue María asks Carlos what he does, and then they talk about tomorrow. Notice how the verb changes with the person: cobras for tú, cobro for yo, cobra for él. The future forms at the end (cobrarás, cobraré) show the same verb talking about tomorrow.
Dialogue 2: talking about yesterday
Ana: ¿Tú cobras en efectivo? Luis: Sí, yo cobro en efectivo. ¿Y tú? Ana: Yo también. ¿Cobra por el trabajo? Luis: Sí, él cobra por el trabajo todos los días. Ana: ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú cobraste en efectivo? Luis: Sí, ayer yo cobré en efectivo.
Here Ana asks Luis about yesterday, so the answers use the preterite: cobré for yo, cobraste for tú. The preterite is the right choice because yesterday is finished; the present would describe a habit instead.
Common mistakes with cobrar in the present
These are the errors learners actually make with this verb. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why it is wrong.
1. Yo cobra cien euros.
Wrong: Yo cobra cien euros.
Right: Yo cobro cien euros.
The yo form ends in -o: cobro. Cobra is the él/ella form.
2. Yo pago el sueldo a fin de mes.
Wrong: Yo pago el sueldo a fin de mes.
Right: Yo cobro el sueldo a fin de mes.
Cobrar means to receive or collect money, not to pay it. If you receive your salary, you cobras; the company paga. Pagar is to pay; cobrar is the opposite side of the same transaction.
3. Confusing cobrar with pagar
Cobrar is receiving money; pagar is paying it. El cliente paga cien euros y el mecánico cobra cien euros — the same money, seen from two sides.
4. Using the present for a finished past action
Wrong: Ayer yo cobro cien euros por la reparación.
Right: Ayer yo cobré cien euros por la reparación.
Ayer (yesterday) signals a finished action, so it needs the preterite: cobré. The present describes what you do now or usually.
Quiz: cobrar in use
Ten questions across five tenses. Choose the right form for each sentence, then check the answers at the end of this section.
- Tú ___ cien euros por la reparación (present)
- a) cobras
- b) cobro
- c) cobra
- d) cobramos
- Nosotros ___ por el trabajo a fin de mes (preterite)
- a) cobré
- b) cobraste
- c) cobró
- d) cobramos
- Ellos ___ veinte euros por la clase (imperfect)
- a) cobrabas
- b) cobraba
- c) cobraban
- d) cobraba
- Tú ___ en efectivo (future)
- a) cobraremos
- b) cobrarás
- c) cobraré
- d) cobrará
- Nosotros ___ por el trabajo (conditional)
- a) cobraríamos
- b) cobraría
- c) cobrarías
- d) cobraría
- Ellos ___ todos los meses (present)
- a) cobro
- b) cobras
- c) cobra
- d) cobran
- Tú ___ cien euros por la reparación (preterite)
- a) cobró
- b) cobramos
- c) cobraste
- d) cobré
- Nosotros ___ por el trabajo a fin de mes (imperfect)
- a) cobraba
- b) cobrábamos
- c) cobraba
- d) cobrabas
- Ellos ___ veinte euros por la clase (future)
- a) cobrarán
- b) cobraré
- c) cobrarás
- d) cobrará
- Tú ___ en efectivo (conditional)
- a) cobraría
- b) cobraría
- c) cobraríamos
- d) cobrarías
Answers
- a) cobras — the present form, for tú.
- d) cobramos — the preterite form, for nosotros/as.
- c) cobraban — the imperfect form, for ellos/ellas/Uds..
- b) cobrarás — the future form, for tú.
- a) cobraríamos — the conditional form, for nosotros/as.
- d) cobran — the present form, for ellos/ellas/Uds..
- c) cobraste — the preterite form, for tú.
- b) cobrábamos — the imperfect form, for nosotros/as.
- a) cobrarán — the future form, for ellos/ellas/Uds..
- d) cobrarías — the conditional form, for tú.
Frequently asked questions about cobrar
Does cobrar mean to charge or to get paid?
Both, and they are two sides of the same idea. Cobrar is receiving money: a worker cobra el sueldo (gets paid) and a shop cobra cien euros (charges a hundred euros). The subject tells you which.
Is cobrar regular?
Yes, cobrar is a regular -ar verb: cobro, cobras, cobra, cobramos, cobráis, cobran.
What are the gerund and the past participle of cobrar?
The gerund is cobrando, used with estar for the progressive (estoy cobrando), and the past participle is cobrado, used with haber for the perfect tenses (he cobrado).
Is cobrar regular?
Yes, it is a regular -ar verb. The present is cobro, cobras, cobra, cobramos, cobráis, cobran, and the full tables are on the cobrar conjugation page.
How to remember cobrar
Four small habits will fix cobrar in your memory. First, say the present tense out loud, in order, three times: cobro, cobras, cobra, cobramos, cobráis, cobran. Saying the forms is far more effective than reading them silently, because you hear the endings and the stem at the same time. Second, write three sentences about your own life: one about today with the present (cobro), one about yesterday with the preterite (cobré), and one about tomorrow with the future (cobraré). Personal sentences stick because they are about you, not about a textbook. Third, remember the difference from pagar: Cobrar is receiving money; pagar is paying it. El cliente paga cien euros y el mecánico cobra cien euros — the same money, seen from two sides. Finally, learn the two key forms by heart: the gerund cobrando and the past participle cobrado. With those two and the present tense, you can already build the progressive (estoy cobrando) and the present perfect (he cobrado), which covers most everyday conversation.
Related pages
- Cobrar conjugation: full tables — every tense of cobrar on one page.
- Cobrar Present tense — the deep dive on cobrar in the present.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for all Spanish verbs on VerbFlow.
- Spanish verb quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.
- Conjugation practice — fill-in-the-blank drills with instant feedback.