📖LearnModule 13 · Lesson 7 of 30Proficient User · CEFR C2, first halfUnit 2 · Las construcciones impersonales
Conviene, cabe, importa
Module 13 of the free Spanish course (CEFR C2, first half), lesson 7 of 30: These are obligations with nobody obliged. On this page: 10 words with their genders and respellings, the rule, a watch-out line, the conjugation table and the audio — the study notes behind the workbook's QR.
The words
Spanish
English
Say it
conviene recordar que
it is worth recalling that
kohn-BYEH-neh rreh-kohr-DAR keh
cabe señalar que
it should be pointed out that
KAH-beh seh-nyah-LAR keh
importa distinguir
it matters to distinguish
eem-POHR-tah dees-teen-GEER
cabe la posibilidad de que
there is a possibility that
KAH-beh lah poh-see-bee-lee-DAHD deh keh
distinguir
to tell apart
dees-teen-GEER
la obligación sin sujeto
obligation with no one obliged
lah oh-blee-gah-SYOHN seen soo-HEH-toh
la administración
the administration
lah ahd-mee-nees-trah-SYOHN
cortésmente
politely
kohr-TEHS-mehn-teh
valer la pena
to be worth it
bah-LEHR lah PEH-nah
nosotros convenimos en el precio
we agree on the price
noh-SOH-trohs kohn-beh-NEE-mohs ehn ehl PREH-syoh
Respellings follow the course’s say-it key; the stressed syllable is in capitals. Print this lesson’s flashcards (PDF) — the words on the front, the English and respelling on the back.
La regla · The rule
These are obligations with nobody obliged. Conviene recordar que… (it is worth recalling). Cabe señalar que… (it should be pointed out). Importa distinguir… (it matters to distinguish). Cabe la posibilidad de que… (there is a possibility that).
Y también · And also
They are the politest way in Spanish to tell someone what to do, which is exactly why administrations love them. Read one and ask who, precisely, is doing the recommending.
Ojo · Watch out
conviene, cabe and importa take an infinitive (cabe señalar) or que + subjuntivo (conviene que usted lo sepa). caber is irregular in the yo form only: quepo, cabes, cabe. Ask who, precisely, is doing the recommending.
convenir, presente — the table
yo convengo · tú convienes · él/ella/usted conviene · nosotros convenimos · ustedes convienen · ellos/ellas convienen
caber, presente — the table
yo quepo · tú cabes · él/ella/usted cabe · nosotros cabemos · ustedes caben · ellos/ellas caben
Do it now — on paper
Say all 10 words aloud twice from the respelling, then once from the Spanish spelling alone — begin with conviene recordar que.
Copy every word with its accents on paper; then cover the English column and write each meaning back from the Spanish.
Write out convenir, presente and caber, presente in full from memory, every person, and check each form against the table above.
This free course is the reading half. The writing half — write-in lessons, daily practice pages with built-in review, self-checks and a full answer key — is the companion workbook series, The Spanish Ladder: one workbook per module, fifteen in all, released band by band with the Basic band (Modules 1–5) first.
Keep these words
Turn this lesson’s words into flashcards, then space your reviews — the two habits the research behind our study guides backs hardest.