Why not "La maleta no cabía en el coche."

Question

Why is cupo used instead of cabía in the sentence, "La maleta no cupo en el coche"? Isn't this a description where the imperfect should be used? It isn't a completed action, sequence in the past or a action that was begun and ended. It seems to be a description and my understanding is that the imperfect would be used for a description. BTW, I am learning Mexican Spanish.

Accepted Answer

Hola Rosemary
In the sentence "La maleta no cupo en el coche", the use of "cupo" is appropriate because it reflects a specific event or action of the suitcase not fitting into the car. In this context, "cupo" is the preterite form of the verb "caber", which is commonly used to describe the capacity or space available for something.
While the imperfect tense is indeed used for ongoing or habitual descriptions in the past, in this lesson, the focus is on a particular incident or occurrence —the moment when the suitcase did not fit. The preterite tense is suitable for narrating completed actions or events with a clear beginning and end, and that's why "cupo" is used here.
It's important to note that the choice between preterite and imperfect depends on the nuances of the action being described, and in this situation, the preterite aligns with the specific event of the suitcase not fitting.
Keep up the good work in your Mexican Spanish learning journey!
Saludos
Silvia