caber

See also: cąber and Cąber

English

man tossing a caber

Etymology

From Scottish Gaelic cabar (“spar, pole”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈkeɪbə/, /ˈkɑː-/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈkeɪbɚ/, /ˈkɑ-/
• Rhymes: -eɪbə(ɹ)

Noun

caber (plural cabers)

1. A long, thick log held upright at one end and tossed in the Highland games.

Derived terms

• caber toss

Translations

a long, thick log held upright at one end and tossed in the Highland games

• Scottish Gaelic: cabar

Anagrams

• Brace, acerb, brace, cabre, cabré

Catalan

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [kəˈβɛ]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [kəˈbə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [kaˈbeɾ]

Verb

caber (first-person singular present cabo, first-person singular preterite cabí, past participle cabut)

1. Alternative form of cabre

Conjugation

    Conjugation of caber (second conjugation, irregular)

infinitive			caber
gerund			cabent
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		cabut		cabuda
		plural		cabuts		cabudes
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		jo	tu	ell/ella vostè	nosaltres nós	vosaltres vós	ells/elles vostès
	present	cabo	caps	cap	cabem	cabeu	caben
	imperfect	cabia	cabies	cabia	cabíem	cabíeu	cabien
	future	cabré	cabràs	cabrà	cabrem	cabreu	cabran
	preterite	cabí	caberes	cabé	cabérem	cabéreu	caberen
	conditional	cabria	cabries	cabria	cabríem	cabríeu	cabrien
subjunctive		jo	tu	ell/ella vostè	nosaltres nós	vosaltres vós	ells/elles vostès
	present	càpiga	càpigues	càpiga	capiguem	capigueu	càpiguen
	imperfect	cabés	cabessis	cabés	cabéssim	cabéssiu	cabessin
imperative		—	tu	vostè	nosaltres	vosaltres vós	vostès
	affirmative	—	cap	càpiga	capiguem	cabeu	càpiguen
	negative (no)	—	no càpigues	no càpiga	no capiguem	no capigueu	no càpiguen

Further reading

• “caber” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “caber”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2024
• “caber” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “caber” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Galician

Etymology

From Old Galcian and Old Galician-Portuguese caber, from Latin capere, present active infinitive of capiō (“I take in, contain”), from Proto-Italic *kapiō, from Proto-Indo-European *kh₂pyéti, from the root *keh₂p- (“to seize, grab”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kaˈbeɾ/ [kɑˈβ̞eɾ]
• Rhymes: -eɾ
• Hyphenation: ca‧ber

Verb

caber (first-person singular present caibo, first-person singular preterite couben, past participle cabido)
caber (first-person singular present caibo, first-person singular preterite coubem or coube, past participle cabido, reintegrationist norm)

1. to fit (in something)
2. to hold or contain; to be capable of containing

Conjugation

    Conjugation of caber (irregular)

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (ti)	Third-person (el / ela / Vde.)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / Vdes.)
Infinitive
Impersonal	caber
Personal	caber	caberes	caber	cabermos	caberdes	caberen
Gerund
	cabendo
Past participle
Masculine	cabido			cabidos
Feminine	cabida			cabidas
Indicative
Present	caibo	cabes	cabe	cabemos	cabedes	caben
Imperfect	cabía	cabías	cabía	cabiamos	cabiades	cabían
Preterite	couben	coubeches	coubo	coubemos	coubestes	couberon
Pluperfect	coubera	couberas	coubera	couberamos	couberades	couberan
Future	caberei	caberás	caberá	caberemos	caberedes	caberán
Conditional	cabería	caberías	cabería	caberiamos	caberiades	caberían
Subjunctive
Present	caiba	caibas	caiba	caibamos	caibades	caiban
Imperfect	coubese	coubeses	coubese	coubésemos	coubésedes	coubesen
Future	couber	couberes	couber	coubermos	couberdes	couberen
Imperative
Affirmative		cabe	caiba	caibamos	cabede	caiban
Negative (non)		non caibas	non caiba	non caibamos	non caibades	non caiban

    Reintegrated conjugation of caber (irregular) (See Appendix:Reintegrationism)

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (ti / tu)	Third-person (ele / ela / você)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / vocês)
Infinitive
Impersonal	caber
Personal	caber	caberes	caber	cabermos	caberdes	caberem
Gerund
	cabendo
Past participle
Masculine	cabido			cabidos
Feminine	cabida			cabidas
Indicative
Present	caibo	cabes	cabe	cabemos	cabedes, cabeis	cabem
Imperfect	cabia	cabias	cabia	cabíamos	cabíades, cabíeis, cabíais1	cabiam
Preterite	coubem, coube	coubeste, coubeche1	coubo, coube	coubemos	coubestes	coubérom, couberam
Pluperfect	coubera	couberas	coubera	coubéramos	coubérades, coubéreis, coubérais1	couberam
Future	caberei	caberás	caberá	caberemos	caberedes, cabereis	caberám, caberão
Conditional	caberia	caberias	caberia	caberíamos	caberíades, caberíeis, caberíais1	caberiam
Subjunctive
Present	caiba	caibas	caiba	caibamos	caibades, caibais	caibam
Imperfect	coubesse	coubesses	coubesse	coubéssemos	coubéssedes, coubésseis	coubessem
Future	couber	couberes	couber	coubermos	couberdes	couberem
Imperative
Affirmative		cabe	caiba	caibamos	cabede, cabei	caibam
Negative (nom)		nom caibas	nom caiba	nom caibamos	nom caibades, nom caibais	nom caibam

¹Less recommended.

Derived terms

• malcabido

References

• Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022) “caber”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “caber”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “caber”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “caber”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

Occitan

Alternative forms

• caupre

Etymology

From Old Occitan caber, from Latin capere, present active infinitive of capiō (“I take in, contain”), from Proto-Italic *kapiō, from Proto-Indo-European *kh₂pyéti, from the root *keh₂p- (“to seize, grab”).

Pronunciation

• Audio (Languedoc):

  (file)

Verb

caber

1. to fit (in)

Conjugation

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

Portuguese

Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese caber, from Latin capere (“to take in, contain”), from Proto-Italic *kapiō, from Proto-Indo-European *kh₂pyéti, from the root *keh₂p- (“to seize, grab”). Compare Galician caber, Spanish caber, Italian capire (“to understand”) and Romanian încăpea.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /kaˈbe(ʁ)/ [kaˈbe(h)]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /kaˈbe(ʁ)/ [kaˈbe(h)]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /kaˈbe(ɾ)/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /kaˈbe(ʁ)/ [kaˈbe(χ)]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /kaˈbe(ɻ)/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /kɐˈbeɾ/ [kɐˈβeɾ]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /kɐˈbeɾ/ [kɐˈβeɾ]
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /kɐˈbe.ɾi/ [kɐˈβe.ɾi]

• Hyphenation: ca‧ber

Verb

caber (first-person singular present caibo, first-person singular preterite coube, past participle cabido)

1. (intransitive) to fit (no matter if space or volume is left) [with em ‘in something’]

   Este tamanho não cabe em mim.

   This size doesn't fit me.

2. (intransitive) to traverse, pass through or across (a way, path, opening etc. no matter if space is left) [with em]
3. (intransitive) to hold; to be capable of containing [with em]

   Nesse auditório cabem duas mil pessoas.

   That auditorium holds two thousand people.

4. (intransitive) to be responsible for; to be up to somebody [with a]

   Cabe a você fazer uma escolha.

   It's up to you to make a choice.

5. (intransitive) to be allotted, to be distributed [with a ‘to’]

   A cada um coube uma pequena parte.

   A small part was distributed to each person.

Conjugation

    Conjugation of caber (irregular) (See Appendix:Portuguese verbs)

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (tu)	Third-person (ele / ela / você)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / vocês)
Infinitive
Impersonal	caber
Personal	caber	caberes	caber	cabermos	caberdes	caberem
Gerund
	cabendo
Past participle
Masculine	cabido			cabidos
Feminine	cabida			cabidas
Indicative
Present	caibo	cabes	cabe	cabemos	cabeis	cabem
Imperfect	cabia	cabias	cabia	cabíamos	cabíeis	cabiam
Preterite	coube	coubeste	coube	coubemos	coubestes	couberam
Pluperfect	coubera	couberas	coubera	coubéramos	coubéreis	couberam
Future	caberei	caberás	caberá	caberemos	cabereis	caberão
Conditional	caberia	caberias	caberia	caberíamos	caberíeis	caberiam
Subjunctive
Present	caiba	caibas	caiba	caibamos	caibais	caibam
Imperfect	coubesse	coubesses	coubesse	coubéssemos	coubésseis	coubessem
Future	couber	couberes	couber	coubermos	couberdes	couberem
Imperative
Affirmative		cabe	caiba	caibamos	cabei	caibam
Negative (não)		não caibas	não caiba	não caibamos	não caibais	não caibam

Quotations

• For quotations using this term, see Citations:caber.

Synonyms

• (to pass through): passar
• (to be responsible for): competir, pertencer
• (to fall to): calhar

Derived terms

• caber como uma luva
• cabimento
• cabível

 

Related terms

• capacidade
• cativante
• cativar
• cativeiro
• cativo

 

Further reading

• “caber”, in Dicionário infopédia da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2024

Spanish

Etymology

Inherited from Old Spanish caber, from Latin capere (“take, hold, contain”), from Proto-Italic *kapiō, from Proto-Indo-European *kh₂pyéti, from the root *keh₂p- (“to seize, grab”). Compare English have, capture, catch and chase. See also Spanish cazar, cachar.

The 1st person singular of the present reflects an original */ˈkai̯po/, through metathesis from Latin capiō (compare Portuguese caibo). Similarly the preterite continues */ˈkau̯pi/, metathesis of a Vulgar Latin perfect stem *capuī (compare Portuguese coube).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kaˈbeɾ/ [kaˈβ̞eɾ]

• Audio (Colombia):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɾ
• Syllabification: ca‧ber

Verb

caber (first-person singular present quepo, first-person singular preterite cupe, past participle cabido)

1. (transitive) to fit, enter (to be able to be contained (by something; regardless of whether space or volume remains))

   Synonym: entrar

   Quise tomar prestados los pantalones de mi hermana pequeña, pero no me cabían.

   I wanted to borrow my little sister's trousers, but they didn't fit me.

2. (transitive) to traverse, pass through or across (a way, path, door, hole, opening, mouth, orifice, etc.)

   Synonym: pasar

3. (transitive) to be held or contained (to be held inside (something) or passed through (regardless of whether space or volume remains))
4. (transitive, intransitive) to have, hold, should be (in certain phrases)

   No os quepa duda... ― Do not have any doubt about...

   Cabe señalar que... ― It should be noted that...

   No cabe comparación entre las dos cosas.

   The two things aren't comparable.

5. (transitive, figuratively) to be acceptable, accepted, permitted, permissible, allowable, etc.

   Synonym: tener cabida

6. (archaic) to take
7. (archaic) to understand
8. to be possible

   Cabe eso. ― There is room for it.

Usage notes

• When something or somebody fits into something, in a strict sense, usually an adverb such as justo, justamente, or apenas is added.
• This verb always implies an active sense; i.e., the subject always does the action of this verb, although some translations to English may have a passive form.

Conjugation

    Conjugation of caber (irregular) (See Appendix:Spanish verbs)

infinitive			caber
gerund			cabiendo
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		cabido		cabida
		plural		cabidos		cabidas
		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
indicative		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	quepo	cabestú cabésvos	cabe	cabemos	cabéis	caben
	imperfect	cabía	cabías	cabía	cabíamos	cabíais	cabían
	preterite	cupe	cupiste	cupo	cupimos	cupisteis	cupieron
	future	cabré	cabrás	cabrá	cabremos	cabréis	cabrán
	conditional	cabría	cabrías	cabría	cabríamos	cabríais	cabrían
subjunctive		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	quepa	quepastú quepásvos2	quepa	quepamos	quepáis	quepan
	imperfect (ra)	cupiera	cupieras	cupiera	cupiéramos	cupierais	cupieran
	imperfect (se)	cupiese	cupieses	cupiese	cupiésemos	cupieseis	cupiesen
	future1	cupiere	cupieres	cupiere	cupiéremos	cupiereis	cupieren
imperative		—	tú vos	usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ustedes
	affirmative		cabetú cabévos	quepa	quepamos	cabed	quepan
	negative		no quepas	no quepa	no quepamos	no quepáis	no quepan

¹Mostly obsolete, now mainly used in legal language.
²Argentine and Uruguayan voseo prefers the tú form for the present subjunctive.

    Selected combined forms of caber (irregular)

These forms are generated automatically and may not actually be used. Pronoun usage varies by region.

		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
with infinitive caber
	dative	caberme	caberte	caberle, caberse	cabernos	caberos	caberles, caberse
	accusative	caberme	caberte	caberlo, caberla, caberse	cabernos	caberos	caberlos, caberlas, caberse
with gerund cabiendo
	dative	cabiéndome	cabiéndote	cabiéndole, cabiéndose	cabiéndonos	cabiéndoos	cabiéndoles, cabiéndose
	accusative	cabiéndome	cabiéndote	cabiéndolo, cabiéndola, cabiéndose	cabiéndonos	cabiéndoos	cabiéndolos, cabiéndolas, cabiéndose
with informal second-person singular tú imperative cabe
	dative	cábeme	cábete	cábele	cábenos	not used	cábeles
	accusative	cábeme	cábete	cábelo, cábela	cábenos	not used	cábelos, cábelas
with informal second-person singular vos imperative cabé
	dative	cabeme	cabete	cabele	cabenos	not used	cabeles
	accusative	cabeme	cabete	cabelo, cabela	cabenos	not used	cabelos, cabelas
with formal second-person singular imperative quepa
	dative	quépame	not used	quépale, quépase	quépanos	not used	quépales
	accusative	quépame	not used	quépalo, quépala, quépase	quépanos	not used	quépalos, quépalas
with first-person plural imperative quepamos
	dative	not used	quepámoste	quepámosle	quepámonos	quepámoos	quepámosles
	accusative	not used	quepámoste	quepámoslo, quepámosla	quepámonos	quepámoos	quepámoslos, quepámoslas
with informal second-person plural imperative cabed
	dative	cabedme	not used	cabedle	cabednos	cabeos	cabedles
	accusative	cabedme	not used	cabedlo, cabedla	cabednos	cabeos	cabedlos, cabedlas
with formal second-person plural imperative quepan
	dative	quépanme	not used	quépanle	quépannos	not used	quépanles, quépanse
	accusative	quépanme	not used	quépanlo, quépanla	quépannos	not used	quépanlos, quépanlas, quépanse

Derived terms

• al que le quepa el sayo
• no te quepa duda
• si cabe

 

Related terms

• cabida
• capacidad
• captar
• cautivar
• cupo

 

See also

• ajustar

Further reading

• “caber”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.7, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2023 November 28