caber
intransitive verb
1 (haber espacio para) to fit;en into
tu guitarra no cabe en mi armario your guitar won't fit in my cupboard
en este baúl no cabe it won't fit in o go into this trunk; there's no room for it in this trunk
en mi coche caben dos maletas más there's room for two more suitcases in my car; ¿cabe alguien más? is there room for anyone else?; ¿cabemos todos? is there room for us all?; no cabe nadie más there's no room for anyone else; en este baúl ya no cabe más there's no more room (for anything) in this trunk
¡no me cabe en la cabeza! I can't understand it!
no caber en sí (estar feliz) to be beside o.s.; (ser engreído) to be big-headed (familiar); to be full of o.s.
no cabe en sí de contento o gozo he's beside himself with joy; he's over the moon
2 (tener cabida)
en la bandeja de papel caben 100 hojas the paper tray will hold 100 sheets; en este depósito caben 20 litros this tank holds 20 litres; un sofá donde caben dos a two-seater sofa
5 [+ser posible] [+explicación] to be possible
solo caben dos explicaciones there are only two possible explanations; la única explicación que cabe es que ... the only possible explanation is that ...; todo cabe en ese chico that boy is capable of anything; nothing would surprise me from that boy; no cabe en él hacerlo he doesn't have it in him to do it; ya no caben más lamentaciones it's no use complaining; no cabe perdón it's inexcusable
cabe imaginar distintas posibilidades different possibilities can be imagined; la persona más generosa que cabe imaginar the most generous person you could imagine; the most generous person imaginable; cabe intentar otro sistema it would be worth trying another system; cabe preguntar si ... one might o could ask whether ...
dentro de lo que cabe under the circumstances
se trata al animal lo mejor posible dentro de lo que cabe the animal is treated as well as possible under the circumstances; nos llevamos bastante bien, dentro de lo que cabe we get on quite well, under the circumstances o considering
no cabe duda de que ... there is o can be no doubt that ...
no cabe más que
no cabe más que esperar a ver lo que pasa we can only wait o all we can do is wait o the only thing for it is to wait and see what happens; no cabe más que obedecer there's no option but to obey
cabe la posibilidad de que ...
¿no cabe la posibilidad de que usted haya sido utilizada? is it not possible that you might have been used?
cabe la posibilidad que en unos días nos comuniquen algo (there is a chance that) we may hear from them in a few days; el flash no resulta aconsejable, puesto que cabe la posibilidad de asustar a los animales it's best not to use a flash as it is liable to frighten the animals
si cabe
a mí me parece que es aún mejor, si cabe I think it's even better, if that's possible; ahora está más amable, si cabe she's even friendlier now; mejoraremos, si cabe, el servicio posventa we will improve our after-sales service, wherever possible
6 (corresponder)
me cabe el honor/la satisfacción de presentarles (a) ... I have the honour/it gives me great pleasure to introduce ...; me cupo el privilegio de ... I had the privilege of ...; me cupo la responsabilidad de dirigir el país the responsibility of running the country fell to me
le cupieron 120 dólares his share was 120 dollars; he got 120 dollars (as his share)
