trabar

to hinder

trabar(trah-bahr)

transitive verb

1. (to hold back)

a. to hinder

Las nuevas regulaciones traban la mejora en los servicios de salud.

The new regulations hinder the improvement of health services.

b. to obstruct

Hay un camión trabando la entrada al túnel.

There is a truck obstructing the entrance to the tunnel.

2. (to engage in)

a. to strike up

El rey de Inglaterra trabó una alianza con el rey de Francia.

The king of England struck up an alliance with the king of France.

b. to start up

Trabamos amistad cuando comenzamos a trabajar juntos.

We started up a friendship when we started working together.

3. (to make secure)

a. to fasten

Traba el cinturón de seguridad antes de encender el auto.

Fasten your seat belt before you turn on the car.

4. (to lock in place)

a. to hold shut (to leave closed)

Trabé las puertas del gabinete con una cuchara de madera.

I held the cabinet doors shut with a wooden spoon.

b. to wedge shut (to leave closed)

El piloto trabó la puerta desde adentro.

The pilot wedged the door shut from the inside.

c. to hold open (to leave open)

Hacía mucho calor y tuve que trabar la ventana con un destornillador.

It was really hot and I had to hold the window open with a screwdriver.

d. to wedge open (to leave open)

Traba la puerta con un pedazo de papel o te quedarás encerrado.

Wedge the door open with a piece of paper or you will be locked in.

5. (to condense)

a. to thicken

Añade harina para trabar la salsa.

Add flour to thicken the sauce.

6. (to link)

a. to weave together

Esta biografía traba todos los elementos de la vida del actor desde la infancia hasta su éxito.

This biography weaves together all the elements of the actor's life from childhood through to his success.

7. (to tether)

a. to hobble

Pasemos la noche acá. Traben los caballos y arranquen una fogata.

Let's spend the night here. Hobble your horses and start a fire.

8. (to connect)

a. to join

Trabé las dos piezas de la tubería con un empalme.

I used a connector to join the two parts of the pipe.

b. to tie

Las vigas fueron trabadas con cabillas.

The beams were tied together with rope.

trabarse

pronominal verb

9. (to get caught up)

a. to get tangled up

Liberé un delfín que se había trabado con una red de pesca.

I freed a dolphin that got tangled up in a fishing net.

10. (to get stuck)

a. to get jammed

La puerta se trabó y ahora no podemos salir.

The door got jammed and now we can't get out.

11. (to trip over your tongue)

a. to get tongue-tied

Estaba muy nervioso y, cuando me tocó hablar a mí, me trabé.

I was very nervous and, when it was my time to speak, I got tongue-tied.

12. (to be absorbed in)

a. to get involved

Me voy porque no me quiero trabar en una conversación sobre política.

I'm leaving because I don't want to get involved in a conversation about politics.

13.

(colloquial)

(to smoke marijuana)

(Latin America)

a. to get high

(colloquial)

Alejandro no hace más que trabarse con marihuana y jugar videojuegos.

All Alejandro does is get high on pot and play video games.

b. to get stoned

(colloquial)

Diana dijo que nunca se había trabado ni probado el alcohol.

Diana said she never got stoned or tried alcohol.

trabar

transitive verb

1. (sujetar)

a. to fasten

2. (a preso)

a. to shackle

3. (unir)

a. to join

4. (iniciar; conversación, amistad)

a. to strike up

5. (obstaculizar)

a. to obstruct, to hinder

6. (espesar)

a. to thicken

pronominal verb

7. (enredarse)

a. to get tangled

8. (espesarse)

a. to thicken

9. (al hablar)

a. to get one's tongue tied in knots

se le trabó la lenguahe tripped over his tongue

Copyright © 2006 Harrap Publishers Limited

trabar

transitive verb

1 [+puerta, ventana] (para que quede cerrada) to wedge shut; (para que quede abierta) to wedge open

trabó la puerta con una silla para que no entrara he wedged the door shut with a chair to stop her getting in; trabó la pata de la mesa con una madera she wedged a piece of wood under the table leg

2 [+salsa, líquido] to thicken

3 (Carpintería) to join; (Construcción) to point

4 (comenzar) [+conversación, debate] to start (up); strike up; [+batalla] to join

trabar amistad to strike up a friendship

5 (enlazar)

una serie de razonamientos muy bien trabados a tightly woven o very well constructed argument

6 (obstaculizar) to hold back

la falta de recursos ha trabado el desarrollo de la investigación research has been held back by the lack of funds

7 [+caballo] to hobble

8 [+sierra] to set

9 (Centroamérica) (Caribe) (engañar) to deceive

intransitive verb

1 [+planta] to take

2 [+ancla, garfio] to grip

pronominal verb

trabarse

1 (enredarse) to get tangled up

me trabé en un matorral y no podía salir I got tangled up in a thicket and couldn't get free; se le traba la lengua he gets tongue-tied; (Caribe) he loses the thread (of what he is saying)

2 (atascarse) [+cajón, puerta, mecanismo] to jam; get jammed

3 (involucrarse)

trabarse en una discusión to get involved in an argument