Cabo in Portuguese: What It Means, Example Phrases and Caibo vs Cabo

Cabo in Portuguese mostly means "cable" (as in "cabo elétrico" or "cabo de aço") and "handle" (as in "cabo de vassoura" or "cabo da frigideira"). That's the short answer to the cabo meaning question, but here in Brazil the same word is also a military rank (a corporal), the famous "cabo eleitoral" of every political campaign, and part of expressions like "levar a cabo" and "de cabo a rabo".

If you landed here wondering what cabo means in Portuguese or how to say cable in Portuguese, I'll walk you through each meaning of cabo with example sentences to practice, the way we actually say them in Brazil. I'll also show you how it differs from fio in Portuguese, so you don't get tangled up when someone asks you "me passa o cabo do carregador" (pass me the charger cable).

And at the end we clear up a question that trips up even a lot of Brazilians: is it caibo or cabo? The correct form is "eu caibo" (I fit), from the verb caber, one of the irregular verbs in Portuguese that's hardest to memorize, and I'll give you its present tense conjugation too.

Video: Cabo in Portuguese Explained

In this video I go through the meanings of cabo in Portuguese out loud and show you how we pronounce it in Brazil: the final "o" sounds almost like "oo", so it comes out roughly as "KAH-boo". Watch it first, then go over each example sentence below.

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Portuguese phrases to practice

Here are some Portuguese sentences with the word CABO in different contexts, so you can really absorb each meaning. Take notes!

Cabo de frigideira / panela

"Cabo da frigideira" or "cabo da panela" is the handle of a frying pan or a pot, the part you hold on to. It's one of the most common uses of cabo in Brazilian kitchens, and you'll come across it in any recipe in Portuguese.

• Eu bati no cabo da frigideira enquanto preparava ovo e derrubei tudo no chão. (I bumped the handle of the frying pan while I was making an egg and knocked everything onto the floor.)

Cabo de vassoura

"Cabo de vassoura" is a broomstick, the long handle of a broom. In Brazil we use "cabo" for almost any long handle: on a broom, a mop or a shovel.

• Acho que esse cabo de vassoura não tem mais jeito, será que teria como você comprar um novo no supermercado? (I think this broomstick is beyond repair, could you buy a new one at the supermarket?)

Different ways to use JEITO in Portuguese

Cabo elétrico (cabeamento)

"Cabo elétrico" is an electrical cable, and "cabeamento" is the wiring or cabling of a house or a network. So if you're wondering how to say cable in Portuguese, it's "cabo". It isn't one of the classic false friends, but English speakers often guess "cape" first, while in Brazil the meaning you'll hear most is "cable". For thin cables and wires we also say "fio".

• O técnico checou o cabo elétrico para garantir que não houvesse nenhum curto-circuito. (The technician checked the electrical cable to make sure there was no short circuit.)
• Ele trabalha numa empresa de telecomunicações fazendo cabeamento de rede de internet. (He works at a telecom company doing the cabling for internet networks.)

Cabo de aço

"Cabo de aço" is a steel cable, also known as wire rope. You'll see it on elevators, bridges and cranes, almost always in conversations about maintenance or safety.

• Durante a manutenção, o técnico decidiu substituir o cabo de aço do elevador, ele falou que era muito arriscado usá-lo do jeito que tava. (During maintenance, the technician decided to replace the elevator's steel cable; he said it was too risky to use it the way it was.)

Cabo eleitoral

"Cabo eleitoral" is the person who works on a political campaign asking people to vote for a candidate, especially in their own neighborhood or city, something like a campaign canvasser. It's a very typical figure of elections in Brazil, and you'll hear the term a lot in Brazilian media during campaign season.

• Se não fosse o trabalho dos cabos eleitorais, esse prefeito nunca teria sido eleito. (If it weren't for the work of the campaign canvassers, that mayor would never have been elected.)

The term "cabo eleitoral" describes someone who mobilizes voters and supports a candidate, often through direct, local, door-to-door work.

Cabo do exército

"Cabo do exército" is an army corporal, the rank right above a private. So when you see "o cabo" in a news story about the military or the police, think "corporal", not "cable".

• O cabo do exército foi reconhecido por liderar sua unidade durante a guerra, teve que lidar com desafios extremamente difíceis para proteger a linha de frente. (The army corporal was recognized for leading his unit during the war; he had to deal with extremely difficult challenges to protect the front line.)

Levar a cabo

"Levar a cabo" means to carry out, to see something through to the end. With the same word we also say "dar cabo de" (to finish something off or put an end to it) and "ao fim e ao cabo" (when all is said and done); here are more Brazilian expressions to practice.

• O governo prometeu levar a cabo as reformas econômicas, mesmo diante da resistência de alguns setores e pressão popular. (The government promised to carry out the economic reforms, even in the face of resistance from some sectors and public pressure.)

In short, "levar a cabo" means to carry out, execute or bring a task, project or activity to completion.

Cabo a rabo

"De cabo a rabo" means from start to finish, from cover to cover, without skipping anything. We use it a lot with books, trips or jobs, and a good challenge is to read one of my short stories in Portuguese de cabo a rabo.

• O advogado pediu pra ela ler o contrato de cabo a rabo antes de assinar, para evitar surpresas não desejadas. (The lawyer asked her to read the contract from cover to cover before signing, to avoid any unpleasant surprises.)

Ela me falou que já leu esse livro de cabo a rabo três vezes, deve ser muito bom.

Book recommendations: reading in Portuguese

Cabo de guerra

"Cabo de guerra" is tug of war, the game where two teams pull on opposite ends of a rope. It's a classic at festas juninas and school outings in Brazil.

• O pessoal vai fazer uma atividade bem divertida hoje à tarde, vai ter até cabo de guerra, já brincou disso? (The group is doing a really fun activity this afternoon, there's even going to be a tug of war. Have you ever played it?)

Article in Portuguese: 12 brincadeiras antigas para se divertir com as crianças

And if you like games to practice with friends, try the "Never Have I Ever" game in Portuguese.

Cabo in geography: Cabo Frio and Cabo Verde

In geography, cabo in Portuguese means "cape", a point of land that juts out into the sea, just like Cape Cod or the Cape of Good Hope (in Portuguese, "Cabo da Boa Esperança"). That's why we have places like Cabo Frio, a very famous beach town in the state of Rio de Janeiro, and Cabo Verde (Cape Verde), the African country where Portuguese is also spoken.

• Nas férias a gente foi pra Cabo Frio e pegou praia todos os dias. (On vacation we went to Cabo Frio and hit the beach every day.)

Caibo or cabo? The verb CABER (irregular)

Caibo or cabo? The correct form is "eu caibo" (I fit): "eu cabo" doesn't exist as a form of the verb, even though plenty of Brazilians hesitate. In the present tense, the caber conjugation goes eu caibo, você cabe, nós cabemos, eles cabem. And don't mix it up with "eu caio" (I fall), from the verb cair.

• Será que eu caibo no banco traseiro do carro? (Do you think I'll fit in the back seat of the car?)

Learn 20 irregular verbs in Portuguese

"Caibo" is the first person singular, present indicative form of the verb "caber". Caber means to have enough room for something or someone, or to fit into a place or situation.