Portuguese Idioms
A curated set of 24 idioms in Portuguese — literal translations, real meanings, and where each one comes from.
- Engolir sapos — To put up with unpleasant things without complaining. Literally: To swallow frogs.
- Pagar o pato — To take the blame for something you didn't do. Literally: To pay the duck.
- Descascar o abacaxi — To solve a very difficult, thorny problem. Literally: To peel the pineapple.
- Empurrar com a barriga — To procrastinate; to keep delaying something. Literally: To push with the belly.
- Matar a cobra e mostrar o pau — To prove you actually did what you claim. Literally: To kill the snake and show the stick.
- dar um jeito — Find a creative solution or workaround, often bending rules pragmatically. Literally: to give a way/trick.
- estar com a corda no pescoço — Be in serious financial or personal trouble with no easy escape. Literally: to be with the rope around the neck.
- meter os pés pelas mãos — Make a clumsy mistake or bungle something badly through carelessness. Literally: to put the feet through the hands.
- estar com água na boca — Feel eager anticipation or desire, especially for food or something pleasant. Literally: to have water in the mouth.
- Viajar na maionese — To talk nonsense or drift off into your own dream world. Literally: To travel in the mayonnaise.
- Chutar o balde — To stop caring and let everything go — unlike the English, nobody dies. Literally: To kick the bucket.
- Enfiar o pé na jaca — To overdo it wildly, especially with food or drink. Literally: To stick your foot in the jackfruit.
- Pisar na bola — To mess up or let someone down. Literally: To step on the ball.
- Encher linguiça — To pad something out with filler to take up space or time. Literally: To stuff sausage.
- Nem que a vaca tussa — No way; under no circumstances. Literally: Not even if the cow coughs.
- Tirar o cavalo da chuva — To give up on an expectation. Literally: To take the horse out of the rain.
- Pagar mico — To embarrass yourself publicly. Literally: To pay monkey.
- Procurar pelo em ovo — To nitpick over nothing. Literally: To look for hair on an egg.
- Ficar a ver navios — To be left disappointed and empty-handed. Literally: To be left watching ships.
- Onde Judas perdeu as botas — In the middle of nowhere; the back of beyond. Literally: Where Judas lost his boots.
- Acertar na mosca — To be exactly right; to hit the bullseye. Literally: To hit the fly.
- Dar com os burros n'água — To fail despite all your effort. Literally: To end up with the donkeys in the water.
- Tirar o pai da forca — Said of something done in frantic urgency. Literally: To take your father off the gallows.
- Chorar de barriga cheia — To complain when you have nothing to complain about. Literally: To cry on a full belly.
Loading the full interactive collection…