26 Brazilian Sayings That Make No Sense in English

Ever heard someone tell you to stick your foot in a jackfruit or to take your horse out of the rain? Welcome to the wonderfully weird universe of Brazilian idioms and Brazilian sayings. While English has its own fair share of head‑scratchers (looking at you, “raining cats and dogs”), the creativity of Brazilian Portuguese hits different. Each phrase is a tiny postcard from Brazil’s history, mixing Indigenous roots, African rhythms, colonial mishaps, and, of course, that trademark Brazilian humor. In this guide, we’ll unwrap some of the most colorful expressions that simply refuse to behave when translated literally. By the end, you’ll not only understand them, you’ll be itching to drop them into your next convo.

Why These Colorful Lines Make Brazilians Laugh (and English Speakers Blink)

Languages evolve around what a culture eats, farms, jokes about, and worries over. So it’s no surprise that many Brazilian sayings revolve around food, farm animals, and the occasional household object‑turned‑metaphor. Most expressions below come from oral tradition, so their origins are debated, but their usage is 100 % alive. 

Brazilian Sayings About Animal Antics: Farm, Forest & Foolery

From cows in trouble to sneaky pigs, Brazil’s fauna is front and center in everyday banter. Each of these expressions packs centuries of rural life into a single punchline; ask any Brazilian grandparent and they’ll likely have a story to illustrate it:

• A vaca foi pro brejo — The cow went to the swamp
  Meaning: Everything’s gone south; the situation is beyond repair.
  Ex.: "A vaca foi pro brejo ontem e agora precisamos encontrar outra solução."
  (Translation: “The cow went to the swamp yesterday, and now we need to find another solution.”)

• Um espírito de porco — A pig’s spirit
  Meaning: A trouble‑maker with dirty tricks up their sleeve.
  Ex.: "Ele é um espírito de porco; vive atrapalhando todo mundo."
  (Translation: “He’s a pig’s spirit; always messing everybody up.”)

• Estar com a macaca — To be with the female monkey
  Meaning: To be in a foul, irritable mood.
  Ex.: "Fica longe do chefe hoje; ele tá com a macaca."
  (Translation: “Stay away from the boss today; he’s in a terrible mood.”)

• João sem braço — Armless John
  Meaning: Someone who plays dumb to avoid responsibility.
  Ex.: "Não vem de João sem braço; eu vi você derrubar o café!"
  (Translation: “Don’t play dumb; I saw you knock over the coffee!”)

• Tirar o cavalinho da chuva — Take your little horse out of the rain
  Meaning: Give up hope; what you want isn’t happening.
  Ex.: "Pode tirar o cavalinho da chuva; não tem feriado extra."
  (Translation: “You can take your horse out of the rain; there’s no extra holiday.”)

• Pegar alguém de calças curtas — Catch someone in short pants
  Meaning: To catch someone off guard.
  Ex.: "A pergunta do professor me pegou de calças curtas."
  (Translation: “The teacher’s question caught me off guard.”)

In a country where cattle ranching and rainforest wildlife are staples of daily life, it’s no wonder animals wander into everyday conversation. Master these and you’ll immediately sound more in tune with Brazil’s rural roots, even if the closest you’ve been to a swamp is your living‑room ficus.

🎉 Pro tip: The fastest way to practice dropping these lines into real conversation is to chat with native speakers on Tandem. Download the app and see how many you can squeeze into a single session!

Brazilian Sayings About Food & Kitchen Comedy

Brazilian cuisine is famous worldwide, so it’s only natural that the pantry doubles as a phrasebook. Food is comfort, community, and occasionally mild chaos, perfect raw material for metaphors. It’s also one area where the difference between European and Brazilian Portuguese really comes to the table! If you’re already a fan of everyday Brazilian slang, the following culinary idioms will feel like dessert. When someone throws one of these lines your way, it may be time to check if dinner is burnt, or if your reputation is:

• Enfiar o pé na jaca — Stick your foot in the jackfruit
  Meaning: To overdo it, usually partying or eating/drinking too much.
  Ex.: "No Carnaval eu enfiei o pé na jaca mesmo!"
  (Translation: “I really overdid it during Carnival!”)

• Falar abobrinha — Speak zucchini
  Meaning: Talk nonsense.
  Ex.: "Ele só fala abobrinha quando está cansado."
  (Translation: “He only talks nonsense when he’s tired.”)

• Arroz de festa — Party rice
  Meaning: A social butterfly who shows up at every event.
  Ex.: "A Paula é arroz de festa; sempre presente."
  (Translation: “Paula is party rice; always around.”)

• Dar sopa — Give soup
  Meaning: To lead someone on or make yourself easy prey.
  Ex.: "Você vai dar sopa pra aquele cara de novo?"
  (Translation: “Are you going to make it easy for that guy again?”)

• Bater/dar com a língua nos dentes — Tap the tongue on the teeth
  Meaning: Spill the beans.
  Ex.: "Não bata a língua nos dentes sobre a surpresa!"
  (Translation: “Don’t spill the beans about the surprise!”)

• Estar/ter com a faca e o queijo nas mãos — Have the knife and the cheese in your hands
  Meaning: Hold all the cards / have the upper hand.
  Ex.: "Com esse contrato você tem a faca e o queijo nas mãos."
  (Translation: “With this contract, you have the knife and the cheese in your hands.”)

• Última bolacha do pacote — The last cracker in the bag
  Meaning: Someone who thinks they’re irresistible or special.
  Ex.: "Ele se acha a última bolacha do pacote."
  (Translation: “He thinks he’s the last cracker in the bag.”)

Notice how many of these idioms revolve around indulgence? Brazil’s relationship with food is joyous and a little dramatic, which is exactly how language lovers like it. Slip one in at the dinner table, and you’ll collect grins faster than you can when refilling a bowl of feijoada.

Brazilian Idioms About Gossip, Romance & Other Social Hazards

Love triangles, reputation management, and the fine art of doing nothing, this set of Brazilian idioms covers the messy social side of life. From Carnival flirtations to workplace politics, you’ll hear them everywhere (and yes, when things get spicy, a few well‑timed Portuguese insults may appear too!):

• Cuidar da vida dos outros — Take care of other people’s lives
  Meaning: Gossip about others.
  Ex.: "Para de cuidar da vida dos outros e cuida da sua!"
  (Translation: “Stop minding other people’s business and mind yours!”)

• Passar‑lhe a perna — Slip a leg under you
  Meaning: To trick or cheat someone.
  Ex.: "Ele me passou a perna no negócio."
  (Translation: “He tricked me in the deal.”)

• Queimar o filme — Burn the film
  Meaning: To tarnish someone’s reputation.
  Ex.: "Aquele escândalo queimou o filme do político."
  (Translation: “That scandal ruined the politician’s reputation.”)

• Procurar pelo em ovo — Look for hair on an egg
  Meaning: Nitpick or look for problems where none exist.
  Ex.: "Pare de procurar pelo em ovo no relatório."
  (Translation: “Stop looking for hair on an egg in the report.”)

• Chove e não molha — It rains but it doesn’t get wet
  Meaning: A lot of talk, no action.
  Ex.: "Esse plano é só chove e não molha."
  (Translation: “That plan is all talk and no action.”)

• Segurar vela — Hold the candle
  Meaning: Be the third wheel on a date or outing.
  Ex.: "Não quero segurar vela de vocês hoje."
  (Translation: “I don’t want to third‑wheel for you two today.”)

• Esticar o chiclete — Stretch the gum
  Meaning: Drag a discussion or situation longer than necessary.
  Ex.: "Vamos decidir agora em vez de esticar o chiclete."
  (Translation: “Let’s decide now instead of stretching the gum.”)

If Brazilian Portuguese had a middle name, it would be community. These expressions thrive in social settings where everyone knows everyone’s business. Sprinkle them into your next grupo de WhatsApp chat and watch the laughing‑crying emojis pile up.

Life’s Curveballs: Fixes, Fails & Finales

Need to fix a problem fast—or just pretend it doesn’t exist? These life‑lesson sayings are the linguistic equivalent of a shrug, a wink, or a knowing nod:

• Tapar o sol com a peneira — Cover the sun with a sieve
  Meaning: Make a feeble attempt to hide a big mistake.
  Ex.: "Não tente tapar o sol com a peneira; admita o erro."
  (Translation: “Don’t try to cover the sun with a sieve; admit the mistake.”)

• Casa da mãe Joana — Mother Joanna’s house
  Meaning: A chaotic place where anything goes.
  Ex.: "Essa reunião virou casa da mãe Joana."
  (Translation: “This meeting turned into Mother Joanna’s house.”)

• Pensar na morte da bezerra — Think about the heifer’s death
  Meaning: Zone out or daydream, often looking sad.
  Ex.: "Você tá pensando na morte da bezerra?"
  (Translation: “Are you daydreaming about the heifer’s death?”)

• Quebrar um galho — Break a branch
  Meaning: Help someone out in a pinch.
  Ex.: "Pode quebrar um galho pra mim e revisar o texto?"
  (Translation: “Could you do me a favor and proofread the text?”)

• Meter o louco — Put the crazy on
  Meaning: Act crazy or ignore the rules to get your way.
  Ex.: "Ele meteu o louco e saiu sem pagar."
  (Translation: “He played crazy and left without paying.”)

• Bater as botas — Thump the boots
  Meaning: Kick the bucket / die.
  Ex.: "Meu celular bateu as botas ontem."
  (Translation: “My cell phone kicked the bucket yesterday.”)

Stuff happens. Brazilian Portuguese just wraps it in humor so we can all laugh before fixing things.

Making These Brazilian Idioms Yours

Memorizing a list is cool, but throwing one of these Brazilian sayings out at the perfect moment is cooler. Immersion is king—movies, music, memes, and especially one‑on‑one chats. By mixing expressions from this guide with fresh slang you pick up, you’ll soon be talking like a local. Ready to sound authentically Brazilian, mistakes and all? Download Tandem and take these expressions for a spin today.