Comprar gato por lebre – to buy a cat thinking it was a rabbit

If you buy a cat thinking it was a rabbit, you must be a bit of a fool! “Comprar gato por lebre” does in fact mean ‘to be fooled’ and it’s a useful saying to have up your sleeve for the perfect moment.

Quem vê cara não vê coração – those who see faces don’t see hearts

Sometimes we’re too quick in forming an opinion of somebody simply by a first impression of them… but try to remember not ‘to judge a book by it’s cover’, which is exactly what “quem vê cara não vê coração” means!

Pão pão queijo queijo – bread bread cheese cheese

“Pão pão queijo queijo” is one of the simple yet effective idioms to have in your repertoire as you can easily use it all the time. In English, the equivalent saying would be ‘to call a spade a spade’ or more simply put, ‘it is what it is!’.

Matar dois coelhos com uma cajadada só – to kill two rabbits with just one shot

In many languages there is an equivalent of ‘to kill two birds with one stone’ and in Portuguese it’s ‘to kill two rabbits with just one shot’. Guaranteed to blow away your teacher, try to come out with this one in your next class!

Chutar o pau da barraca – to kick the tent pole

When the going gets tough, some people just throw in the towel or give in. For those who give up way too easily, “chutar o pau da barraca” is very appropriate!

Descascar o abacaxi – to peel the pineapple

Another useful Portuguese expression to have at your disposal is “descascar o abacaxi” (or ‘peeling the pineapple’ as it would be translated literally), which means to get to the crux of a matter and solve a problem.

Tirar o cavalinho da chuva! – to chuck the horse into the rain!

Want me to do your Portuguese homework for you? “Pode tirar o cavalinho da chuva“, which translates as… You can forget about it! It’s not going to happen!

Não é minha praia – it’s not my beach

Not interested in doing ballet or learning how to play the guitar? In Portuguese you would use the idiom “não é minha praia” when you want to say that something isn’t your cup of tea.

Estar à sombra da bananeira – to sit under the shade of a banana tree

If you’re being too relaxed and worry-free when you shouldn’t be (for example: if you haven’t finished an important assignment at work or for that matter your Portuguese homework), you would say that you’re ‘sitting under the shade of a banana tree’ in português.

Macacos me mordam! – monkeys are biting me!

Have you ever bumped into a friend out of the blue and been completely surprised? Next time, make sure to say “macacos me mordam!” (well I’ll be damned!) to really show off your Portuguese. Trust me, they’ll be in awe!

Dá Deus nozes a quem não tem dentes – God gives nuts to those who don’t have teeth

Last but not least, this expression trumps all the others in terms of strangeness! When an opportunity isn’t seized and you want to say ‘what a waste!’, make sure to come out with this mighty-impressive idiom.

And these are just some of our favourites! Do you know any more? Be sure to use handy phrases such as these as much as you can in your next language class or trip abroad to really up your game with your Portuguese.

Learn more of these cool idioms by joining one of our online or face-to-face Portuguese courses coming up in April. Find out more here.