Brazilian Portuguese expressions quiz
Your textbook never taught you these.
Could you keep up on the street, at a churrasco, on a date or at the corner bar? Let’s see how many of these you’d catch.
10 expressionsbeginner to advancedabout 2 minutesno sign-up
Word for word: “to pay the duck”
So what does it really mean? Tap an answer to start.
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Brazilian Portuguese expressions quiz
The 10 expressions in this quiz
Word for word, they make no sense. Here’s what people in Brazil actually mean by them.
pagar o pato
BeginnerWord for word: “to pay the duck”
To take the blame
Foi o meu irmão que quebrou o vaso, mas quem pagou o pato fui eu. My brother broke the vase, but I was the one who took the blame.
Fine at workdar um bolo
BeginnerWord for word: “to give a cake”
To stand someone up
Esperei meia hora no restaurante e ela me deu um bolo. I waited half an hour at the restaurant and she stood me up.
With friendsPode tirar o cavalinho da chuva
BeginnerWord for word: “you can take the little horse out of the rain”
Forget it, it’s not happening
Quer meu carro emprestado no sábado? Pode tirar o cavalinho da chuva. You want to borrow my car on Saturday? Forget it, it’s not happening.
With friendsestar com a pulga atrás da orelha
IntermediateWord for word: “to have the flea behind your ear”
To be suspicious
Ele apareceu com flores sem motivo nenhum. Fiquei com a pulga atrás da orelha. He turned up with flowers for no reason at all. It made me suspicious.
Fine at workenfiar o pé na jaca
IntermediateWord for word: “to stick your foot in the jackfruit”
To overdo it
Enfiei o pé na jaca no aniversário da Ana e hoje estou acabado. I went overboard at Ana’s birthday party and today I’m wrecked.
With friendschutar o balde
IntermediateWord for word: “to kick the bucket”
To give up on everything
Depois de dez anos no mesmo emprego, ele chutou o balde e foi morar na praia. After ten years in the same job, he gave it all up and moved to the beach.
With friendsquebrar um galho
IntermediateWord for word: “to break a branch”
To help someone out
Você pode me quebrar um galho e me emprestar seu carregador? Could you help me out and lend me your charger?
Fine at workencher linguiça
AdvancedWord for word: “to stuff sausage”
To pad it out, to waffle
A palestra teve dez minutos de conteúdo e uma hora de encher linguiça. The talk had ten minutes of content and an hour of waffle.
Fine at workengolir sapo
AdvancedWord for word: “to swallow a toad”
To take it without complaining
Meu chefe me criticou na frente de todo mundo e eu tive que engolir sapo. My boss criticised me in front of everyone and I just had to take it.
Fine at workVai catar coquinho!
AdvancedWord for word: “go pick little coconuts!”
Get lost (mild, playful)
Você quer que eu lave a sua louça de novo? Vai catar coquinho! You want me to do your dishes again? Get lost.
With friends
Questions
Are these expressions still used?
Yes, every day. The quiz leaves out anything dated or crude, and every answer tells you where it’s safe to say: fine at work, with friends, or best avoided.
Why does the quiz go from beginner to advanced?
The first three are common and you’ll hear them early on. The last three need nuance, like sarcasm or mood, which is where most learners lose the thread.
What do I get if I unlock the 15?
A free deck with all 25 expressions, added for you when you finish setting up: the 10 from the quiz (the ones you missed first, each with its example), then the 15 new ones. Every card has audio and comes back for review just before you’d forget it.
Is this Brazilian or European Portuguese?
Brazilian. Every expression here is what people say in Brazil, with Brazilian spelling. Some are used in Portugal too, but plenty would get a puzzled look in Lisbon.