Bom dia… (good day) boa tarde… (good afternoon) boa noite…(good night) were the first Portuguese phrases I learned before my inaugural visit to Portugal in 1979. The flight attendant added você fala inglês? (you speak English?) and onde esta a casa de banho? (where is the bathroom?) to my repertoire as I flew through the night to Lisbon. My journey with the Portuguese language had begun.
Portuguese is not just a romance language, it is also a pretty expressive one. Portuguese has a number of colorful idioms. Many of the expressions make little sense when we try to translate them into English, word for word. But these phrases reveal a lot about the humor, irony, and rhythm of life in Portugal.
Whether we are chatting with a neighbor or trying to connect at the café across the street, if we slip one of these gems into the conversation we are sure to earn a smile or a raised eyebrow.
So let’s explore some phrases you will hear in Portugal… and what they actually mean.
Água pela barba – “Water up to the beard”
Everyday meaning and use: I’m overwhelmed. This is serious work. Use it when you’re deep in it—whether it’s home repairs or tax season. If I am trying to share that I am overwhelmed I say, “Estou água pela barba,” and roll my eyes for emphasis.
Acordar com os pés de fora – “To wake up with your feet outside”
Meaning and use: Waking up in a bad mood. The polite way of saying someone’s cranky before their first cup of coffee. “Acordei com os pés de fora / I woke up in a bad mood.”
Engolir sapos – “To swallow frogs”
Meaning and use: To bite your tongue or put up with something unpleasant – because we all swallow a few frogs in life. “Eu engolo sapos / I bite my tongue.”
Estou feito ao bife – “I’m done like a steak”
Meaning and use: I’m in big trouble! Say this when you know you messed up… like missing a Finanças deadline to pay tax.
Vai pentear macacos – “Go comb monkeys”
Meaning and use: Get lost. Buzz off (playfully). A classic Portuguese way to dismiss someone without being too rude. “O querido marido, Jeff, vai pentear macacos / Honey (Jeff), drop it.”
Tem muita lata de metal – “She/He/It has a lot of lot of metal cans/lids”
Meaning and use: “Lata” is slang for “boldness” or “lack of shame.” The expression can be applied to both inappropriate attitudes and courageous actions, depending on the context. “Ele tem muita lata para me pedir um aumento depois de ter chegado há um mês / He has a lot of nerve to ask me for a raise after arriving a month ago.” “É preciso ter muita lata para fazer stand-up comedy / You have to have a lot of nerve to do stand-up comedy.”
Pão, pão, queijo, queijo – “Bread, bread, cheese, cheese”
Meaning and use: Being direct, clear, and straightforward, calling things what they are, without complicating or sugarcoating things. The saying suggests sincerity, objectivity, and honesty, as if to say, “bread is bread and cheese is cheese,” nothing more.
For example, “Comigo é sempre pão, pão, queijo, queijo; não gosto de enrolação / with me, it’s always bread, bread, cheese, cheese; I don’t like beating around the bush.”
Tirar o cavalinho da chuva – “Take your little horse out of the rain”
Meaning and use: Don’t get your hopes up. It’s a humorous way of telling someone that what they’re hoping for isn’t going to happen, and that they should abandon that idea.
“Achas que me podes ajudar a carregar este sofá pesado sem ajuda? Do you think you can help me carry this heavy sofa without help?” “Podemos tirar o cavalinho da chuva, não tenho tempo para isso. Forget it, I don’t have time for that.”
São muitos anos a virar frangos – “Many years turning chickens”
Meaning and use: Someone has a lot of experience or is very skilled in a particular task or field, having done it for a long time. It’s like saying “I’ve seen it all” or “I have a lot of experience in this field,” with an informal and sometimes joking tone. I know what I’m doing or I’ve been around. When praised for his work, someone might respond, “Claro, são muitos anos virar frangos / Of course, I have been turning chickens for many years!”
Vai bazar com a quinta perna do burro – “Go dance with a donkey’s fifth leg”
Meaning and use: Buzz off!
Ter o queijo e a faca na mão – “To have the cheese and the knife in your hand”
Meaning and use: To have everything you need to succeed or to be in control. When Jeff asks me if I need help in the kitchen I can respond, “Tenho o quejo e a faca na mão / I’ve got it under control.”
Estar com os azeites – “To be with the olive oils”
Meaning and use: To be in a bad mood, irritated, or angry—someone whose mood is as volatile and uncomfortable as hot, boiling oil.
When Jeff hears me mutter, “Estou com os azeites,” he knows it is time to stop asking me how I am doing.
Learning a few idioms gives us more than just words—it gives us insight into humor, personality, and cultural nuance. These expressions may sound strange at first, but using them (even clumsily!) often leads to laughter and connection.
So, the next time someone is “com os azeites” or you feel like “tirar o cavalinho da chuva,” you will know exactly what to say—and when to laugh.
As Jeff and I mention nearly every day in Portugal, “A vida é boa / life is good.”
Sincerely
Joch Woodruff
Portugal Circle Liaison
