TOP 20 Funniest Portuguese Idiomatic Expressions & Course Giveaway
Thank you everyone for helping us reach the 20000 subscriber landmark!!!!!
o celebrate we are doing one FREE membership and 10 half-price memberships to our premium European Portuguese program, The Journey! Watch the video till the end to find out more.
In this video, we will give you our TOP 20, funniest, yet still useful idiomatic expression/idioms portuguese people use daily.
QUESTION: Do you have a favourite? Which one? Do you know any others?
Enjoy!
LINKS:
How to pronounce the Portuguese R – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_xaE9jOaL8
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![TOP 50 most used Verbs by the Portuguese [European Portuguese]](https://portuguesewithcarla.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/TOP-50-most-used-Verbs-by-the-Portuguese-European-Portuguese-768x432.jpg)
https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lei_para_ingl%C3%AAs_ver 😉 😉
Parabens , muito obrigado Carla.
We have an expression in English “teaching your Grandmother to suck eggs” sounds a bit similar in meaning to muitos anos a virar frangos. (Not a clue why anybodies granny would want to suck eggs). Wow it’s raining outside your windows – doesn’t english weather drive you mad?
That’s such a funny English expression 😄
And yes the weather can drive us mad at times 😅 but I also do enjoy the odd rainy day 💕
@Hatem Gifaeeri I believe so, but it might be mostly used in Yorkshire, my mum’s county.
@Rachel interesting that you mentioned Yorkshire. Today I asked a friend of mine who is from Dreffield and confirmed that it is still in use. I never heard the expression before and I lived in Manchester for over 20 years. I am sure there are many that I don’t know.
Obrigado pela sua resposta. Eu estou a aprender as duas línguas ao mesmo tempo. 👍🏽😀
It’s interesting. I was unaware of that one- I mean the English idiom, not the Portuguese one.
Why suck eggs? It’s a strange and dirty idiom.
Actually – it isn’t dirty, its just very old fashioned !
Wow I’ve loved this video. Such an interesting choice of expressions. A great thank you
I’m stunned really to get this video
Trocar por miúdos
A good English translation
” to dumb it down”
isto virá a calhar para mim 😉
Parabéns a vocês
Entendo sempre os seus vídeos com a avó ao colo respeitada professora , pois nunca foram feitos à portuguesa mas só para inglês ver.
These are great! I like the ones about combing monkeys and turning chickens.
Só para englês ver – We were told by a Portuguese professor of history that this expression originated on portuguese ships when they sighted an English navy ship. Any slaves on deck would be rushed out of sight below decks. Trading in slaves had become illegal in Britton and the navy had a duty to free any slaves they found.
Parabéns pelos 20k! Continuação de bom trabalho 👏
Let’s see how many of these idioms I know.
This is also a challenge for native speakers.
Wowee! I’ve just saw your clip for The Journey program, it really looks fantastic and a fun way to learn!!!!! Also congratulations on your number of subscribers, I’m sure you will continue to have more subscribers with all these great videos that help us a lot! ☺️ A minha expressão favorita é provavelmente “Não ter pés nem cabeça” , em francês, temos uma expressão quase semelhante mas usamos a palavra “cauda” em vez de “pés”.
Que interessante a similaridade entre a expressão portuguesa e a francesa 😀
Obrigada, Anik ☺️
This is a great video. I am just starting to learn Portuguese. Please spend a bit more time focusing on correct pronunciation. It’s the most difficult part of learning the Portuguese language. Thank you
For pronunciation please watch our videos on the Alphabet, tricky sounds and listen to our podcasts. You can find all 50 on our website: https://portuguesewithcarla.com/podcasts/
but you can watch and onwards on YouTube if you prefer: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL14iWyw1DOrHzJKgVHtIQXuss2KyFbga7
@Portuguese With Carla Thank you!
Acordar com os pes de fora – closest match in English would be “To get up on the wrong side of the bed”
That is what I thought – Acordar com o pé esquerdo. It’s a similar one.
I wouldn’t say number 3 “Muitos anos a virar frangos” when someone is trying to teach what one already knows. I would say “Ensinar a Missa ao padre” (Teach the Mass to the priest). I would say the former when someone is impressed by one’s skills.
You’re right, we could use it when we’re amazed at one’s skills 👍🏽 I would, however, use both expressions for that same situation. I feel ‘virar frangos’ is more playful and ‘ensinar a missa’ shows a little more atitude (but of course it all depends on the tone in which it is said and on facial expressions). At the end of the day the point you’re making across with “são muitos anos a virar frangos” is that you have a lot of experience with something.
You both seem so unhappy trying to teach European Portuguese!! 😐😕
I like your videos. Nice to understand the portuguese expressions. I like the one “Muitos anos a virar frangos.”
Congratulations for your subscribers over 20,000!!! from South Korea
Carla, how do you translate this idiom into English ” Ser 5 estrelas”? A carla é 5 estrelas.
Yeah, to be born with a silver spoon.
Só para inglês ver- desconheço essa expressão idiomática. Fingir ser alguém que não és- Ah ok.
Fazer com uma perna às costas – Isso é canja.
Outra expressão – Andar às aranhas- Andar à toa- Ser incapaz de resolver os obstáculos ou dificuldades.
Tu falas, falas, e não resolves o assunto, andas aí detrás para frente.
“Trocar por miudos” Guys, I am learning my native language. I didn’t know this one.
Já vão duas expressões idiomáticas que desconhecia.
Vai lavar a louca, vai plantar batatas, vai pentear macacos- Vai a m**
11- Estou-me nas tintas, estou-me a borrifar para o que ele diga.
A minha avó costumava a dizer” Esse assunto não me tira o sono, o que tu digas não me tira o sono”
Estar com uma cadela- Desconhecia esta- Sinónimo- Estar com uma bebedeira.
A minha avó dizia-me
– Zé, aquela rapariga não é flor que se cheire, esquece-a.
Bicho de sete cabeças- Algo que exige ou requer esforço mental- Algo que é muito complexo, difícil.
Outra expressão parecida” Parar de bater na mesma tecla”.
Ir com os porcos- This idiom is also new to me.
🙂 Many say “you’re a star” or “she’s a star” so I’d say that’s the equivalent for “ser 5 estrelas”. I guess you could also say, “you’re topnotch” or “you’re first class”.
Hey 🙂 is the giveaway still open?
Olá 👋🏽 no, sorry! But you can visit the page so you can get notified of new promotions 😉
Olá!
I would like to ask an unrelated question, and it’s about the past participle agreement.
In French, using the auxiliary verb _avoir_ (to have) to form past particles sometimes requires agreement between the (direct) object and the verb.
Using the verb *voir* (to see) in its past participle form *vu* (seen), here’s what I mean:
1. J’ai *vu* l’homme. (I saw the man)
2. J’ai *vu* la femme. (I saw the woman)
3. Je l’ai *vu.* (I saw him, the man)
4. Je l’ai *vue.* (I saw her, the woman)
5. Je les ai *vus.* (I saw them, the men)
6. Je les ai *vues.* (I saw them, the women)
Does this also exist in Portuguese? When the direct object comes before the auxiliary ‘to have’ (if it ever does), does the past participle have to change accordingly depending on both number and gender as it does in French?
Olá 👋🏽
The quick answer to your question is, no it doesn’t change.
If “ter” (to have) is the auxiliary for a past participle, then the participle never changes regardless:
Não o tenho visto
Não a tenho visto
Não os tenho visto
Não as tenho visto
As you see in the examples above, the direct object can come before the participle with certain triggers.
However, the participles have to agree in gender and number when they work as adjectives. This happens when the auxiliary is “ser” “estar” “ficar” “andar”..
Hope this answers your question 🙂
@Portuguese With Carla Definitely. Thank you!
Con licença carla, vidéo con vocabulario no aeroporto
I’m really enjoying your content! Congrats on the 20,000 subs. this vid would have been even better if you guys had ACTED it out, so we could SEE AND HEAR the expressions in CONTEXT. Great job, anyways! ; )
Keep the good work, Portuguese from Portugal is on high demand, regarding the amount of foreigners coming to Portugal
Genial. Muito Obrigado.
I woke up with a dog and she wasn’t even female. Que embarisado
I went with a pig one time.