Portuguese phrases/expressions
- Cantar na mesma igreja (to sing in the same church) = “to match” (like clothing, for example)
- Jogar confete (to throw confetti) = to flatter
- Saudades = A profound feeling/longing of missing someone or something, kind of like a nostalgia for something that isn’t necessarily in the past
- Dor de cotovelo (pain of the elbow) = jealousy, especially after a breakup, sometimes translated as “sour grapes”
- Sair a francesa (to take the French leave) = to leave without saying goodbye
- Pelada = naked woman OR pick-up soccer
- Fica à vontade = Be my guest/feel free
- Legal/bacana/show/own! = cool/sweet/awesome!
- Gato/gata (cat) = hot guy/girl
- enxugar gelo (to dry ice) = to do something useless or in an extremely inefficient manner
- Fazer uma vaquinha (to make a little cow) = to chip in
- Fazer um gato (to make a cat) = to McGyver something (i.e. fix/do something using the options/tools available)
- Um zero a esquerda (a zero to the left) = to be absolutely atrocious at something
- Não vale um tostão furado (it’s not worth a worthless coin with a hole in it) = it’s worthless
- Ter pé frio (to have cold feet) = to be bad luck
- Cair como uma luva (to fall like a glove) = to fit like a glove or to have something go just right
- Não tem como/não dá para (there is no how/it doesn’t give to) = it’s impossible to/there’s no way to…
- De cabeça para baixo (of head to low) = upside down
- Dar uma caneta (to give a pen) = nutmeg someone (as in soccer)
Useful casual phrases
- Nossa! = my goodness!
- Droga! = darn
- Puxa!=Oh my gosh!
- Vixe!=holy mother!
- Magina/sem problema/não tem problema = no problem
- Valeu (vlw) = thanks!
- Falou (flw) = bye!
- Beleza (blz) = great!
- Combinado = it’s a plan
- Bom vôo/trabalho/descanso/etc. = (Have a) good flight/day at work/rest/etc.
- De jeito nenhum = at all (e.g. eu não sei jogar tênis de jeito nenhum = I don’t know how to play tennis at all)
- Um cara = a guy
- Boazinha/bonzinho = great girl (or brand of cachaça)/guy
- Ricardão = lover, usually extramarital
- Mano/a = brother/sister
- Negocio = thingy (used indiscriminantly and much more than “coisa”)
- Vamos embora = let’s get outta here!
- Vamos lá = Let’s!/Let’s get going!
