More idiomatic expressions used in Brazil

Hello there and welcome to our Portuguese Basic Tips number 59 with 5 more idiomatic expressions used in Brazil

On today’s podcast, we are going to speak about five more idiomatic expressions used in Brazil. As I usually say, knowing those kinds of expressions doesn’t mean that you really need to use them all the time. But it is important for you to know their meanings, in order to get used to our way to speak here.

Click on the link to visit our episode about essential pronominal verbs in Portuguese

This time, I chose 5 expressions that you would hardly understand by the literal meaning they have. In this case, we will try to unlock their codes step by step.

Programa de índio

Do you know what programa de índio means?

Well, nowadays, the number of people who say that someone is being prejudiced (preconceituoso) is increasingly very fast. In fact, I do not know exactly the root of this expression. The fact is that, prejudiced or not, it is still very used here. So let’s get to its meaning.

When you say that you’re in a “programa de índio” you mean that you’re doing something you wouldn’t like to do. You’re doing something bad, boring or so.

For instance:

• Eu poderia estar em casa, dormindo, mas acabei vindo para esse programa de índio. (“I could be home, sleeping, but I ended up coming to this programa de índio instead).

Notice that in this case, the guy would rather be sleeping than doing that.

• Eu não vou mais aos programas de índio que você inventa. (This is something as “I won’t go to the places you invite me anymore).

Pegar no batente – Idiomatic Expressions used in Brazil

Originally, “batente” means a step you have on the ground. For example, a curb is a kind of “batente”. However, the expression “pegar no batente” means “work hard”. You’ll often hear that with this meaning.

For instance:

• Ah não! Eu tinha esquecido que amanhã é segunda-feira e já tenho que pegar no batente. (Oh no! I had forgotten that tomorrow is Monday and I have to work.)
• Ela é muito esforçada. Sempre acorda cedo para pegar no batente. (She’s very hardworking. She always wakes up early to go to her job)

Só que não

The expression só que não became popular, especially among younger people. On the internet, you’ll see sentences written only by the initials: SQN – Só que não. This expression is a kind of irony, meaning exactly the opposite of what that person is saying.

For instance:

• Eu adoro suco de beterraba. Só que não. (I love beet juice. Só que não. That is to say “I hate beet juice”).
• Eu sinto muito a sua falta. Só que não (I miss you very much. Só que não. That is to say: I don’t miss you!).

Arregaçar as mangas

Imagine a shirt. That piece of cloth that covers our arms in Brazil is called “manga”. When you roll it up, when you “arregaça as mangas” it means you’re getting ready to do something, right? That’s the meaning of the expression.

For instance:

• Nós agora precisamos arregaçar as mangas para começar tudo de novo. (Now we need to get ready to start all over again).
• Se precisar, arregaço as mangas para refazer isso. (If it is necessary, I’ll get ready to redo this).

Pano para manga

Let’s keep imagining a shirt. Now, think that you are sewing a shirt. As you do this, you realize that the sewing cloth is over. You don’t have it anymore. Tell me: what do you need now?  Exactly! You need more “pano para manga”! When you say that someone is “dando pano para manga” you are saying that someone is giving you reasons to keep doing that. Someone is giving you reasons to keep acting like that.

For instance:

• Não dê mais pano para manga para eles! Você viu o que aconteceu da outra vez! (Stop teasing them! You saw what happened last time).

– Lá vem você, procurando pano para manga outra vez! (There you are: always searching for problems).

Notice that this expression has a negative meaning. We normally use it when we want to say that someone is looking for trouble, someone is looking for reasons to get into trouble.

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Click on the link to visit our episode about accidental pronominal verbs in Portuguese

Click on the link to visit the Brazilian informal dictionary (Portuguese only) and learn lots of new examples

That’s enough for today!

See you next time.

Thanks

Marcos Sales

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