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I
think by now you all know I love idiomatic expressions. We
use them all the time. Examples in English are: What's up? Over
the moon. Bend over backwards.
Idioms
make us sound natural speaking a language. And without them we
will certainly feel lost in conversations with native speakers.
Here
are 5 useful Brazilian idioms to make your Portuguese even
better. Enjoy :)
1.
Fazer das tripas coração
Literally,
it translates as: To turn your entrails into a heart.
What
it means is: To bend over backwards. To try very hard to meet a
certain goal. To work very hard to accomplish something for
someone.
E.g.:
Mariana
fez
das tripas coração
para ajudar o irmão dela quando ele perdeu o emprego.
Mariana
bent over backwards to help her brother when he lost his job.
2.
Nem que a vaca tussa
Literally,
it translates as: Not even if the cow coughs
What
it means is: No way. Never. Not a chance.
E.g.:
Eu
não vou emprestar dinheiro para o João outra vez nem
que a vaca tussa.
There
is no way I will lend money to João again.
3.
Num piscar de olhos
Literally,
it translates as: In a blink of eyes
What
it means is: Very quickly. Almost immediately. In a heartbeat. In
the blink of an eye. At the drop of a hat.
E.g.:
Já
estamos em julho! A primeira metade do ano passou num
piscar de olhos.
We’re
already in July! The first half of the year passed in the blink
of an eye.
4.
Abandonar o barco
Literally,
it translates as: To abandon the boat
What
it means is: To suddenly abandon a post or task. To quit or
resign. To jump ship.
E.g.:
Bruna,
eu sei que você quer encontrar um novo trabalho, mas você não
pode abandonar
o barco
no meio de um projeto tão importante.
Bruna,
I know you want to find a new job, but you can't jump ship in the
middle of such an important project.
5.
Ao pé da letra
Literally,
it translates as: At the foot of the letter
What
it means is: Literally.
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