The 70 best Brazilian Proverbs (translation and meaning)

Brazil is a country in South America whose Latin and especially Portuguese influences were the main reasons why the official language of the country was Portuguese.

In ancient times this nation was inhabited only by indigenous people, but from the year 1500 the Portuguese discovered this country and after the so-called treaty of tordesillas, they annexed this region to the Kingdom of Portugal. Brazil obtained its desired independence during the year 1822 but the customs, language and culture of the Portuguese were forever linked to this great nation.

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Brazilian proverbs and their meaning

Would you like to know the most used and well-known proverbs in Brazil?

Below you can enjoy the 70 best Brazilian proverbs, many of them were shared with this people by the Portuguese or Spanish and others are typical of their own culture. We hope you enjoy them.

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1. Sujo falando do mal lavado. The pan tells the pot.

We should not complain about others if we ourselves are not a good reference.

2. A boa fome does not exist hard bread. A good hunger no hard bread.

When you are really hungry you are capable of eating anything.

3. Quem rises early, God helps / God helps I give up early. God helps he who rises early.

He who gets up early to work has a better chance of prospering.

4. De grão em grão a galinha enche o papo. Every day put a grain and you will make a lot.

Little by little we will reach our goal.

5. The more I know the men, the more I admire the puppies. The more men are known, the more dogs are admired.

People have many negative aspects, but dogs will always be 100 percent honest with us.

6. Quem no arrisca no petisca. Nothing ventured nothing gained.

In order to make a profit, we will almost always have to risk part of our assets.

7. My path has been walked, my path has been started. Little walk started, it's half gone.

The sooner we start walking, the sooner we will reach our destination.

8. Money chama money. Money calls money.

When we have an initial capital, it is easier to make this capital multiply.

9. Nem tudo que reluz é oro. Not all that glitters is gold.

Things may not be as easy as they seem.

10. Taste is not in dispute. About tastes there is nothing written.

The tastes of each person are unique, we each have our own.

11. God gives bread to those who have no teeth. God gives bread to whom he has no teeth.

Sometimes life can seem really unfair, this is something that often happens.

12. More is worth little than nothing. Better than nothing.

It is always better to have even a little, than to have nothing at all.

13. Puppy that beats, does not bite. Barking dog does not bite.

He who threatens a lot does not usually have the courage to take action.

14. The plate that eats is not worth / It is not worth anything / You are not there. It's not worth a bit / I don't give a bit.

Something that does not interest us or that is worth nothing to us.

15. An Andorinha does not make the summer. One swallow does not make a summer.

Things may not be what they seem.

16. What doesn't kill, fattens. What does not kill you, get you fat.

If eating something does not harm our health, said food will always be positive for us.

17. Tell me how you are and I will tell you who you are. Tell me who your friends are and I'll tell you who you are.

Our friendships largely determine who we are within society.

18. Quem ri at last, ri melhor. Who laughs last laughs better.

The last one who laughs is the one who emerges victorious from a problem.

19. The habit does not make the monk. The habit do not do the monk.

Our appearance does not determine who we really are.

20. When the cat is not around, we have a party. When the cat is away, the mice have fun.

When the person who watches over an environment is not carrying out his work, the rest can do what he wants.

21. Old horse doesn't learn new trot. An old horse does not learn a new trot.

Those who are already very old will have a harder time learning something new. This is something that many of us can see in our elders.

22. Cavalo dica no olha os dentes. You don't look at the teeth of a gift horse.

If they give us something for free, no matter how bad it is, it will always be a benefit to us.

23. The best perfumes are in the smallest bottles. Fine perfumes come in small packages.

Small packages usually contain the most expensive products, this is something that is commonly said to people of small stature.

24. Pressed eats cru. Hurry eat raw.

If you are in a hurry it is better not to waste time.

25. More worth a passarinho in the hand than 2 flying. A bird in the hand is better than 2 in the air.

It is better to stay with something safe than not to risk. Risking can lead us to be left with nothing.

26. Costume de casa vai à praça. The custom of the house goes to the square.

Those customs that we have in private, normally we will also demonstrate in public.

27. Let me know, friend. Who warns, friend is.

The one who warns is not a traitor, if they warn us of something we must listen to them.

28. Empty mind office do diabo. Empty mind, devil's office.

People who aren't very smart tend to get into more trouble.

29. The press and imitation gives perfection. Haste is the enemy of perfection.

In order to do something more effectively we must not be in a hurry.

30. Command that I can obey that I judged. Command who can, obey who has judgment.

If we cannot gain control, we must know how to stay in the background.

31. Better to prevent than to remedy. Prevention is better than cure.

Taking measures as soon as possible will help us to make a bad future less.

32. Quem bate esquece que no apanha no. Who hits, forgets who gets hit.

He who repeatedly abused others, does not usually remember all the abuses that he commits.

33. Pimenta nos olhos dos outros é soda. Pepper in the eyes of others is a soda.

If others have been harmed, we must be careful.

34. There is no storm in the water flake. Don't make a storm in a glass of water.

We must not exaggerate things, we must stay calm.

35. Filho de peixe, peixinho é. Like father Like Son.

Parents and children with the same profession or capacity.

36. Achado is not stolen. If you find something you can keep it.

What we find lying on the street does not belong to anyone.

37. Or that the ears do not see or heart does not feel. Out of sight, out of mind.

If our lover or girlfriend does not find out about an infidelity, he will not be able to act accordingly.

38. Never leave for tomorrow what you can do today. Do not leave for tomorrow what you can do today.

We must seize the moment and do as much work as we can today.

39. Quem ama o feio, pretty he seems. He who loves the ugly, beautiful he seems to him.

Value someone's personality more than beauty. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

40. Laughing is the best remedy. Laughter heals everything.

Laughter is undoubtedly the best remedy, it alleviates any evil we have.

41. There are no roses without thorns. There are not roses without spines.

In order to obtain something very beautiful or valuable, we must always suffer to achieve it.

42. A union faces strength. Union make force.

People acting in a group are much more powerful.

43. Quem com ferro fere, com ferro will be hurt. He who wounds with iron is wounded with iron.

If we do evil to others, they can do the same to us.

44. Quem no tem cão, caça com gato. Who does not have a dog, hunts with a cat.

We must know how to use all the resources at our disposal.

45. Macaco velho do not polish in dry galho. An old monkey does not jump on dry branches.

The devil knows more for being old than for being a devil. Experience is certainly a degree in life.

46. Every jumper has a fundo de verdade. Every joke has some truth.

Knowing how to read between the lines will allow us to know the real intentions of a person.

47. Quem awaits always reaches. Who waits always arrives.

If we are patient we will achieve our goal.

48. A corda is always repentant on the weaker side. The rope always breaks on the weaker side.

The weakest link is always the first to break, knowing how to identify it can save us many problems in life.

49. Hope is the last one to die. Hope is the last thing you lose.

Hope is necessary to be successful in life, we must never lose it.

50. Behind a great man, there is always a great woman. Behind a great man there is always a great woman.

A saying that holds a great truth, every great man always achieves his goal because a great woman has known how to influence him positively.

51. Don't count your paints after they were born. Do not count the chicks before hatching.

We must not sell the bear's skin before hunting it, we must not anticipate consequences. We must learn to be more cautious.

52. Quem tem boca vai a Roma. Asking you get to Rome.

If we don't ask, we will never get the answer we need.

53. At night all the cats are brown. At night all cats are brown.

The night can confuse things and make us believe that something is different.

54. Quem semeia vento, cohe tempestade. Who sows winds, reaps storms.

What we do in society is what society will pay us with. Our actions determine our future.

55. O fim justifies os meios. The end justifies the means.

To achieve a very worthwhile end, we must do what it takes.

56. When you don't want, two don't brigam. It takes two to tango.

To be able to carry out certain activities, we must be several people. Certain things we cannot do alone.

57. You can't play a book by layer. You can't judge a book by its cover.

Appearances can be deceiving, we must really know someone to be able to judge them correctly.

58. In the dated mouth no fly enters. Loose lips sink ships.

It is better not to say something that can leave us in evidence. Don't say anything that can't improve the silence.

59. The last will be the first. The last will be the first.

That luck accompanies us is essential to be able to be successful in our performance, this fact is something that It can allow the last to arrive at a place to have a greater benefit than those who were previously.

60. The more you fear, the more you want. Who has more, wants more.

Human beings always want to have more, more goods, more luxuries and more pleasures.

61. To good understanding, few words are enough. A good listener, few words are enough.

If the other person understands what we mean, we may need very few words to understand each other.

62. It is better to give than to receive. It's better to give than to receive.

Generosity is a very beneficial quality and speaks very positively of us.

63. Faça o bem, sem olhar a quem. Do good and do not look at who.

For society to improve, we must all do good in our lives.

64. Who sleeps a lot, little learns. Who sleeps a lot learns little.

In order to learn, we must study for it. Studying can be quite hard work and will require our dedication.

65. A paso e paso walks by day a good piece. Step by step a good piece is walked every day.

With our willpower and perseverance we will achieve our goal.

66. Or that twelve never bitter. What is sweet never bitter.

No one says no to being able to experience true pleasure. Some things cannot be refused.

67. No prophet on his land. No one is a prophet in his land.

In order to succeed in our profession, it is very likely that we will have to travel.

68. Cá e lá, more fadas há. Here and there, there are bad fairies.

Everywhere there are problems, as we would say in Spain: broad beans are cooked everywhere.

69. Quem muito encompasses little embrace. Who embraces a lot, embraces little.

To be most effective, we must focus all our strength and concentration on a specific task.

70. Quem mete em atalhos, mete-se em trabalhos. He who gets into shortcuts, gets into jobs.

Trying to skip steps to reach an objective, may eventually lead to some penalty. It is better to be careful and not leave anything to chance. Easy paths do not exist.