The 70 Best Brazilian Proverbs (translation and meaning)

We review the popular sayings of a country with a great cultural tradition.

Brazil is a South American country whose Latin and especially Portuguese influences were the main reason 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 in 1822, but the customs, language and culture of the Portuguese remained forever linked to this great nation.

Brazilian proverbs and their meaning.

Would you like to know the most used and 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 the Spanish and others are typical of their own culture.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.

• We recommend you to read: "90 very popular short proverbs (and their meaning)".

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 não existe pão duro. At good hunger there is no hard bread.

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

3. Quem madruga, Deus ajuda / Deus ajuda quem cedo madruga. Al que madruga, Dios le ayuda / God helps those who get up early.

He who gets up early to work is more likely to prosper.

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

Little by little we will reach our goal.

5. Quanto mais conheço os homens mais admiro os cachorros. The more you get to know men, the more you admire dogs.

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

6. Quem não arrisca não petisca. He who does not risk does not win.

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

7. Meio caminho andado, é meio caminho começado. A little way begun is half walked.

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

8. Dinheiro chama dinheiro. Money calls money.

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

9. Nem tudo que reluz é ouro. All that glitters is not gold.

Things may not be as easy as they seem.

10. Gosto não se descute. There is nothing written about taste.

Each person's tastes are unique, we all have our own.

11. Deus dá pão a quem não tem dente. God gives bread to those who have no teeth.

At certain times life can seem really unfair, this is something that often happens.

12. Mais vale pouco do que nada. Little is better than nothing.

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

13. Cachorro que late, não morde. Dog that barks, doesn't bite.

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

14. Não vale o prato que come / Não vale nada / Tô nem aí. No vale un pucho / I don't give a fag.

Something that does not interest us or is not worth anything to us.

15. Uma andorinha não faz verão. A swallow doesn't make summer.

Things may not be what they seem.

16. O que não mata, engorda. What doesn't kill, fattens.

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

17. Diga-me com quem tu andas que te direi quem tu és. Tell me with whom you walk and I will tell you who you are.

Our friendships determine to a large extent who we are in society.

18. Quem ri por último, ri melhor. He who laughs last, laughs best.

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

19. O hábito não faz o monge. The habit does not make the monk.

Our appearance does not determine who we really are.

20. Quando o gato não está os ratos fazem a festa. When the cat is absent the mice have fun.

When the one who watches over an environment is not doing his job, the rest can do whatever they want.

21. Cavalo velho não aprende trote novo. Old horse does not learn new trot.

The one that is already very old will find it more difficult to learn something new. This is something that many of us can see in our elders.

22. Cavalo dado não se olha os dentes. A caballo regalado no se le mira los dientes.

If we are given something for free, no matter how bad it is, it will always be a benefit for us.

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

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

24. Apressado come cru. In a hurry eat raw.

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

25. Mais vale um passarinho na mão do que 2 voando. A bird in the hand is better than 2 flying.

It is better to stay with a sure thing than not to take risks. Taking a risk can lead us to be left with nothing.

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

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

27. Quem avisa amigo é. Whoever warns, is a friend.

He who warns is not a traitor, if they warn us of something we should pay attention to them.

Mente vazia oficina do diabo. Empty mind, office of the devil.

People who are not very intelligent tend to get into more trouble.

29. A pressa é inimiga da perfeição. Haste is the enemy of perfection.

To be able to do something more effectively, we should not be in a hurry.

30. Manda quem pode obedece quem tem juízo. He who can commands obeys he who has judgment.

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

31. Melhor prevenir do que remediar. Prevention is better than cure.

To take measures as soon as possible will help us so that a future evil will be smaller.

32. Quem bate esquece quem apanha não. He who beats forgets who is beaten.

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

33. Pimenta nos olhos dos outros é refresco. Pepper in the eyes of others is refreshment.

If others have been wronged, we should be careful.

34. Não faça tempestade em copo d'água. Do not make a storm in a glass of water.

We should not exaggerate things, we should keep calm.

35. Filho de peixe, peixinho é. Like father, like son.

Parents and children with the same profession or ability.

36. Achado não é roubado. If you find something you can keep it.

That which we find lying in the street does not belong to anyone.

37. O que os olhos não veem o coração não sente. Eyes that do not see, Heart that does not feel.

If our lover does not know about an infidelity, he/she will not be able to act accordingly.

38. Nunca deixe para amanhã o que você pode fazer hoje. Do not put off until tomorrow what you can do today.

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

39. Quem ama o feio, bonito lhe parece. He who loves the ugly, it seems beautiful to him.

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

Rir é o melhor remédio. To laugh cures everything.

Laughter is undoubtedly the best remedy, it relieves whatever ailment we have.

41. Não há rosas sem espinhos. There are no roses without thorns.

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

42. A união faz a força. Unity is strength.

People acting in groups are much more powerful.

43. Quem com ferro fere, com ferro será ferido. He who wounds with iron, is wounded with iron.

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

44. Quem não 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.

Macaco velho não pula em galho seco. An old monkey does not jump on dry branches.

Mas sabe el diablo por viejo que por diablo. Experience is undoubtedly a degree in life.

46. Toda brincadeira tem um fundo de verdade. Every joke has some truth in it.

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

47. Quem espera sempre alcança. Whoever waits always arrives.

If we are patient, we will reach our goal.

48. A corda sempre arrebenta do lado mais fraco. The rope always breaks on the weakest 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 thing to die. Hope is the last thing to die.

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

Por trás de um grande homem, há sempre uma grande mulher. 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 been able to influence him positively.

51. Não contes os pintos senão depois de nascidos. Don't count the chickens before they are born.

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

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

If we do not ask, we will never get the answer we need.

53. À noite todos os gatos são pardos. At night all cats are brown.

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

54. Quem semeia vento, colhe tempestade. He who sows winds, reaps storms.

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

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

To achieve a very valuable end, we must do whatever is necessary.

56. Quando um não quer, dois não brigam. It takes two to dance a tango.

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

57. Não se pode julgar um livro pela capa. You cannot judge a book by its cover.

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

58. In a closed mouth, flies don't enter. In a closed mouth, no flies can enter.

It is better not to say something that could embarrass us. Don't say anything that can't improve silence.

59. Os últimos serão os primeiros. The last will be the first.

It is essential that luck be with us in order to be successful in our performance, this fact is something that can allow the last ones to arrive at a place to have a greater benefit than those who were there before.

60. Quanto mais se tem, mais se quer. The more you have, the more you want.

The human being always desires to possess more, more goods, more luxuries and more pleasures.

61. A bom entendedor, poucas palavras bastam. 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. É melhor dar do que receber. It is better to give than to receive.

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

63. Faça o bem, sem olhar a quem. Do good and don't look at whom.

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

64. Quem muito dorme pouco aprende. He who sleeps a lot learns little.

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

65. A passo e passo anda-se por dia um bom pedaço. Step by step a good piece is walked every day.

With our willpower and perseverance we will achieve our goal.

66. O que é doce nunca amargou. What is sweet is never bitter.

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

67. Ninguém é profeta na sua terra. No one is a prophet in his own land.

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

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

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

69. Quem muito abarca pouco abraça. He who embraces much, embraces little.

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

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

Attempting to skip steps to reach a goal may result in a penalty in the end. It is better to be careful and leave nothing to chance. There is no such thing as an easy path.