Portuguese, like every language, uses the body as its most basic map for abstract experience — and the body parts it picks out reveal what the culture treats as worth saying. Perder a cabeça ("lose your head") is universal enough. But não pregar olho ("not to nail an eye" = not sleep a wink), não ter papas na língua ("have no porridge on the tongue" = be blunt), and meter o pé na poça ("put your foot in the puddle" = put your foot in it) are Portugal's own mental furniture.
This page organises idioms by body part and flags where English and Portuguese land on the same idea with different imagery. All are current European Portuguese — idioms your neighbour would actually use.
Cabeça — the head
The head in Portuguese is the seat of thought, will, and stubbornness. Portuguese has far more "head" idioms than English, and they cluster around two themes: losing control of your thoughts, and having the wrong kind of thoughts.
Hoje não tenho cabeça para trabalhar, vou dar uma volta.
I'm not in the mood to work today, I'll go for a walk.
Ela meteu na cabeça que temos de ir à Madeira este ano.
She's got it into her head that we have to go to Madeira this year.
Estou a dar com a cabeça nas paredes com este problema.
I'm banging my head against a brick wall with this problem.
Caiu de cabeça por ela na primeira semana de aulas.
He fell head over heels for her in the first week of class.
Foi a mãe que lhe fez a cabeça para aceitar o emprego.
It was his mother who convinced him to take the job.
Tens cabeça de vento, já perdeste as chaves outra vez?
You're scatterbrained — you lost your keys again?
| Idiom | Literal | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| perder a cabeça | lose the head | lose one's temper |
| não ter cabeça para | not have head for | not be in the mood for |
| meter na cabeça | put in the head | convince oneself / get fixed in one's mind |
| dar com a cabeça nas paredes | hit the head on the walls | bang one's head against a brick wall |
| cair de cabeça | fall by the head | fall head over heels / dive in |
| fazer a cabeça a alguém | make someone's head | talk someone into something |
| ter cabeça de vento | have a head of wind | be scatterbrained |
| ter a cabeça nos calcanhares | have one's head in one's heels | have one's head in the wrong place |
Olhos — the eyes
Portuguese eye idioms fall into three groups: sharpness of attention, willingness to overlook, and cost. The last of these is the one English speakers most often get wrong.
Tem olho vivo, nada lhe escapa.
She's sharp — nothing escapes her. (lit. lively eye)
Os pais fazem vista grossa quando ele chega tarde.
His parents turn a blind eye when he gets home late. (lit. make thick sight)
Abre o olho, a rua está gelada.
Watch out, the street is icy. (lit. open the eye — be alert)
Não preguei olho esta noite, o vizinho esteve a fazer barulho.
I didn't sleep a wink last night, the neighbour was making noise.
Dá para ver à vista desarmada, não é preciso binóculos.
You can see it with the naked eye, no need for binoculars.
Aquele relógio custou-me os olhos da cara.
That watch cost me an arm and a leg. (lit. the eyes of my face)
Ela andou a bater pestanas ao novo colega toda a manhã.
She was flirting with the new colleague all morning. (lit. flapping eyelashes)
| Idiom | Literal | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ter olho vivo | have lively eye | be sharp, observant |
| fazer vista grossa | make thick sight | turn a blind eye |
| abrir o olho | open the eye | be alert, watch out |
| não pregar olho | not nail an eye | not sleep a wink |
| à vista desarmada | to the unarmed sight | with the naked eye |
| custar os olhos da cara | cost the eyes of the face | cost an arm and a leg |
| bater pestanas | flap eyelashes | flirt, bat one's eyelashes |
| ter olho clínico | have clinical eye | have good judgment |
Boca e língua — the mouth and tongue
Portugal's mouth idioms revolve around speech — what you say, what you should not have said, and what leaks out despite yourself. The tongue is treated as a semi-independent agent, capable of betrayal.
Fiquei de boca aberta quando soube quanto é que ele ganha.
I was speechless when I heard how much he earns. (lit. left with open mouth)
A minha avó nunca teve papas na língua, dizia tudo o que pensava.
My grandmother was never one to mince her words, she said exactly what she thought.
Deu com a língua nos dentes e contou o plano todo.
He spilled the beans and told the whole plan. (lit. struck his tongue on his teeth)
Cuidado com ela, tem a língua afiada.
Watch out for her, she has a sharp tongue.
Cala a boca, que ele vem aí!
Shut up, here he comes!
Não lhe passou pela boca uma única palavra sobre o divórcio.
Not a single word about the divorce passed her lips.
| Idiom | Literal | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ficar de boca aberta | stay with open mouth | be speechless, amazed |
| não ter papas na língua | have no porridge on the tongue | be blunt, not mince words |
| dar com a língua nos dentes | strike tongue on teeth | spill the beans |
| ter a língua afiada | have a sharp tongue | be sharp-tongued |
| calar a boca | silence the mouth | shut up |
| pôr a boca no mundo | put the mouth on the world | speak out, make a fuss |
| morder a língua | bite the tongue | hold back what you want to say |
Mão — the hand
Hand idioms in Portuguese cluster around three ideas: help, certainty, and competence. The meter a mão na massa image ("putting your hand in the dough") is particularly Portuguese — it suggests that real work means touching the raw material, not managing from above.
Vou-te dar uma mão com as caixas, isto pesa demais.
I'll give you a hand with the boxes, this is too heavy.
Ponho a mão no fogo por ele, é um homem honesto.
I'd stake my life on him, he's an honest man. (lit. put my hand in the fire)
Eu lavo as mãos deste assunto, não quero saber mais nada.
I wash my hands of this matter, I don't want to know anything more.
Ela tem boa mão para a jardinagem.
She has a green thumb for gardening. (lit. good hand)
Vá lá, mete a mão na massa e acaba o projeto.
Come on, roll up your sleeves and finish the project. (lit. put your hand in the dough)
A Marta é a minha mão direita, não sei viver sem ela.
Marta is my right-hand person, I don't know how to live without her.
| Idiom | Literal | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| dar uma mão | give a hand | help out |
| pôr a mão no fogo | put the hand in fire | vouch for someone with certainty |
| lavar as mãos de | wash the hands of | wash one's hands of something |
| ter boa mão para | have good hand for | be good at (something requiring care) |
| meter a mão na massa | put hand in dough | roll up one's sleeves / get to work |
| ser a mão direita | be the right hand | be someone's right-hand person |
| ter mão em | have hand in | control, keep a grip on |
| andar de mão em mão | go from hand to hand | be passed around |
Pé — the foot
Feet in Portuguese idioms stand for position, presence, and blunder. Meter o pé na poça is the standard way to say you made a social gaffe.
Meti o pé na poça quando perguntei pela ex-mulher dele.
I put my foot in it when I asked about his ex-wife. (lit. put my foot in the puddle)
Aos noventa anos, está com um pé na sepultura.
At ninety, he's got one foot in the grave.
Os dois irmãos estão em pé de guerra há meses.
The two brothers have been at war for months. (lit. on a foot of war)
Ela é muito jovem mas já tem os pés bem assentes no chão.
She's very young but she already has her feet firmly on the ground.
Saltou de pés juntos para o projeto, sem pensar duas vezes.
He jumped into the project with both feet, without thinking twice.
Começámos com o pé direito, a primeira reunião correu às mil maravilhas.
We started on the right foot, the first meeting went brilliantly.
| Idiom | Literal | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| meter o pé na poça | put foot in the puddle | put one's foot in it, say the wrong thing |
| estar com um pé na sepultura | have a foot in the grave | be at death's door |
| em pé de guerra | on a foot of war | at loggerheads, ready to fight |
| ter os pés no chão | have feet on the ground | be grounded, realistic |
| saltar de pés juntos | jump with feet together | jump in with both feet |
| começar com o pé direito | start with the right foot | start on the right foot |
| dar com o pé | kick with the foot | dump someone (romantically) |
| andar de pé atrás | walk with foot behind | be wary, on guard |
Coração — the heart
The heart in Portuguese is the seat of emotion and courage, much as in English, but with distinctive constructions. Notably, com o coração nas mãos — "with your heart in your hands" — means total sincerity and vulnerability.
Ele tem bom coração, ajuda sempre quem precisa.
He has a good heart, he always helps those in need.
Digo-te do fundo do coração, obrigada por tudo.
I say it to you from the bottom of my heart, thank you for everything.
Falámos de peito aberto até de madrugada.
We spoke openly and sincerely until dawn. (lit. with open chest)
Vim aqui com o coração nas mãos para te pedir desculpa.
I came here with my heart in my hands to apologize.
Fica descansado, guardo o teu segredo no meu coração.
Rest easy, I'll keep your secret in my heart.
Ela ficou com o coração nas mãos quando ele demorou a chegar.
She was on edge when he was slow to arrive. (here: anxious)
Other body parts
A few idioms use body parts that do not deserve their own section but are indispensable.
Arrebita os ouvidos, vou dizer isto só uma vez.
Listen up, I'm only going to say this once. (lit. perk up your ears)
Tiro-lhe o chapéu, foi uma apresentação brilhante.
I take my hat off to her, it was a brilliant presentation.
Ele anda de nariz empinado desde a promoção.
He's had his nose in the air since the promotion.
Isso é tirado pelos cabelos, não acredito nessa história.
That's far-fetched, I don't believe that story. (lit. pulled by the hairs)
Transfer traps
English-to-Portuguese idiom traps fall into three categories. Same idea, different body part: English "cost an arm and a leg" → Portuguese custar os olhos da cara (the eyes of the face). Translating um braço e uma perna literally will draw blank stares. Same body part, different image: English "open your mouth" means to start speaking; Portuguese ficar de boca aberta means to be speechless with amazement. No equivalent at all: Meter o pé na poça for a social gaffe has no exact English parallel — learn it on its own terms.
Common mistakes
❌ Custou-me um braço e uma perna.
Incorrect — direct calque from English. Portuguese says *os olhos da cara*.
✅ Custou-me os olhos da cara.
It cost me an arm and a leg.
❌ Abri a boca de surpresa.
Ambiguous — literally understandable but not the idiom. The fixed expression is *ficar de boca aberta*.
✅ Fiquei de boca aberta de surpresa.
I was speechless with surprise.
❌ Vou lavar as minhas mãos disso.
Over-translated — the idiom takes the bare article *as mãos* and the preposition *de*.
✅ Lavo as mãos disso.
I wash my hands of that.
❌ Ela é uma cabeça de ar.
Not Portuguese — the idiom uses *vento* (wind), not *ar* (air).
✅ Ela é uma cabeça de vento.
She's scatterbrained.
❌ Meti o pé no buraco.
Not the idiom — Portuguese uses *poça* (puddle), not *buraco* (hole).
✅ Meti o pé na poça.
I put my foot in it.
Key takeaways
Related Topics
- Expressing Feelings and EmotionsA2 — How to talk about how you feel in European Portuguese — the six grammatical frames (estar, ter, sentir-se, dar, deixar, ficar), the vocabulary of emotions and physical states, and the idioms that give feelings their colour.
- Animal-Related IdiomsB1 — European Portuguese idioms built around animals — pato, sapo, macaco, cão, gato, lobo — and how they differ from Brazilian Portuguese and English equivalents.
- Food-Related IdiomsB1 — European Portuguese idioms built around food — pão, sardinha, azeitona, sopa, vinho — reflecting centuries of rural and culinary culture.
- Colloquial ExpressionsB1 — A catalogue of informal European Portuguese expressions — slang verbs, descriptive phrases, reactions, and intensifiers — that bring your speech closer to how people actually talk on the streets of Lisbon or Porto.
- Common Portuguese ProverbsB1 — Twenty essential European Portuguese proverbs with literal translations, figurative meanings, and context of use — plus how Portuguese speakers deploy them in modern conversation.