Proverbs and Sayings are short phrases that have the social function of advising and warning, while transmitting teachings. Some of them have rhymes, a feature that facilitates memorization.
With an oral tradition and present in our daily lives, proverbs and sayings are part of Brazilian popular culture and, therefore, of our folklore. They arise from everyday interactions and are transmitted orally between generations. Therefore, generally, the authors of these expressions are anonymous.
Check below the meaning of 60 proverbs and sayings most popular in Brazil:
1. To Caesar what belongs to Caesar, to God what belongs to God.
This popular proverb mixes politics and religion, as it relates justification to the payment of tribute or taxes to Caesar, in addition to devotion to Christianity. This proverb was said by Jesus and is present in the Bible (Matthew 22:15-22).
2. Soft water, hard stone, so much beats until it pierces.
This very popular saying is about persistence in overcoming obstacles. In other words, the erosion caused by water on rocks is the result of the insistence on hitting the same spot several times, which ends up piercing the stone.
3. Haste is the enemy of perfection.
This popular expression means that things should be done calmly in order to be good. Otherwise, they are done in a hurry, they will be imperfect. This saying is related to another very popular one: “hurried eat raw and hot.”.
4. At night all cats are gray.
This popular saying means that without too much light everything looks the same. We know that in the dark we don't see things well and, therefore, we must police ourselves before talking about something seen at that moment, because we can get confused.
5. Better alone than in bad company.
This saying says that there are cases when it is better to be alone than with someone who causes us suffering and unhappiness. Often, this person does not add to anything, and only gets in the way of life and plans.
6. Appearances can be deceiving.
This popular saying means that we often judge a person one way, and he turns out to be another. Therefore, he teaches us that the essence of people is more important than appearance. This expression is related to other very popular ones: “Anyone who sees a face does not see a heart" and "habit does not make the monk”.
7. The voice of the people is the voice of God.
This proverb means that the voice of the people has the strength, the power and still carries the truth, just like the voice of God. Therefore, the voice of the people must be listened to.
8. Every monkey on its branch.
This popular saying is often used to refer to the importance of each one taking care of their own affairs, without interfering in others. Another popular expression often used and that has the same meaning is: "Each in its square”.
9. It fell into the net, it's fish.
This popular saying means that we should enjoy everything without choosing too much, because whatever we have will be good and will be a comfort. So, in that context, everything must be accepted.
10. Blacksmith's house, wooden skewer.
This saying is used when we have some skills, but we don't use it to our advantage. For example, cooking at other people's homes, but not at home.
11. A dog that barks does not bite.
This popular expression is used to emphasize that many people who speak threateningly may not be that dangerous.
12. A gifted horse, you don't look at the teeth.
This proverb means that we should not criticize a gift or something that is given to us, even if it is not to our liking. The idea here is to always give thanks instead of being critical.
13. Grain by grain the hen fills her belly.
This expression is related to the patience we must have in life to achieve a certain goal. When the chicken eats, it fills the field with grain. In the same way, little by little we are getting what we want. Another expression with the same meaning is "Going slow you get far”.
14. Everyone has a bit of a doctor and a madman.
This saying means that we all acquire knowledge in life that allows us to identify an illness and something we can take to minimize its effects. Likewise, we also learn to face some situation that forces us to reflect beyond reality.
15. The early bird catches the worm.
This popular expression means that one who wakes up early to work or do something necessary will benefit, because God always helps those who are willing. Otherwise, people who are lazy will not benefit.
16. God writes right in crooked lines.
This proverb means that life can present a different path from the one on which we trace the goals we would like to reach, which would be a straight line between starting and ending. However, a path full of curves will not necessarily be a wrong path, since with them we learn something that will be valuable to us.
17. Tell me who you're dating and I'll tell you who you are.
Related to the idea of the influences we suffer from our companies, this popular saying warns of the qualities and defects that we can copy from the people we keep in contact with.
18. It's giving that you receive.
This proverb tells us that the more we give and help others in this life, the more it will benefit us. This means that whoever has benefited from our help at any given time will not hesitate to do the same when we need something.
19. In the land of the blind whoever has an eye is king.
This popular saying is a metaphor that means that in the midst of so much ignorance (the blind) whoever has one eye (best possibility) is considered superior. It is important to point out that here those who have an eye do not necessarily know a lot, but what little they know stands out.
20. Wrote, didn't read; the stick ate it.
This saying means that when we don't pay attention to what we write, we must bear the consequences. An example of this is signing a contract without having read its content.
21. Son of a fish, a fish is.
This popular expression is often used to indicate the similarities between a father, or a mother, and their child. Note that these similarities can be physical or personality related.
22. scalded cat fears cold water.
This popular saying means that if someone has already suffered from something, he will be smarter if he has to go through a similar situation. In other words, you become a more cautious person.
23. A thief who steals a thief has a hundred years of forgiveness.
This popular expression literally means that when someone appropriates something that belongs to someone else, that same person has the right to do the same. In a figurative sense, it can be used in other situations, for example, when someone acts aggressively, the affected person can act in the same way, without being judged.
24. Better a bird in the hand than two in the bush.
This popular saying means that it is better to have something guaranteed than not to have anything. Thus, he defines the prudence of certainty, in place of something that is still considered uncertain.
25. Lie has short legs.
This popular expression tells us that the truth will, at some point, overcome the lie. That's because a lie has a short leg, that is, it doesn't go very far. Therefore, it is better to be careful with the untruths that you pronounce, because one way or another it will come out.
26. Cheap is expensive.
This popular expression shows that we often save on something that ultimately costs us more. In other words, it sought to save on one side and ended up losing on the other.
27. Where there's smoke there's fire.
This popular expression is used in contexts where mysterious things happen and we don't have a scientific answer associated with their cause. So there are things that we don't understand very well because they are unknown, which we nevertheless suspect when we detect smoke.
28. Insurance died of old age.
This popular saying refers to the wisdom that we should exercise caution to avoid unpleasant things in life. So, what counts is being prudent in your actions.
29. To the wise, half a word is enough.
This expression is often used when a speech can be replaced by a smaller message, which will also be understood. Thus, a long explanation is not always necessary for someone to understand what is intended to be said. Here, what counts is the power of synthesis.
30. Down every single help.
This popular saying means that it is easier to go down in life than up. That's because when we go down we don't need much effort. Otherwise, to climb, we need more strength and sometimes we sacrifice ourselves to reach the top.
31. Pepper in the eyes of others is refreshment.
When we don't put ourselves in the shoes of others, we can use this popular expression. It means that we don't care about the suffering and feelings of others, that is, we don't show compassion for the other.
32. Put your hand in the fire.
This popular expression is used when we have complete trust in someone and, therefore, we would do something so nonsense like “putting your hand in the fire”, confirming that we believe that person will not let us down.
33. Play john without an arm.
This popular saying is used when someone purposely pretends to be misunderstood. This can happen due to laziness or even because the person does not want to perform some necessary obligation.
34. When one donkey speaks, the other lowers its ear.
This popular expression means that when someone is talking, out of politeness, one should not interrupt. At such times, we must remain silent, pay attention to the other person's comment and wait for our turn to speak.
35. Who loves the ugly, it looks beautiful.
This popular saying means that when someone loves a person who is not aesthetically perfect, they end up looking beautiful because of the strength of the feeling. This happens because the essence, the personality, the inner qualities are valued, instead of giving importance only to the appearance.
36. Who sings scares away his woes.
This popular expression is well known and used to affirm that music can be a natural remedy to ward off bad days, pain and unhappiness. Thus, whoever sings removes the sadness and problems of life and becomes a happier and more humorous person.
37. Whoever house wants a house.
For economic reasons, many couples continue to live in their parents' home after marriage but lose their privacy. So, this popular expression literally means that when a couple decides to get married they want to have their own home.
38. Who hurts with iron, iron will be hurt.
This proverb is used to indicate that the bad deeds we perform will come back to us in the same way. Inspired by one of the sentences Jesus uttered “live by the sword, die by the sword” (Matthew 26:52), this expression is related to divine justice in the face of violence.
39. Anyone who mixes with pigs, eats bran.
This popular saying is related to the consequences that some companies can bring us. Therefore, we must be careful with whom we walk so that we are not deceived and led astray.
40. Who does not have dog, hunts with cat.
This expression indicates that when we don't have something specific to solve some problem, we use another similar way that, however, will also work. There is a theory that this expression has been modified over time and that the original would be "those who don't have a dog hunt like a cat”, that is, surreptitiously, like a cat does when hunting.
41. Who can can; those who cannot, shake themselves.
This popular saying is used to indicate the advantages that some people have in life and others do not. It can be related to material goods or influences, for example.
42. Who laughs last laughs best.
This popular saying means that in a dispute we should not consider ourselves victorious and in a position of advantage over another person, as the situation can be reversed. It is a provocation where the person who is in an unfavorable situation tells his opponent, as a warning, that he will change.
43. Who sows wind, reaps storm.
This proverb means that all bad actions will have bad consequences in our lives. Of biblical origin (Hosea 8:7), it is related to another popular expression that is often used which is “We plant what we harvest”.
44. Who has mouth goes to Rome.
This expression is used to highlight the power of communication. So, if you have a mouth to communicate in words, you're sure to find the right answer. Researches indicate that over time this expression was being modified from the original that would be "Who has mouth goes to Rome” (from the verb boo).
45. Empty bag does not stop standing.
This popular saying is a metaphor that relates to the importance of eating to be well. Thus, to support ourselves in the standing position, we need food, just as a bag can only stay upright if it is full.
46. A single swallow does not make a summer.
This popular saying indicates that one person alone is not able to change a situation and therefore does not have the necessary influence. Another expression that has a similar meaning is "Unity is strength”.
47. Every dog has his day.
This saying carries the idea that not every day is favorable, because in one of them you can get along and be the hunter, and in another, be the hunt. Thus, accepting the losses and gains are part of life and can be a comfort or even a motivation.
48. All roads lead to Rome.
This popular saying means that even if we choose different paths, they will all lead to the same place. In other words, all the paths we have will lead us to the same result.
49. Home saint does not work miracles.
We use this proverb when we show that we don't trust someone from where we live. So we look for an outsider to resolve the issue rather than relying on those closest to us.
50. Those who do not cry do not breastfeed.
This popular saying means that the harder we try, the better we will be at achieving our goals. Just like a baby who cries to be fed, if we try hard, we will have a good result.
51. Cover the sun with the sieve.
When we want to hide or postpone something, we use this saying. Just like a sieve, full of holes, the sun will pass through it, and therefore, however much we want to hide or postpone the responsibility for something, this method will not be efficient.
52. No use crying over spilled milk.
This popular saying means that we must not regret what has already been done, what has already happened. So it's no use crying for what you can't do anymore, what we should do is move on.
53. Where Judas lost his boots.
When we refer to a distant place, with difficult access or, even, very difficult to be found, we use this saying. Supposedly, it appeared in the Middle Ages, as the population could not read or write, several narratives were created about religious events.
54. Saved by the bell.
This expression is used in uncomfortable or dangerous situations, where something happens and directly interferes with the complete realization of the event. This saying originated in 17th century England, when people started to be buried with an arm attached to a bell, in case they were saved if they were still alive. In English the expression is: “Saved by the bell”.
55. Falling into the scam.
When someone is deceived by someone else, we use this expression. As such, this saying is used to indicate that someone was cheating and acted unfairly and fraudulently.
56. Donkey color when it runs away.
This popular expression is used when we want to indicate the color of something, but it is not precisely defined. Scholars on the subject claim that the original expression was "donkey run when it runs away” (from the verb to run) and that with time it acquired another meaning.
57. The worst blind is the one who does not want to see.
This popular saying is used when someone denies the truth, or even through negligence and alienation, assumes that the truth is someone else not wanting to see the facts that are in front of them. It is widely used in crisis situations where we must find solutions to a problem.
58. Whoever says what he wants hears what he doesn't want.
Anyone who sees himself as having the right to say whatever comes to mind, without policing himself with the words used, may suffer as a result. Thus, this saying is used in situations where you hear what you don't want, as a consequence of not having reflected before speaking. Another expression that can be used in similar situations is "The spell turned against the sorcerer”.
59. There is no evil that ever lasts, no good that never ends.
This proverb means that we must accept life as it is. That is, nothing in life is permanent, be it happiness or unhappiness. During the entire trajectory, we will have good days and bad ones, and both are essential for us to learn to deal with different situations.
60. The cucumber is twisted from small.
This popular saying refers to the education we give to children and that will make all the difference in the future. This expression is related to the cultivation of cucumbers, as for them to grow healthy it is necessary to prune them while they are small.
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