13 Colorful

Idioms

in

Portuguese

Idioms are an important part of a language, and in Portuguese they are abundant and very present in everyday life situations.

There are popular and fun idiomatic expressions with animals, body parts, food, weather, and many more!

This time we've put together a list with some of the most popular, colorful and .

You will be surprised how many expressions in Portuguese can be directly translated into English!

Roxo/vermelho de raiva – Directly translated from English, this

expression means: purple with rage. In Portuguese it’s also common to

say: vermelho de raiva (red with rage)

Roxo de frio – You probably know what it means to be blue with cold, but

what about purple with cold? That’s how they say it in Brazil. The adjective

purple is often used in Portuguese to describe a deep strong and intense

feeling, or deprivation of something.

Branco como um fantasma – When someone is very frightened at

something you say they are white as a ghost or white as a sheet. In Portuguese,

is the same! “Branco como um fantasma”

(Passar a) Noite em branco – If you want to describe in Portuguese a sleepless night,

you have to say “passar a noite em branco”, or “passar a noite em claro”,

which can be directly translated from the French expression: “nuit blanche” or

white night.

Estar no vermelho - English and Brazilian Portuguese speakers have chosen the

same color to describe when one’s bank account is overdrawn: in the red, or “está

no vermelho”.

Verde de inveja

When a friend goes on a

trip to travel the world you

might get green with

envy. But if he is going to

Brazil, it would be more

appropriate for you to say

you are “verde de inveja”.

Ex: Estou verde de inveja!

Sangue Azul – When someone is descendent from a noble or socially prominent

family we say he/she has blue blood. This idiom is actually a literal translation of the

Spanish 'sangre azul', (or “sangue azul” in Portuguese) attributed to some of the

oldest and proudest families of Castile/Castilla.

Azul/roxo de fome – Another popular expression with the color blue. When

Brazilians are starving they say they are blue with hunger, or “azul de fome”.

Alternatively they can say: purple with hunger = roxo de fome.

Ovelha negra – English, Portuguese speakers and probably speakers of

other languages have this idiom in common: black sheep, or “ovelha negra”.

It’s believed that this phrase have derived from a bit of misinterpretation by the

writers of early English Bibles.

Sorriso amarelo – Everyone has been in a situation when you have to force out a

half-hearted smile, right? Brazilians call this type of smile “sorriso amarelo” (Yellow

smile). In Latin “amarelo” originates from the the word “amarus” which means hard,

bitter, difficult.

Amarelar – Who hasn’t ever become too scared to do something and chicken out

at the last minute? In Brazil they use a very different word to express that: “amarelar”,

which has possibly originated from the soccer jargon.

Laranja - This word has two meanings: a fruit (orange) and also a color. A "laranja"

can be a person set up to serve as a cover for questionable transactions. Straw man or

stooge are the equivalent expressions in English.

Carta branca - If you are given the green light, you are given approval to do

something. But take a note: when in Brazil, you should say: “carta branca”. The phrase

was originated from the French expression “carte blanche” literally blank paper.