Here are some popular and hilarious Brazilian Portuguese phrases that make no sense in English

1. ar
Queimar o filme
Literally: to burn a film
Meaning: to make someone look bad

2. Procurar pelo em ovo
Literally: look for hair on an egg
Meaning: to nitpick

3. Quebrar um galho
Literally: to break a branch
Meaning: to help someone out

4. ar
Segurar vela
Literally: hold a candle
Meaning: to be the third wheel

5. Bater/dar com a língua nos dentes
Literally: tap the tongue on the teeth
Meaning: spill the beans

6. Estar/ter com a faca e o queijo nas mãos
Literally: have the knife and cheese on hands
Meaning: to have the upper hand

7. Choveenãomolha
Literally: it rains and it doesn’t get wet
Meaning: indecision

8. João sem braço
Literally: armless John
Meaning: to play dumb, pretend to not know something

9. Pegar alguém de calças curtas
Literally: to catch someone on short pants
Meaning: to catch someone off guard

10. Arroz de festa
Literally: party rice
Meaning: a person who loves to party

11. Estar com a macaca
Literally: to be with the female monkey
Meaning: to be bad tempered

12. Bater as botas
Literally: to thump/tap the boots
Meaning: to kick the bucket

13. Falarabobrinha
Literally: to speak zucchini
Meaning: talking nonsense