One of the most enjoyable parts of learning European Portuguese is discovering idiomatic expressions — those colourful phrases that make the language feel alive and authentic.
Today, we’re looking at 3 Portuguese Idioms for a Backfired Plan. We use these three popular expressions when something doesn’t go as planned, or when a plan completely backfires.
Sair o tiro pela culatra
Literal meaning: “For the shot to come out through the breech (back) of the gun.”
Meaning: A plan or action has the opposite effect to what was intended — it turns against the person who planned it.
English equivalent: To backfire.
Example:
O João tentou enganar o chefe, mas acabou por lhe sair o tiro pela culatra. (João tried to trick the boss, but it backfired on him when he got caught.)
Dar um tiro no pé
Literal meaning: “To shoot yourself in the foot.”
Meaning: To do something that damages your own interests; a self-inflicted setback.
English equivalent: To shoot yourself in the foot.
Example:
Ao recusar a proposta sem ouvir todos os detalhes, ele deu um tiro no pé. (By refusing the offer without hearing all the details, he shot himself in the foot.)
Ter a burra nas couves
This one literally means “to have the donkey (female) in the cabbages” and suggests a donkey trampling your vegetables, symbolising a blunder or something gone wrong. There is a variation of this expression: “Dar com o burro na água” literally means “to find the donkey in the water”, and it paints a picture of a complete failure with lots of mistakes or done in a very disorganised way.
English equivalents: fiasco/ a total mess
Examples:
Depois de meses de negociações, demos com os burros na água e o contrato não foi assinado. (After months of negotiations, it was a complete failure — the contract was never signed.)
