dar um prego numa barra de sabão

Portuguese

Etymology

Literally, “to hit a nail on the soap bar”.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈda(ʁ) ˈpɾɛ.ɡu ˈnũ.mɐ ˈba.ʁɐ d͡ʒi saˈbɐ̃w̃/ [ˈda(h) ˈpɾɛ.ɡu ˈnũ.mɐ ˈba.hɐ d͡ʒi saˈbɐ̃ʊ̯̃]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈda(ʁ) ˈpɾɛ.ɡu ˈnũ.mɐ ˈba.ʁɐ d͡ʒi saˈbɐ̃w̃/ [ˈda(h) ˈpɾɛ.ɡu ˈnũ.mɐ ˈba.hɐ d͡ʒi saˈbɐ̃ʊ̯̃]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /ˈda(ɾ) ˈpɾɛ.ɡu ˈnũ.mɐ ˈba.ʁɐ d͡ʒi saˈbɐ̃w̃/ [ˈda(ɾ) ˈpɾɛ.ɡu ˈnũ.mɐ ˈba.hɐ d͡ʒi saˈbɐ̃ʊ̯̃]
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /ˈda(ʁ) ˈpɾɛ.ɡu ˈnũ.mɐ ˈba.ʁɐ d͡ʒi saˈbɐ̃w̃/ [ˈda(χ) ˈpɾɛ.ɡu ˈnũ.mɐ ˈba.χɐ d͡ʒi saˈbɐ̃ʊ̯̃]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈda(ɻ) ˈpɾɛ.ɡo ˈnu.ma ˈba.ʁa de saˈbɐ̃w̃/ [ˈda(ɻ) ˈpɾɛ.ɡo ˈnu.ma ˈba.ha de saˈbɐ̃ʊ̯̃]

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈdaɾ ˈpɾɛ.ɡu ˈnu.mɐ ˈba.ʁɐ dɨ sɐˈbɐ̃w̃/ [ˈdaɾ ˈpɾɛ.ɣu ˈnu.mɐ ˈβa.ʁɐ ðɨ sɐˈβɐ̃w̃]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈdaɾ ˈpɾɛ.ɡu ˈnu.mɐ ˈba.ʁɐ dɨ sɐˈbɐ̃w̃/ [ˈdaɾ ˈpɾɛ.ɣu ˈnu.mɐ ˈβa.ʁɐ ðɨ sɐˈβɐ̃w̃]
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈda.ɾi ˈpɾɛ.ɡu ˈnu.mɐ ˈba.ʁɐ dɨ sɐˈbɐ̃w̃/ [ˈda.ɾi ˈpɾɛ.ɣu ˈnu.mɐ ˈβa.ʁɐ ðɨ sɐˈβɐ̃w̃]

Verb

dar um prego numa barra de sabão (first-person singular present dou um prego numa barra de sabão, first-person singular preterite dei um prego numa barra de sabão, past participle dado um prego numa barra de sabão)

1. (Brazil, idiomatic, chiefly in the negative) to work

Further reading

• “não dar um prego numa barra de sabão”, in Dicionário inFormal (in Portuguese), 2006–2025