In 15 Sekunden
- Used when plans or efforts fail completely and unexpectedly.
- The verb 'ir' conjugates normally to match the subject.
- Equivalent to 'going down the drain' or 'falling through'.
Bedeutung
Imagine you spent hours building a sandcastle and a wave just wipes it out. That's exactly what this means—when your plans, efforts, or dreams completely fail or disappear in an instant.
Wichtige Beispiele
3 von 6A canceled vacation
O voo foi cancelado e minhas férias foram por água abaixo.
The flight was canceled and my vacation went down the drain.
A business project failing
Todo o nosso trabalho de meses foi por água abaixo hoje.
All of our months of work went down the drain today.
Texting a friend about a date
Ele não apareceu. Meus planos de romance foram por água abaixo!
He didn't show up. My romance plans went down the drain!
Kultureller Hintergrund
The expression reflects a common Mediterranean and Lusophone imagery where water represents the passage of time and the loss of control. It became widely popular in urban settings as plumbing systems became common, mirroring the English 'down the drain'. In Brazil, it is often used with a sense of 'resigned humor' when bureaucracy ruins a plan.
Conjugation is Key
Remember that 'ir' is an irregular verb. If you're talking about the future, say 'vai por água abaixo'. If it already happened, use 'foi' or 'foram'.
Don't over-dramatize
Using this for very small things (like losing a pen) can sound sarcastic. Save it for things that actually required effort.
In 15 Sekunden
- Used when plans or efforts fail completely and unexpectedly.
- The verb 'ir' conjugates normally to match the subject.
- Equivalent to 'going down the drain' or 'falling through'.
What It Means
Think of this as the ultimate 'oops' expression. It describes a situation where everything was going fine until it wasn't. It is used when a project, a relationship, or even a simple weekend plan falls apart completely. It feels like watching something slip through your fingers and vanish down a drain. You had a vision, and now that vision is just... gone.
How To Use It
You use ir por água abaixo just like a regular verb phrase. The verb ir (to go) changes based on who you are talking about and when it happened. Most of the time, you will use it in the past tense: foi por água abaixo. It is a very visual way to describe failure. You don't need fancy grammar to make it work. Just name the thing that failed and add the phrase.
When To Use It
Use it when the failure feels total or irreversible. If your boss cancels a project you worked on for months, it foi por água abaixo. If you were going to the beach but it starts pouring rain, your plans foram por água abaixo. It works great for business meetings, travel mishaps, or even sports. It’s perfect for those 'back to square one' moments in life.
When NOT To Use It
Don't use this for tiny, fixable mistakes. If you drop a fork, that’s just a clumsy moment. If you can fix the problem in five minutes, it hasn't gone 'down the drain' yet. Also, avoid using it in extremely tragic situations like a death in the family. It’s a bit too casual for deep grief. Keep it for plans, investments, and efforts that didn't pan out.
Cultural Background
Water is a powerful symbol in Portuguese culture, often representing flow or loss. This phrase likely comes from the idea of laundry or waste being washed away by a stream. In Brazil and Portugal, people value effort and 'jeitinho' (finding a way). When something goes por água abaixo, it implies that even the cleverest 'jeitinho' couldn't save the situation. It's a shared moment of frustration that everyone understands.
Common Variations
You might hear people say cair por terra (to fall to the ground). That one is a bit more formal and dramatic. There is also dar em nada (to result in nothing). But ir por água abaixo remains the most popular because it’s so descriptive. It captures that sinking feeling in your stomach when a plan evaporates. It’s the linguistic equivalent of a heavy sigh.
Nutzungshinweise
The phrase is highly versatile and sits comfortably between informal and neutral registers. It is safe for workplace use when discussing project setbacks.
Conjugation is Key
Remember that 'ir' is an irregular verb. If you're talking about the future, say 'vai por água abaixo'. If it already happened, use 'foi' or 'foram'.
Don't over-dramatize
Using this for very small things (like losing a pen) can sound sarcastic. Save it for things that actually required effort.
The 'Water' Connection
Portuguese has many water idioms! If someone is 'com a corda no pescoço' (rope around the neck) and their plans go 'por água abaixo', they are having a very bad day.
Beispiele
6O voo foi cancelado e minhas férias foram por água abaixo.
The flight was canceled and my vacation went down the drain.
Plural subject 'férias' means 'foram' is used.
Todo o nosso trabalho de meses foi por água abaixo hoje.
All of our months of work went down the drain today.
Professional but expresses genuine frustration.
Ele não apareceu. Meus planos de romance foram por água abaixo!
He didn't show up. My romance plans went down the drain!
Casual and slightly dramatic for effect.
Queimei o assado e o jantar de Natal foi por água abaixo.
I burnt the roast and the Christmas dinner was ruined.
Humorous take on a kitchen disaster.
O mercado caiu e o investimento foi por água abaixo.
The market dropped and the investment went down the drain.
Used for financial loss.
Ela descobriu a surpresa e tudo foi por água abaixo.
She found out about the surprise and everything was ruined.
Used when a secret is revealed too early.
Teste dich selbst
Choose the correct form of the verb 'ir' for the plural subject.
Os planos para o evento ___ por água abaixo depois da chuva.
Since 'os planos' is plural, the verb 'ir' must be conjugated as 'foram' in the past tense.
Complete the idiom correctly.
Todo o meu esforço foi por água ___.
The idiom is 'ir por água abaixo' (to go by water below/down).
🎉 Ergebnis: /2
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Formality Scale of 'ir por água abaixo'
Talking to friends about a bad date.
Meus planos foram por água abaixo, cara.
Explaining a situation to a colleague.
O projeto foi por água abaixo devido ao orçamento.
Usually replaced by 'fracassar' or 'não prosperar'.
A negociação não prosperou.
When things go 'por água abaixo'
Weather
Rain ruining a picnic.
Finance
Losing money on a bad stock.
Romance
A breakup before a trip.
Work
A computer crashing before saving.
Aufgabensammlung
2 AufgabenOs planos para o evento ___ por água abaixo depois da chuva.
Since 'os planos' is plural, the verb 'ir' must be conjugated as 'foram' in the past tense.
Todo o meu esforço foi por água ___.
The idiom is 'ir por água abaixo' (to go by water below/down).
🎉 Ergebnis: /2
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenNot at all! It is a neutral idiom. You can use it with your boss or your grandma without any issues.
No, you use it for plans, ideas, or work. You wouldn't say a person 'foi por água abaixo' unless they literally fell into a sewer.
The closest matches are 'to go down the drain', 'to go up in smoke', or 'to fall through'.
Yes, it is widely understood and used in all Portuguese-speaking countries.
No, it is exclusively for failure or loss. There is no 'good' way for something to go down the drain.
You can say Tudo foi por água abaixo. It covers the entire situation perfectly.
Yes, in Brazil, people might say deu ruim, which is much more informal and common among younger people.
Only if the object represents a plan or investment. If you just drop your phone, you don't use this.
No, it's purely metaphorical. You can use it even in the middle of a desert!
Forgetting to change the verb ir. Don't say meus planos foi, say meus planos foram.
Verwandte Redewendungen
Dar em nada
To result in nothing / to lead nowhere.
Cair por terra
To fall apart (usually used for theories or arguments).
Perder o bonde
To miss the boat / miss an opportunity.
Dar zebra
To have an unexpected bad result (Brazilian slang).
