En 15 segundos
- Means to make a big mistake or blunder.
- Implies a visible, often embarrassing, failure.
- Use for noticeable screw-ups, not minor errors.
- It's a colorful, informal Portuguese idiom.
Significado
Significa meter la pata o cometer un error, usualmente diciendo algo inapropiado o fallando en una tarea. Es como decir que 'se te cayó la pelota' o que 'la fastidiaste' de manera visible.
Ejemplos clave
3 de 11Texting a friend about a party
Pensei que a festa era hoje, mas era ontem! Meti água total.
I thought the party was today, but it was yesterday! I totally messed up.
Commenting on a friend's failed attempt at cooking
Ele tentou fazer aquele bolo famoso da internet, mas queimou tudo. Metou água.
He tried to make that famous internet cake, but he burned everything. He messed up.
Instagram caption about a travel mishap
Perdi meu voo porque dormi demais. Que baita jeito de começar as férias! #metiaagua
I missed my flight because I overslept. What a great way to start the vacation! #Imessedup
Contexto cultural
The phrase `meter água` likely arose from practical, everyday situations where water could cause significant problems. Whether it's ballast in a ship or a leak in a house, uncontrolled water often signifies disaster. This connection to tangible, negative consequences likely cemented its use as an idiom for any major screw-up. It reflects a cultural understanding of how seemingly simple things can go very wrong.
Think 'Big Blunder'
Always associate `meter água` with a significant, noticeable mistake. It's not for tiny slip-ups. Imagine the visual of water causing a mess – that's the scale of error!
Avoid in Formal Settings
Using `meter água` in a job interview, a formal report, or a serious academic discussion can make you sound unprofessional or flippant. Stick to safer, more neutral language.
En 15 segundos
- Means to make a big mistake or blunder.
- Implies a visible, often embarrassing, failure.
- Use for noticeable screw-ups, not minor errors.
- It's a colorful, informal Portuguese idiom.
What It Means
Meter água is a colorful Portuguese idiom. It means to mess up big time. You've made a mistake, a blunder, or a significant error. It's often used when someone says or does something foolish. It implies a visible, often embarrassing, failure. The feeling is one of regret or awkwardness. It’s like dropping the ball spectacularly. You know you’ve really messed up.
Origin Story
The exact origin of meter água is a bit murky. Some linguists trace it back to old maritime practices. Sailors might have had to meter água (put water) into ballast tanks. This was done to stabilize a ship. However, doing it incorrectly or at the wrong time could be disastrous. It could make the ship unstable. This led to the idea of doing something wrong with severe consequences. Another theory links it to plumbing or construction. Accidentally letting water into the wrong place could cause damage. Imagine a burst pipe flooding your living room! That's a serious meter água moment. The common thread is an action that goes wrong. It causes problems or instability. It's a classic case of folk wisdom becoming an idiom.
How To Use It
Use meter água when someone has clearly failed. It applies to verbal gaffes or practical mistakes. It's great for describing public blunders. Think of a politician misspeaking. Or a chef burning a signature dish. You can use it about yourself too. "Eu meti água naquele projeto." (I messed up that project.) It’s versatile for many kinds of screw-ups. Just make sure the mistake is noticeable. Minor slips might not warrant this strong phrase.
Real-Life Examples
- Social Media Post: "Vi o comentário que ele fez sobre a foto da Ana. Ele meteu água feio!" (I saw the comment he made on Ana's photo. He really messed up badly!)
- Workplace: "O estagiário esqueceu de enviar o email para o cliente. Metou água logo no primeiro dia." (The intern forgot to send the email to the client. He messed up right on the first day.)
- Friends Chat: "Combinei de encontrar a Joana às 8, mas cheguei às 9. Meti água total!" (I arranged to meet Joana at 8, but I arrived at 9. I totally messed up!)
- News Headline (hypothetical): "Atleta Metendo Água em Competição Crucial" (Athlete Messing Up in Crucial Competition)
- Family Dinner: "A tia disse que a nova namorada do meu irmão era 'interessante'. Acho que ela meteu água ali." (Auntie said my brother's new girlfriend was 'interesting'. I think she messed up there.)
When To Use It
Use meter água when the mistake is obvious. It's for when someone has really failed. Use it for social blunders. Use it for professional errors. Use it for personal screw-ups. It works when the consequences are noticeable. It conveys a sense of 'oops, that didn't go well'. It's perfect for lighthearted criticism. Or for self-deprecating humor. It's a relatable phrase for common human errors.
When NOT To Use It
Avoid meter água for very serious situations. Don't use it for tragedies or grave crimes. It sounds too flippant then. It's not for minor inconveniences. Saying someone meteu água for being 2 minutes late is overkill. It’s also not for subtle mistakes. If only you notice the error, it's not meter água. It's best to avoid it in highly formal settings. Unless you know your audience well. It can sound a bit blunt otherwise.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse meter água with simply 'making a mistake'. It’s more than just any error. It implies a significant, often visible, blunder. Another mistake is using it for very minor things. Like forgetting your keys. That's just forgetfulness, not meter água.
✗ "Esqueci a chave e meti água."
✓ "Esqueci a chave."
✗ "O filme foi um pouco chato, meteu água."
✓ "O filme foi um pouco chato."
Similar Expressions
- Dar mancada: Similar, means to screw up or mess up, often socially.
- Comer bola: To drop the ball, make a mistake, especially through inattention.
- Fazer feio: To do something badly or disgracefully.
- Trocar os pés pelas mãos: To get confused, to mess things up by doing things in the wrong order.
- Pisar na bola: To step on the ball, meaning to make a serious mistake.
Memory Trick
Imagine a clumsy waiter. He's carrying a tray full of water glasses. He trips and meters água (puts water) all over the important client! That's a memorable meter água moment. The visual of water going everywhere signifies the mess. It helps you remember the meaning of a big blunder.
Quick FAQ
- Is it always negative? Yes, it implies a mistake or failure.
- Can I use it for myself? Absolutely! Self-deprecating humor works well.
- Is it formal? Not really, it's quite informal.
- What if the mistake is tiny? Then it's not
meter água. Choose a milder phrase. - Does it involve actual water? No, it's purely figurative!
Notas de uso
This is a highly informal idiom, best reserved for casual conversation among friends or family. Using it in professional or formal contexts is inappropriate and may sound unprofessional. Be mindful that it implies a noticeable mistake, not just any minor slip-up.
Think 'Big Blunder'
Always associate `meter água` with a significant, noticeable mistake. It's not for tiny slip-ups. Imagine the visual of water causing a mess – that's the scale of error!
Avoid in Formal Settings
Using `meter água` in a job interview, a formal report, or a serious academic discussion can make you sound unprofessional or flippant. Stick to safer, more neutral language.
A Relatable Failure
This phrase exists because everyone makes mistakes! It’s a way to acknowledge failure humorously or empathetically. It taps into the shared human experience of messing up.
Self-Deprecating Gold
Using `meter água` about yourself is fantastic for showing humility and humor. It makes you more relatable and less intimidating. 'Oops, meti água de novo!' is a classic.
Ejemplos
11Pensei que a festa era hoje, mas era ontem! Meti água total.
I thought the party was today, but it was yesterday! I totally messed up.
Confessing a personal mistake in a casual chat.
Ele tentou fazer aquele bolo famoso da internet, mas queimou tudo. Metou água.
He tried to make that famous internet cake, but he burned everything. He messed up.
Describing someone else's obvious failure.
Perdi meu voo porque dormi demais. Que baita jeito de começar as férias! #metiaagua
I missed my flight because I overslept. What a great way to start the vacation! #Imessedup
Using the phrase humorously in a hashtag, common on social media.
Peço desculpas por qualquer mal-entendido na entrevista; não gostaria de ter metido água.
I apologize for any misunderstanding in the interview; I wouldn't want to have messed up.
This is borderline. While trying to be careful, it's still informal for a job interview context.
Esqueci completamente do seu aniversário, me desculpa! Meti água feio.
I completely forgot your birthday, sorry! I messed up badly.
Expressing genuine regret for a significant oversight.
Eu tentando montar essa estante: metendo água nível hard! 😂
Me trying to assemble this shelf: messing up on a hard level! 😂
Relatable content for a viral fail video.
✗ Cheguei 5 minutos atrasado e meti água.
✗ I arrived 5 minutes late and messed up.
This is too minor for `meter água`. A simple apology is better.
✗ O diretor meteu água no relatório financeiro.
✗ The director messed up the financial report.
Too informal for discussing a director's serious error in a professional setting.
O time estava ganhando, mas no último minuto o goleiro meteu água e tomamos o empate.
The team was winning, but in the last minute the goalie messed up and we conceded the draw.
Describing a critical mistake in a game.
Acho que metemos água nesse projeto por não planejar direito.
I think we messed up this project because we didn't plan properly.
Taking responsibility for a collective failure.
Ele disse que eu parecia minha mãe. Que gafe! Ele meteu água feio.
He said I looked like my mom. What a gaffe! He messed up badly.
Highlighting a social faux pas.
Ponte a prueba
Fill in the blank with the correct form of `meter água`:
The sentence is in the first person ('Eu') and present tense, so 'meto água' is the correct conjugation.
Find and fix the error in the sentence:
The sentence is grammatically correct and uses the idiom appropriately to describe a politician making a mistake or saying something wrong.
Choose the sentence that uses `meter água` correctly:
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly?
Option B correctly uses `meter água` to describe failing at a project. Option A is too literal and minor. Option C is grammatically awkward. Option D is literal.
Translate this sentence into Portuguese:
The phrase 'dropped the ball' is a perfect English equivalent for the Portuguese idiom `meter água`, indicating a significant failure.
Fill in the blank with the correct form of `meter água`:
The sentence expresses a future possibility ('vai...') and requires the infinitive form of the verb phrase.
Find and fix the error in the sentence:
While you can say `meter água feio` (mess up badly), adding 'muita' directly before 'água' is not standard usage for this idiom. It implies quantity where the idiom focuses on the act of failing.
Put the words in the correct order to form a sentence:
This sentence correctly states that someone made a mistake ('meteu água') in a specific context ('no projeto').
Translate this sentence into Portuguese:
The idiom `meter água feio` captures the essence of saying something inappropriate or embarrassing, similar to 'put his foot in his mouth'.
Choose the sentence that uses `meter água` correctly in a professional context:
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly?
Option C is the most plausible professional context where a team's collective failure in strategic planning could be described, albeit informally. Options A and D are too minor/informal for a professional setting. Option B is highly unlikely due to the formality expected of a CEO in such a meeting.
Match the Portuguese phrase with its closest English meaning:
These phrases all relate to making mistakes, but `meter água` specifically implies a significant, often visible, blunder.
Put the words in the correct order to form a sentence:
This sentence correctly uses the first-person plural ('Nós') to indicate that a group ('we') made a significant mistake on a specific project.
Match the situation with the appropriate usage of `meter água`:
These examples show how `meter água` applies to significant errors across different domains, from politics to culinary arts.
🎉 Puntuación: /12
Ayudas visuales
Formality Spectrum for 'Meter Água'
Common among close friends, online chats, casual settings.
Perdi a chave de novo! Meti água.
General everyday conversation, with acquaintances, family.
Ele meteu água naquele projeto importante.
Rarely used. Might be understood but sounds out of place.
O sistema meteu água durante a atualização.
Never used in formal writing or speeches.
N/A
When Do People 'Meter Água'?
Forgetting an important date
Esqueci o aniversário dela. Meti água!
Failing a task at work/school
Queimei o relatório. Meti água.
Saying something inappropriate
Falei demais na festa. Meti água.
A sports player's blunder
O goleiro meteu água no último minuto.
A cooking disaster
O bolo ficou cru. Meti água.
Missing an important event
Perdi o voo. Meti água.
Comparing 'Meter Água' with Similar Phrases
Contexts for 'Meter Água'
Social Blunders
- • Saying the wrong thing at a party
- • Forgetting someone's name
- • Making an inappropriate joke
Professional Errors
- • Botching a presentation
- • Missing a project deadline
- • Giving incorrect information
Personal Mistakes
- • Burning dinner
- • Forgetting an appointment
- • Losing important documents
Public Failures
- • Athlete's mistake in a game
- • Politician's gaffe
- • Viral fail videos
Banco de ejercicios
12 ejerciciosEu sei que deveria ter estudado mais para a prova, mas eu ___.
The sentence is in the first person ('Eu') and present tense, so 'meto água' is the correct conjugation.
Encuentra y corrige el error:
O político meteu água quando falou sobre a nova lei.
The sentence is grammatically correct and uses the idiom appropriately to describe a politician making a mistake or saying something wrong.
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly?
Option B correctly uses `meter água` to describe failing at a project. Option A is too literal and minor. Option C is grammatically awkward. Option D is literal.
I really dropped the ball on that presentation.
Pistas: Think about the idiom for 'drop the ball'., Use the past tense.
The phrase 'dropped the ball' is a perfect English equivalent for the Portuguese idiom `meter água`, indicating a significant failure.
Se você não estudar, vai ___ na prova.
The sentence expresses a future possibility ('vai...') and requires the infinitive form of the verb phrase.
Encuentra y corrige el error:
A empresa meteu muita água no lançamento do novo produto.
While you can say `meter água feio` (mess up badly), adding 'muita' directly before 'água' is not standard usage for this idiom. It implies quantity where the idiom focuses on the act of failing.
Ordena las palabras en el orden correcto:
Haz clic en las palabras de arriba para construir la oracion
This sentence correctly states that someone made a mistake ('meteu água') in a specific context ('no projeto').
He really put his foot in his mouth.
Pistas: Consider the meaning of 'put his foot in his mouth'., Think of an adverb to emphasize the mistake.
The idiom `meter água feio` captures the essence of saying something inappropriate or embarrassing, similar to 'put his foot in his mouth'.
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly?
Option C is the most plausible professional context where a team's collective failure in strategic planning could be described, albeit informally. Options A and D are too minor/informal for a professional setting. Option B is highly unlikely due to the formality expected of a CEO in such a meeting.
Empareja cada elemento de la izquierda con su par de la derecha:
These phrases all relate to making mistakes, but `meter água` specifically implies a significant, often visible, blunder.
Ordena las palabras en el orden correcto:
Haz clic en las palabras de arriba para construir la oracion
This sentence correctly uses the first-person plural ('Nós') to indicate that a group ('we') made a significant mistake on a specific project.
Empareja cada elemento de la izquierda con su par de la derecha:
These examples show how `meter água` applies to significant errors across different domains, from politics to culinary arts.
🎉 Puntuación: /12
Tutoriales en video
Encuentra tutoriales en video sobre esta expresión en YouTube.
Preguntas frecuentes
20 preguntasLiterally, meter água translates to 'to put water'. However, this literal meaning is almost never used. The idiomatic meaning is entirely different and refers to making a mistake.
Yes, meter água is a very common and widely understood informal idiom in Brazilian Portuguese. You'll hear it frequently in everyday conversations among friends and family.
The core meaning is to make a significant mistake, blunder, or screw-up. It implies that the error was noticeable, often embarrassing, and had some negative consequence, whether big or small.
Generally, no. Meter água implies a mistake of some consequence or visibility. For minor errors, you might use phrases like 'dar uma escorregada' (to slip up) or simply say 'errei' (I made a mistake).
It's perfect for describing social faux pas, professional blunders, or personal failures that are obvious to others. Think of forgetting a birthday, failing a project, or saying something awkward.
Definitely not. It's too informal and carries a negative connotation that could harm your professional image. Stick to more formal language like 'cometi um erro' (I made an error) or 'houve um lapso' (there was an oversight).
Meter água is considered informal to very informal. It's best used in casual conversations with friends, family, or in relaxed social settings. You wouldn't typically use it in writing or formal speech.
Both mean to mess up. Meter água often implies a more general or significant blunder, sometimes related to tasks. Dar mancada often leans more towards a social misstep or failing someone's expectations.
Yes, besides meter água, you can say dar mancada, comer bola, fazer feio, trocar os pés pelas mãos, or pisar na bola. Each has a slightly different nuance or level of formality.
Rarely. While you might hear someone say 'o carro meteu água' (the car messed up), it's usually understood figuratively or as a colloquialism. It's much more common for people's actions or words.
Meter água feio intensifies the meaning. It means to mess up *badly*, to make a particularly obvious or embarrassing mistake. 'Feio' here means 'badly' or 'ugly'.
Yes, like any verb phrase, it conjugates. For example, 'Eu meti água' (I messed up - past), 'Ele mete água' (He messes up - present), 'Nós vamos meter água' (We will mess up - future).
A common mistake is using it for very minor errors, like being a minute late, or using it in formal contexts. It's also sometimes confused with literal water actions.
Absolutely! It's very common and often humorous to use meter água to describe your own mistakes. It shows self-awareness and humility. For example, 'Eu meti água naquele projeto, mas aprendi.'
Knowing the potential origins, like maritime ballast or plumbing issues, helps you visualize *why* water signifies a problem. It reinforces the idea of something going wrong and causing instability or damage.
It reflects a cultural acceptance of imperfection and the humor found in everyday failures. It provides a lighthearted way to discuss mistakes without being overly harsh, fostering a sense of shared experience.
Imagine a clumsy person literally putting water where it shouldn't be, causing a huge mess. This visual helps connect the literal action to the figurative meaning of a big blunder.
While understood, meter água is more predominantly used in Brazilian Portuguese. European Portuguese speakers might use other expressions like dar um barrão or fazer asneira more frequently for similar meanings.
Pisar na bola (to step on the ball) also means to make a mistake, but it often implies a more serious error or a betrayal of trust, whereas meter água can cover a broader range of significant blunders.
Yes, it can be used sarcastically, especially if someone tries to downplay a mistake. For example, if someone makes a huge error and says, 'Ah, foi só um pouquinho de água...' (Oh, it was just a little bit of water...), it's sarcastic.
Frases relacionadas
dar mancada
synonymTo screw up, mess up, often socially; to fail someone.
Both phrases indicate making a mistake, but `dar mancada` often implies a social blunder or letting someone down.
comer bola
synonymTo drop the ball, make a mistake due to inattention or oversight.
This phrase is similar to `meter água` but specifically highlights mistakes caused by a lack of focus or carelessness.
fazer feio
synonymTo do something badly, disgracefully, or poorly.
`Fazer feio` describes performing poorly or acting shamefully, overlapping with `meter água` when the mistake is publicly embarrassing.
pisar na bola
related topicTo step on the ball; to make a serious mistake, often one that affects others negatively.
This idiom also signifies a significant mistake, similar to `meter água`, but often carries a stronger sense of consequence or betrayal.
trocar os pés pelas mãos
related topicTo get confused, to mess things up by doing things in the wrong order or manner.
While `meter água` is about the outcome of failure, `trocar os pés pelas mãos` focuses on the confused process that leads to the mistake.
vacilar
related topicTo hesitate, waver, or make a mistake due to indecisiveness or negligence.
`Vacilar` can sometimes lead to `meter água`, as hesitation or negligence can result in a significant blunder.
