Signification
Extreme need or desperation can drive people to commit illicit acts.
Contexte culturel
In Brazil, this proverb is often used in debates about 'segurança pública' (public safety) to argue that social investment is more effective than police repression. In Portugal, the phrase has a more fatalistic tone, often linked to the historical hardships of the working class and the 'Estado Novo' period. In post-war Angola, the proverb was frequently used to describe the desperate measures people took during the conflict to survive. In Cape Verdean literature, the proverb appears in stories about the 'fomes' (famines) that forced people to migrate or resort to desperate acts.
Don't justify greed
Never use this for someone stealing luxury items or large sums of money; it will sound like you are defending a criminal.
Use in Essays
This is a great 'hook' for an essay about social inequality or the economy in Portuguese-speaking countries.
Signification
Extreme need or desperation can drive people to commit illicit acts.
Don't justify greed
Never use this for someone stealing luxury items or large sums of money; it will sound like you are defending a criminal.
Use in Essays
This is a great 'hook' for an essay about social inequality or the economy in Portuguese-speaking countries.
Empathy Marker
Using this phrase shows you understand the social nuances of Lusophone cultures, which often value context over rigid rules.
Teste-toi
Complete the proverb with the correct words.
A ________ faz o ________.
The standard form of the proverb is 'A necessidade faz o ladrão'.
Which proverb explains why a person stole food because they had no money?
O João não tinha dinheiro para o leite do filho e acabou roubando o mercado.
Since the motive was survival/lack of money, 'necessidade' is the correct choice.
Match the situation to the correct proverb.
1. Someone steals because there are no cameras. 2. Someone steals because they haven't eaten in days.
Opportunity (no cameras) vs. Need (starving).
Complete the dialogue naturally.
Marta: 'O índice de criminalidade subiu muito com a crise.' / Paulo: 'Pois é, infelizmente _________________.'
The context of a crisis and rising crime fits the proverb perfectly.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesA ________ faz o ________.
The standard form of the proverb is 'A necessidade faz o ladrão'.
O João não tinha dinheiro para o leite do filho e acabou roubando o mercado.
Since the motive was survival/lack of money, 'necessidade' is the correct choice.
1. Someone steals because there are no cameras. 2. Someone steals because they haven't eaten in days.
Opportunity (no cameras) vs. Need (starving).
Marta: 'O índice de criminalidade subiu muito com a crise.' / Paulo: 'Pois é, infelizmente _________________.'
The context of a crisis and rising crime fits the proverb perfectly.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
4 questionsYes, very much so. It appears in news, literature, and political debates frequently.
Technically yes, but it's not recommended. Proverbs are fixed expressions, and 'o ladrão' is used generically here.
No, but it is serious. It's not a joke. Use it when discussing serious social issues.
Necessidade = Survival/Hunger. Ocasião = Opportunity/Lack of surveillance.
Expressions liées
A ocasião faz o ladrão
similarOpportunity makes the thief.
Necessidade não tem lei
synonymNecessity has no law.
Quem não tem cão caça com gato
builds onIf you don't have a dog, you hunt with a cat.
O hábito não faz o monge
contrastThe habit doesn't make the monk.
