15秒でわかる
- Used when a plan or effort fails completely.
- Originates from colonial Brazilian traders and their pack animals.
- Best for casual stories about frustrations and flops.
意味
This phrase describes the feeling of putting in a lot of effort only to have everything fail or go wrong at the last second. It's like planning a perfect picnic and then having a sudden thunderstorm ruin it all.
主な例文
3 / 6Talking about a failed diet
Tentei fazer a dieta do ovo, mas dei com os burros n'água no terceiro dia.
I tried the egg diet, but I failed miserably on the third day.
Discussing a business pitch
Apresentamos o projeto, mas demos com os burros n'água porque o chefe não gostou.
We presented the project, but it came to nothing because the boss didn't like it.
Texting a friend about a date
Achei que ia rolar algo, mas dei com os burros n'água. Ela nem apareceu!
I thought something would happen, but I struck out. She didn't even show up!
文化的背景
The expression dates back to the tropeiros (muleteers) in Brazil. They were the backbone of the economy, transporting goods on donkey-back. If a donkey fell into the water, the salt or sugar they carried would dissolve, leading to total financial ruin.
The 'N'água' Shortcut
The 'n'água' is a contraction of 'na água'. In spoken Portuguese, make sure to blend it quickly so it sounds like one word: 'nágua'.
Don't use with people
You don't 'dar com os burros n'água' *at* someone. You just do it. It describes the situation, not an attack on a person.
15秒でわかる
- Used when a plan or effort fails completely.
- Originates from colonial Brazilian traders and their pack animals.
- Best for casual stories about frustrations and flops.
What It Means
Imagine you worked weeks on a project. You finally present it, but the client hates it. That is dar com os burros n'água. It means your efforts resulted in a total flop. It implies a sense of frustration after hard work. You expected a victory but got a splash instead.
How To Use It
You use it as a verb phrase. You can conjugate dar however you need. If you failed yesterday, you deu com os burros n'água. If you always fail, you dá often. It usually follows a story of effort. First, explain the plan. Then, use the phrase to reveal the tragic (or funny) ending.
When To Use It
Use it when talking to friends about a failed date. Use it when a business deal falls through unexpectedly. It is perfect for those 'I tried so hard' moments. It works well in casual storytelling. You can even use it to warn someone. 'Be careful or you will dar com os burros n'água!'
When NOT To Use It
Avoid this in very formal legal documents. Do not use it for serious tragedies. If someone loses a loved one, this is too lighthearted. It is for failures of plans, not life disasters. Also, don't use it if the failure was effortless. It requires that you actually 'drove the donkeys' first.
Cultural Background
This comes from old colonial Brazil. Traders used donkeys to carry goods across rivers. Sometimes, the donkeys would get stuck in the mud or fall. The trader would lose his cargo and his time. It was a businessman's worst nightmare. Now, we just use it for bad Wi-Fi or failed cakes.
Common Variations
You might hear people just say quebrou a cara. That is more aggressive. Dar com os burros n'água is more classic. Some people shorten it in very fast speech. But the full version is the most satisfying to say. It has a rhythmic, almost musical quality to it.
使い方のコツ
The phrase is highly idiomatic and relies on the verb `dar`. It sits perfectly in the B2 level because it requires understanding of contractions (`n'água`) and metaphorical thinking. It is safe for most social situations.
The 'N'água' Shortcut
The 'n'água' is a contraction of 'na água'. In spoken Portuguese, make sure to blend it quickly so it sounds like one word: 'nágua'.
Don't use with people
You don't 'dar com os burros n'água' *at* someone. You just do it. It describes the situation, not an attack on a person.
The Donkey Logic
In Brazil, donkeys are symbols of hard work but also stubbornness. This phrase captures the irony of working hard like a donkey only to end up wet and empty-handed.
例文
6Tentei fazer a dieta do ovo, mas dei com os burros n'água no terceiro dia.
I tried the egg diet, but I failed miserably on the third day.
Shows a personal failure in a lighthearted way.
Apresentamos o projeto, mas demos com os burros n'água porque o chefe não gostou.
We presented the project, but it came to nothing because the boss didn't like it.
Used in a professional but relaxed office setting.
Achei que ia rolar algo, mas dei com os burros n'água. Ela nem apareceu!
I thought something would happen, but I struck out. She didn't even show up!
Very common for social disappointments.
Se você não revisar os dados, vai dar com os burros n'água na reunião.
If you don't check the data, you're going to fail in the meeting.
Used as a cautionary advice.
Fui até a loja comprar o novo iPhone, mas dei com os burros n'água; já tinha acabado.
I went to the store to buy the new iPhone, but I was out of luck; it was already sold out.
Describes a wasted trip or effort.
Ele investiu tudo naquela ideia e acabou dando com os burros n'água.
He invested everything in that idea and ended up failing completely.
Carries more weight and emotional impact.
自分をテスト
Fill in the correct form of the verb 'dar' for a past failure.
Eu tentei consertar o carro sozinho, mas ___ com os burros n'água.
Since the attempt happened in the past, you use the 'Pretérito Perfeito' form 'dei'.
Which animal is mentioned in this famous idiom?
Não adianta tentar sem planejar, você vai dar com os ___ n'água.
The idiom specifically uses 'burros' (donkeys) because of the historical context of muleteers.
🎉 スコア： /2
ビジュアル学習ツール
Formality Scale of 'Dar com os burros n'água'
Slang like 'quebrar a cara'
Mano, quebrei a cara legal.
Our phrase: Great for friends and family.
Dei com os burros n'água.
Standard 'fracassar' or 'não dar certo'.
O plano não deu certo.
Professional 'malograr'.
A tentativa malogrou.
Where to use the Donkey Fail
Dating
Getting ghosted after a great first date.
Shopping
Driving across town for a sale that ended.
Work
A software update that crashes the system.
Cooking
Following a recipe but the cake never rises.
練習問題バンク
2 問題Eu tentei consertar o carro sozinho, mas ___ com os burros n'água.
Since the attempt happened in the past, you use the 'Pretérito Perfeito' form 'dei'.
Não adianta tentar sem planejar, você vai dar com os ___ n'água.
The idiom specifically uses 'burros' (donkeys) because of the historical context of muleteers.
🎉 スコア： /2
よくある質問
10 問Not at all! It is informal and colorful, but you can use it with your boss if you have a friendly relationship. Just avoid it in a formal speech.
Yes! If you tried to open a jar and couldn't, you can jokingly say you deu com os burros n'água.
Using 'cavalos' instead of 'burros'. Even though they are both animals, the idiom is fixed with burros.
Usually, for exams, we say bombar or rodar. Dar com os burros n'água is more about a plan or a project failing.
Yes, it is widely understood in Portugal, though it is extremely common and iconic in Brazilian Portuguese.
Absolutely. You can say Você vai dar com os burros n'água to warn someone they are making a mistake.
Quebrar a cara often implies you were arrogant or overconfident before the failure. Dar com os burros n'água is more about the effort being wasted.
Yes, without the 'water' part, the phrase doesn't make sense. The water is where the failure happens!
No, it is almost always plural: os burros. It sounds more dramatic that way.
It sounds like 'NAH-gwah'. The stress is on the first syllable.
関連フレーズ
Quebrar a cara
To fall flat on one's face / be disappointed
Entrar pelo cano
To get into trouble or fail
Ficar a ver navios
To be left empty-handed
Dar em nada
To come to nothing
