C1 Idiom フォーマル

Dar uma mão à palmatória

Give a hand to the slipper

意味

To admit one's mistake or error, confessing to being wrong or incorrect.

🌍

文化的背景

In Brazil, the 'palmatória' was a common sight in schools until the mid-20th century. Many older Brazilians still have vivid (and painful) memories of it, which gives the idiom a visceral weight when used by older generations. In Portugal, the phrase is frequently used in political commentary. It is considered a sign of 'elevação' (high character) for a politician to 'dar a mão à palmatória' rather than doubling down on a mistake. Similar to other Lusophone countries, the phrase is used in formal education and legal contexts to denote the admission of a fault. In the 'mundo acadêmico' of Portuguese-speaking universities, this phrase is the gold standard for conceding a point in a thesis defense or a debate.

🎯

Use it to sound humble

Using this phrase instead of a simple 'I was wrong' makes you sound more articulate and emotionally intelligent in Portuguese.

⚠️

Don't forget the Crase

In written exams (like CELPE-Bras), forgetting the accent on 'à palmatória' is a common way to lose points.

意味

To admit one's mistake or error, confessing to being wrong or incorrect.

🎯

Use it to sound humble

Using this phrase instead of a simple 'I was wrong' makes you sound more articulate and emotionally intelligent in Portuguese.

⚠️

Don't forget the Crase

In written exams (like CELPE-Bras), forgetting the accent on 'à palmatória' is a common way to lose points.

💬

Regional variation

In Portugal, you might hear 'dar a mão à palmatória' more in formal contexts, while in Brazil it's common in both formal and semi-informal settings.

自分をテスト

Complete the sentence with the correct form of the idiom.

Eu não queria acreditar, mas depois de ver os dados, tive que ___ a mão ___ palmatória.

✓ 正解! ✗ おしい! 正解: dar / à

The verb is 'dar' and the contraction 'à' (a+a) is mandatory.

Which situation best fits the use of 'dar a mão à palmatória'?

Choose the correct context:

✓ 正解! ✗ おしい! 正解: Admitting your friend was right about the shortcut being faster.

The idiom is specifically for admitting you were wrong and someone else was right.

Fill in the missing line in the dialogue.

A: 'Eu te disse que esse filme era chato!' B: 'É, você tinha razão. ________.'

✓ 正解! ✗ おしい! 正解: Dou a mão à palmatória

B is admitting A was right, which is the perfect use for this idiom.

🎉 スコア: /3

ビジュアル学習ツール

練習問題バンク

3 問題
Complete the sentence with the correct form of the idiom. Fill Blank B2

Eu não queria acreditar, mas depois de ver os dados, tive que ___ a mão ___ palmatória.

✓ 正解! ✗ おしい! 正解: dar / à

The verb is 'dar' and the contraction 'à' (a+a) is mandatory.

Which situation best fits the use of 'dar a mão à palmatória'? Choose B1

Choose the correct context:

✓ 正解! ✗ おしい! 正解: Admitting your friend was right about the shortcut being faster.

The idiom is specifically for admitting you were wrong and someone else was right.

Fill in the missing line in the dialogue. dialogue_completion B1

A: 'Eu te disse que esse filme era chato!' B: 'É, você tinha razão. ________.'

✓ 正解! ✗ おしい! 正解: Dou a mão à palmatória

B is admitting A was right, which is the perfect use for this idiom.

🎉 スコア: /3

よくある質問

5 問

Not at all! It's actually quite polite and shows maturity. It's a way of saying 'I respect the truth more than my own ego.'

You can, but it might sound a bit dramatic. For small things like 'I forgot the salt,' just say 'errei.' Save this for when you were stubborn about something.

It's an old wooden paddle used to hit students' hands. It's no longer used in schools, but the word lives on in this idiom.

Both are used. 'Dar a mão à palmatória' is slightly more common, but 'dar uma mão' is also perfectly acceptable.

Yes, 'Eles deram as mãos à palmatória,' but it's much more common to keep 'mão' in the singular even for multiple people.

関連フレーズ

🔄

Dar o braço a torcer

synonym

To yield or give in.

🔗

Cair na real

similar

To face reality.

🔄

Reconhecer o erro

synonym

To recognize the mistake.

🔗

Bater no peito

contrast

To take pride or responsibility.

役に立った?
まだコメントがありません。最初に考えをシェアしましょう!