Meaning
To get into trouble, experience problems, or have something go wrong.
Cultural Background
In Brazil, this phrase is often associated with the 'jeitinho brasileiro' going wrong. When someone tries to bypass rules and fails, people say they 'entraram pelo cano'. While understood, Portuguese people might prefer 'ir por água abaixo' or 'dar raia'. 'Entrar pelo cano' sounds very Brazilian to European ears. In Luanda, slang often mixes Portuguese with Kimbundu, but 'entrar pelo cano' is still recognized due to the influence of Brazilian soap operas (telenovelas). On TikTok and Instagram, 'entrar pelo cano' is often used in 'storytime' videos where influencers describe their fails.
Use with 'feio'
To emphasize how bad the failure was, add 'feio' (ugly) at the end: 'Entrei pelo cano feio!'
Not for funerals
Never use this for serious life events like death or illness. It's too casual and can seem mocking.
Meaning
To get into trouble, experience problems, or have something go wrong.
Use with 'feio'
To emphasize how bad the failure was, add 'feio' (ugly) at the end: 'Entrei pelo cano feio!'
Not for funerals
Never use this for serious life events like death or illness. It's too casual and can seem mocking.
The 'Cano' vs 'Cana' distinction
Always double-check your vowels. 'Cano' is a pipe, 'Cana' is jail. Both are bad, but one is much worse!
Test Yourself
Complete the sentence with the correct form of 'entrar pelo cano' in the past tense.
Eu não estudei para a prova e ________.
The subject is 'Eu' (I), so the verb 'entrar' must be conjugated as 'entrei'.
Which situation best fits the idiom 'entrar pelo cano'?
Situation: You won the lottery.
'Entrar pelo cano' is for bad situations, not winning the lottery!
Choose the best response for the dialogue.
A: 'O carro quebrou no meio da estrada!' B: '________'
A broken car in the middle of the road is a classic 'entrar pelo cano' moment.
Match the phrase to the context.
Context: A politician is caught in a corruption scandal.
Getting caught in a scandal is a major failure/trouble situation.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Cano vs. Cana
Practice Bank
4 exercisesEu não estudei para a prova e ________.
The subject is 'Eu' (I), so the verb 'entrar' must be conjugated as 'entrei'.
Situation: You won the lottery.
'Entrar pelo cano' is for bad situations, not winning the lottery!
A: 'O carro quebrou no meio da estrada!' B: '________'
A broken car in the middle of the road is a classic 'entrar pelo cano' moment.
Context: A politician is caught in a corruption scandal.
Getting caught in a scandal is a major failure/trouble situation.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsNot exactly rude, but very informal. It's like saying 'I'm screwed' in English—fine with friends, not with your boss.
Yes, they will understand you, but it's much more common in Brazil. In Portugal, they might say 'dar raia'.
Use 'Nós entramos pelo cano' or the more common informal 'A gente entrou pelo cano'.
Yes, it always implies a negative outcome, trouble, or a frustrated plan.
Yes, like 'I forgot my umbrella and got wet, entrei pelo cano'.
There isn't a direct idiomatic opposite, but you could say 'se dar bem' (to do well).
Yes, very frequently in Samba and Funk Carioca.
No, the fixed expression is always 'pelo cano'.
It's a classic. While younger people use 'dar ruim', 'entrar pelo cano' is still widely understood and used.
Yes, 'Ele entrou pelo cano' means he got into trouble.
Related Phrases
Se dar mal
synonymTo have a bad outcome
Quebrar a cara
similarTo be disappointed or fail
Dar zebra
similarAn unexpected bad result
Ir por água abaixo
synonymTo go down the drain
Dar ruim
specialized formTo go wrong (modern slang)
