In 15 Seconds
- Used to describe doing something very poorly or messing up.
- Common in sports, social blunders, or bad work results.
- Adds a dramatic, slightly humorous tone to a failure.
Meaning
Imagine you're trying to fix something but end up breaking it even more. This phrase describes doing something very poorly, causing a mess, or behaving badly in a specific situation.
Key Examples
3 of 6Talking about a bad football game
O nosso time fez miséria em campo ontem.
Our team did terribly on the field yesterday.
Admitting a cooking fail
Tentei fazer um bolo, mas fiz miséria na cozinha.
I tried to make a cake, but I made a huge mess in the kitchen.
In a work meeting (with close colleagues)
Se a gente não se preparar, vai fazer miséria na apresentação.
If we don't prepare, we're going to blow the presentation.
Cultural Background
The phrase is heavily used in sports journalism. If a player is 'fazendo miséria', they are the star of the match. This reflects the Brazilian love for 'showmanship' in football. In Portugal, the phrase is often more literal and negative. It can describe someone who is being extremely mean or causing a lot of trouble for others. In Luanda, 'fazer miséria' can also relate to spending a lot of money ostentatiously, similar to 'making it rain' in English slang. Commonly used in 'Expectation vs Reality' memes, where the 'Reality' part is captioned as 'fiz miséria'.
Tone Matters
Use a self-deprecating tone when talking about your own mistakes to sound more natural.
Regional Trap
Remember that in Portugal, this is almost always negative. Don't use it as a compliment there!
In 15 Seconds
- Used to describe doing something very poorly or messing up.
- Common in sports, social blunders, or bad work results.
- Adds a dramatic, slightly humorous tone to a failure.
What It Means
Fazer miséria is all about making a mess of things. It means you performed poorly or caused a disaster. It is not about being poor. It is about the 'misery' of a bad result. Think of a chef burning a simple toast. That is fazer miséria in the kitchen.
How To Use It
You use it as a verb phrase. You can conjugate it for any person. If you messed up a test, say eu fiz miséria. If a team played terribly, they fizeram miséria. It usually follows the action that went wrong. It sounds very natural in spoken Portuguese. It adds a bit of drama to your failure.
When To Use It
Use it when the failure is obvious. Use it after a bad sports game. Use it when someone ruins a surprise party. It is great for venting to friends. It works well when you are being self-deprecating. 'I tried to dance, but fiz miséria on the floor.' We have all been there, right?
When NOT To Use It
Do not use it for tragic life events. It is too lighthearted for real grief. Avoid it in high-stakes business contracts. It sounds a bit too colorful for a legal deposition. If someone is actually in poverty, avoid it. The literal word miséria might cause a misunderstanding there. Stick to performance-based failures.
Cultural Background
Brazilians love using 'heavy' words for light situations. Miséria sounds intense, which makes the irony funnier. It reflects a culture that values doing things with 'jeito' (flair). When you lack that flair, you create 'misery.' It is a very common expression in Rio and São Paulo. It has been around for decades in casual street talk.
Common Variations
You might hear fazer uma miséria. Adding the 'uma' makes it sound even bigger. Some regions use fazer uma desgraça, but that is much stronger. Stick to fazer miséria for a safe, idiomatic middle ground. It is the 'Goldilocks' of describing a total fail.
Usage Notes
This is a B1 level idiom because it requires understanding that 'miséria' isn't literal here. It is strictly informal and best used in spoken conversation or casual texting.
Tone Matters
Use a self-deprecating tone when talking about your own mistakes to sound more natural.
Regional Trap
Remember that in Portugal, this is almost always negative. Don't use it as a compliment there!
The 'Brazilian' Compliment
If you want to sound like a local in Brazil, use it to praise a friend's skill in a hobby: 'Cara, você faz miséria no violão!'
Social Context
It's a great phrase for 'storytelling'—Brazilians and Portuguese people love dramatic descriptions of failures.
Examples
6O nosso time fez miséria em campo ontem.
Our team did terribly on the field yesterday.
Commonly used in sports to describe a lack of coordination.
Tentei fazer um bolo, mas fiz miséria na cozinha.
I tried to make a cake, but I made a huge mess in the kitchen.
Refers to both the bad result and the physical mess.
Se a gente não se preparar, vai fazer miséria na apresentação.
If we don't prepare, we're going to blow the presentation.
Expresses worry about a potential professional failure.
Fiquei nervoso e fiz miséria no encontro.
I got nervous and totally messed up the date.
Used to describe social awkwardness or saying the wrong things.
O menino fez miséria no shopping porque queria o brinquedo.
The boy made a huge scene at the mall because he wanted the toy.
Here it shifts slightly to mean 'making a scene' or behaving badly.
Bebi demais e fiz miséria na festa.
I drank too much and made a fool of myself at the party.
Implies regrettable behavior due to alcohol.
Test Yourself
Complete the sentence with the correct form of 'fazer miséria'.
Eu tentei cortar a grama, mas não sabia usar a máquina e ________ no jardim.
The sentence describes a past action that resulted in a mess, so the preterite 'fiz' is required.
In which situation is 'fazer miséria' used in a POSITIVE sense in Brazil?
Choose the correct context:
In Brazil, 'fazer miséria' can be a slang for performing exceptionally well.
Match the sentence to the most likely context.
1. 'O gato fez miséria com o sofá.' 2. 'Ele fez miséria com a namorada.' 3. 'Fiz miséria na prova.'
1 matches destruction, 2 matches behavior, 3 matches failure.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Você conseguiu consertar o computador? B: Que nada! Eu mexi onde não devia e ________.
'Fiz miséria' fits the context of trying to fix something and making it worse.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Where to use it?
Home
- • Cooking
- • DIY
- • Cleaning
Social
- • Parties
- • Dating
- • Arguments
Sports
- • Soccer
- • Games
- • Performance
Practice Bank
4 exercisesEu tentei cortar a grama, mas não sabia usar a máquina e ________ no jardim.
The sentence describes a past action that resulted in a mess, so the preterite 'fiz' is required.
Choose the correct context:
In Brazil, 'fazer miséria' can be a slang for performing exceptionally well.
1. 'O gato fez miséria com o sofá.' 2. 'Ele fez miséria com a namorada.' 3. 'Fiz miséria na prova.'
1 matches destruction, 2 matches behavior, 3 matches failure.
A: Você conseguiu consertar o computador? B: Que nada! Eu mexi onde não devia e ________.
'Fiz miséria' fits the context of trying to fix something and making it worse.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsNo, it's not offensive, but it is informal. It's safe to use with friends and family.
Usually, it implies a 'big' mess or a significant failure. For small things, 'cometer um errinho' is better.
No, it can be about behavior, financial mistakes, or even doing something very well (in Brazil).
The plural is 'fazer misérias', common in Portugal to describe a series of bad acts.
Use 'Cometi um erro' or 'Houve um equívoco'.
Yes, 'Ele é uma miséria' means he is a pathetic or very bad person, but 'Ele fez miséria' refers to his actions.
Only in very casual business settings among close colleagues.
'Fazer porcaria' is more about poor quality work, while 'fazer miséria' is more about the disastrous result.
Yes: 'Você vai fazer miséria se continuar assim.'
Yes, especially in Samba and Pagode lyrics in Brazil.
Related Phrases
fazer uma bagunça
similarTo make a mess
fazer m*rda
synonymTo screw up
fazer o diabo
similarTo do everything possible / To cause chaos
fazer economia
contrastTo save money
fazer um salseiro
specialized formTo cause a loud commotion
