não fazer greve

You’ll mostly hear this in informal settings. It’s perfect for those moments when you’re surprised that something is still working. Maybe your internet didn't drop during a crucial Zoom interview, or your car started on the first try in the middle of a winter storm. You can apply it to people too, but usually in a humorous way. If a friend is always the first to arrive and the last to leave a party, you might say they não fazem greve. It’s a way of highlighting their stamina. To use it, simply pair the subject (your car, your phone, your brain) with the verb fazer and the noun greve. Just remember to keep it light. If you use it too seriously in a business meeting, people might actually think there's a union dispute in the server room.

Imagine you're at a party and someone asks if they can use your old laptop to play music. You might say: Pode usar, ele é velho mas não faz greve! (You can use it, it's old but it doesn't go on strike!). Or think about your favorite pair of sneakers that have survived three music festivals and a muddy hike. Those shoes não fazem greve. In the world of social media, you might see a TikToker praising their ring light for staying bright after 10 hours of filming: Minha luz não faz greve, guerreira! (My light doesn't go on strike, what a warrior!). It’s also common in family group chats. If Grandma is still cooking for 20 people at age 85, everyone will say: A vovó não faz greve de jeito nenhum! (Grandma doesn't go on strike at all!).

Use this phrase when you want to emphasize that something is dependable. It’s particularly effective when comparing something old and reliable to something new and fragile. It’s a great 'dad joke' phrase. If your kid asks why you still use a wired mouse, you can say: Porque esse não faz greve por causa de bateria! (Because this one doesn't go on strike because of battery!). It's also perfect for travel vlogging. If you're using an old bus to get across the Andes and it’s actually making it, that bus is definitely não fazendo greve. It adds a layer of personification that makes your Portuguese sound much more native and colorful. It's basically the verbal equivalent of a 'reliable' sticker.

Avoid using this phrase in very formal or somber contexts. If a surgeon's equipment fails, don't say it 'went on strike'—it’s too flippant. Also, be careful around actual labor discussions. If there is a real strike happening at a company, saying the employees não estão fazendo greve is just a factual statement, and using it idiomatically there could cause a massive misunderstanding. Don't use it for things that are *meant* to stop. You wouldn't say a movie não faz greve just because it's long; you'd just say it's long. It specifically applies to things that *could* break or stop working but choose not to. Also, avoid using it for pets unless you're joking about them refusing to eat. Your dog isn't 'on strike'; he's just being a picky eater.

One major mistake is forgetting the negative if you want to be positive. If you say O meu celular fez greve, you are saying your phone IS broken. Learners often get confused and say: ✗ O carro não quebra greve → ✓ O carro não faz greve. You cannot 'break' a strike in this idiomatic sense; you only 'make' it or 'don't make' it. Another slip-up is using pausa (pause) or parada (stop) instead of greve. Saying ✗ O elevador não faz pausa sounds like the elevator is a workaholic robot. Use greve to get that specific 'protest' nuance. Also, don't confuse it with furar a greve, which means to be a 'scab' or someone who works during a real strike. That's a much more serious and potentially offensive term!

If you want to mix it up, you can use não me deixa na mão. This literally means 'doesn't leave me in the hand,' or more accurately, 'doesn't let me down.' It’s very common for cars and friends. Another one is está a todo vapor, which means 'it’s at full steam.' This is great for when something is working at its maximum capacity. If something is incredibly tough, you can call it pau para toda obra (a stick for every construction), which means it's versatile and reliable for any task. For electronics that never die, you might say they are imortais (immortal). While não fazer greve is specifically about the act of not stopping, these others cover the broader sense of being 'good' or 'tough'.

The most common variation is the negative version: estar em greve or fazer greve. If your internet cuts out right before a deadline, you yell: A internet entrou em greve! (The internet went on strike!). You can also use the diminutive to be cute: não faz grevinha. This might be used for a slightly finicky but ultimately working old gadget. Sometimes people say não sabe o que é greve (doesn't know what a strike is) to emphasize that something has literally never failed. For example: Esse relógio do meu avô não sabe o que é greve! (This watch of my grandfather's doesn't know what a strike is!). It’s all about how much personality you want to give the object.

Is this used in Portugal? Yes, though it's even more common in Brazil. Can I use it for my brain? Absolutely! If you're studying for 5 hours straight, you can say Meu cérebro não faz greve. Is it slang? It’s more of an informal idiom than 'slang'—even your parents would use it. Does it imply the thing is old? Usually, yes. We rarely say a brand-new iPhone não faz greve because we *expect* it to work. We use it when we are pleasantly surprised by longevity. Can I use it for a slow person? Not really. It’s about stopping vs. starting, not speed. A slow person who never stops is devagar mas sempre (slow but always).