Brazilian Superstitions in Portuguese: Talk About Luck and Beliefs
Listen to two different childhood experiences
The relevant excerpt runs from 15:25 to about 17:03. Bruno recalls a belief about leaving a sandal upside down. Sabrina recognizes the story but says it was not a practice in her childhood household. Then they discuss the belief that a black cat brings bad luck. The animal is not a cause of bad luck.
Use this as listening practice about memories and beliefs. The chapter does not establish how common each belief is today or where everyone follows it. A useful first listening question is: do both hosts report the same experience? The answer matters more than memorizing a supposed rule about Brazil.
Learn the difference between luck and bringing luck
| Pattern | Meaning | Original example |
|---|---|---|
| ter sorte | to be lucky | Tive sorte: achei minha carteira. — I was lucky: I found my wallet. |
| dar sorte | to bring good luck | Ela acredita que essa pulseira dá sorte. — She believes that bracelet brings good luck. |
| dar azar | to bring bad luck | Dizem que isso dá azar. — People say that brings bad luck. |
| acreditar em | to believe in | Você acredita nessa superstição? — Do you believe in that superstition? |
| superstição | superstition | Na minha família, ninguém segue essa superstição. — In my family, nobody follows that superstition. |
Ter sorte describes someone’s luck; dar sorte can describe what is believed to bring it. Notice who or what is the subject. In Essa pulseira dá sorte, the bracelet is the supposed source, not the lucky person.
Report a belief without endorsing it
Dizem que… means “people say that…” It lets you report an idea without identifying a particular speaker. It does not verify the idea. For a personal memory, Na minha família, diziam que… — In my family, people used to say that… — gives a clearer source and time.
Original model: Na minha família, diziam que deixar a sandália virada dava azar. Eu ouvia isso quando era criança.
In my family, people used to say that leaving a sandal upside down brought bad luck. I used to hear that when I was a child.
This is a fictional language example, not a quotation or an explanation of the belief’s origin. The podcast contains a stronger version of the sandal story; you do not need to repeat its frightening prediction to practice how to report a superstition.
What does crendice add?
The word crendice appears in the black-cat discussion. It often conveys a dismissive view of a belief. If you are asking someone about a family tradition, superstição is generally the less confrontational choice. Calling their belief uma crendice can sound like you are judging it before listening.
Try Eu já ouvi falar, mas não acredito nisso. — I have heard of it, but I do not believe in it. The contraction nisso is em + isso. Similarly, nessa superstição combines em + essa. Keeping the preposition helps the sentence sound natural.
An original conversation comparing family habits
A: Na sua família, tem alguma superstição?
Are there any superstitions in your family?
B: Minha avó dizia que uma pulseira dava sorte.
My grandmother used to say a bracelet brought good luck.
A: Você também acredita nisso?
Do you believe in that too?
B: Não, mas guardo a pulseira porque me lembra dela.
No, but I keep the bracelet because it reminds me of her.
A person can value an object or a memory without believing it has supernatural power. Ask about the meaning before assuming why they keep something.
Practice: belief, memory or personal luck?
These four questions and their model answers are original companion exercises.
- You found the last available seat by chance. Choose Tive sorte or Dei sorte para a cadeira.
Answer and explanation
Tive sorte. — I was lucky. You are describing your own fortunate experience, not saying you brought luck to the chair.
- Complete: Você acredita ___ superstição? Use “that superstition.”
Answer and explanation
Você acredita nessa superstição? Acreditar em keeps its preposition, and em + essa becomes nessa.
- Rewrite Essa pulseira dá sorte as somebody else’s belief.
One possible answer and explanation
Minha avó acredita que essa pulseira dá sorte. — My grandmother believes that bracelet brings good luck. You attribute the claim instead of presenting it as an established fact.
- After listening at 16:09, is it accurate to say both speakers followed the sandal belief as children?
Answer and explanation
No. Sabrina distinguishes knowing about the belief from having followed it at home. Recognizing a story and practicing it are different experiences.
Use the language beyond superstitions
Eu já ouvi falar, na minha família and eu não acredito nisso also help you discuss stories, habits and opinions. Practice a short answer of your own, then download Real Life Portuguese for more Brazilian audio and everyday expressions. Bruno Lopes is a co-founder. The activities here are separate companion practice, not a claim about a superstition lesson inside the app.
Source and scope
The main source is the 15:25–17:03 podcast excerpt, published October 29, 2026. Chapter summaries use the public Portuguese auto-captions; the written dialogue is original. The hosts’ memories do not establish national prevalence, regional origins or factual supernatural effects.
Frequently asked questions
What does dar azar mean in Portuguese?
Dar azar means to bring bad luck in this context. Dar sorte means to bring good luck. Use a reporting phrase such as dizem que when describing someone else’s superstition.
Do all Brazilians follow the same superstitions?
No. In the podcast, Bruno recalls the upside-down-sandal belief and Sabrina says it was not something her household followed. Their different memories are useful examples of personal variation.
