Brazilian Portuguese Idiom: Não é a minha praia

Are you familiar with the Brazilian expression “Não é a minha praia”? If you are, great job! You’re already one step ahead in your language journey. But if you’d like to learn more about this expression, this Portuguese lesson is for you.

So, let’s dive right in.

Brazilian Portuguese Idiom: Não é a minha praia

Literal translation

“Não é a minha praia” literally translates to “It’s not my beach.”

Can you guess what it means?

What the expression means

“Não é a minha praia” is an idiomatic expression used to indicate that something is not one’s area of expertise or interest. It conveys that the person is not comfortable or knowledgeable about a particular subject or activity.

English people would say “It’s not my cup of tea”. But we Brazilian use our beaches in the expression instead of tea.

Isn’t it wonderful how idiomatic expressions are so linked with culture? I love it.

So, saying “Não é a minha praia” is like saying “It’s not my thing”.

Examples showing details so you can use it correctly

Let me show you examples.

Example 1:

João invites Maria to go to a soccer game on the weekend. Maria says:

“Desculpa, João, mas futebol não é a minha praia.” (Sorry, João, but soccer is not my thing.)

Article or no Article?

I can use this expression with or without the article. I can say:

• Não é minha praia.

Or:

Não é a minha praia.

Example 2:

Carl wants to watch a horror movie that is supposed to be really scary. I say:

“Nem pensar. Filmes de terror não são a minha praia.” (No way. Horror movies are not my thing.)

So, you see that we need to conjugate the verb “ser” when we use this expression.

Example 3:

Now I will show you that you can use this expression when talking about other people too. So, let’s say Carl goes to the movies with friends to watch that horror movie. Our friends ask why I didn’t join them. Carl can say:

“Filme de terror não é a praia dela.” (A horror movie is not her thing.)

Or:

“Filme de terror não é a praia de Lu.” (A horror movie is not Lu’s thing.)

Example 4

We can also use this expression to indicate that something is right up our alley. For example, if Carl were to change his invitation and ask if I want to go see a romance movie, I could say:

“Aí, sim. Romance é totalmente a minha praia.” (Now you’re talking. Romance is totally up my alley.)

Practice to remember it

Now, let’s practice right here, right now. I will give you a prompt and you will tell me it is not your thing. Say it out loud, ok? The purpose of this practice is to help you remember the expression later so you can use it in your conversations.

Practice 1:

Eu: Você quer brigadeiro?

Você: Ah, brigadeiro não é a minha praia.

Practice 2:

Eu: Vamos dançar forró?

Você: Sinto muito, forró não é a minha praia.

Now, you can confidently use the expression “Não é a minha praia” in Portuguese conversations to express when something is not your area of expertise or interest!

Brazilian Idioms Challenge

I want to tell you about my upcoming Brazilian Idioms Challenge!

To celebrate 15 years of Street Smart Brazil, I am creating an online course on Brazilian idioms.

I named my business Street Smart Brazil because I’m passionate about idiomatic expressions. Expressions like “não é a minha praia” add so much color and flair to everyday conversations.

You see, communication becomes incredibly effective when we can effortlessly use these idioms, like I used “not my cup of tea” and “right up my alley” in this lesson.

Idioms enable us to connect with native speakers on a deeper, more authentic level.

That is why I’m on a mission to help you build a remarkable repertoire of Brazilian Portuguese idiomatic expressions!

I have designed the course to be fun and effective. I’ve created a system that will allow you to really learn in a few minutes a day. You will understand the nuances and remember the expressions later so you can use them in your conversations.

I want you to impress your Brazilian friends and family with your new expressions!

To stay up to date with the course’s progress, including the launch date and priority sign-up for the Founders’ Round, join the waitlist.