What does “bater no peito” mean in Portuguese?

A importância da humildade e da família na vida

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B1 Portuguese listening practice · Brazilian Portuguese · Picked for people who know some

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bater no peito
Brazilian body-language idiom
“to thump your chest,” to swagger or boast about a win

Bater no peito is literally “to beat on your chest,” and it describes the same gesture as in English: puffing yourself up in triumph. Someone who bate no peito after a win is bragging or showing off. Brazilians use it as a contrast with humility, so a person who wins quietly and thanks others is the opposite of someone who fica batendo no peito.

The speaker praises humility and says that today you see someone win a championship, bate no peito, swear, and even dance over an opponent lying on the floor. He is not fully condemning it, since some people cannot hold back their emotion, but he wants humility in every moment of life. Note that bater no peito can also mean “to take responsibility” (bato no peito e assumo), so context decides which reading fits.

How common are the words?

How common are the words in this B1 Portuguese listening practice video?

96.8%
of words are in the top 2,000 most common Portuguese words
Most of the words in this video are common Portuguese words.

How common in written Portuguese

91.7%
Top 1,000
96.8%
Top 2,000
98.1%
Top 5,000

How common in spoken Portuguese

97.1%
Top 1,000
98.6%
Top 2,000
100%
Top 5,000

Harder words in this video

These words are harder than B1. Here is what they mean.

abençoando
1×
Not in top 5,000
dancinha
1×
Not in top 5,000
little dance
inimaginável
1×
Not in top 5,000
unimaginable
xinga
1×
Not in top 5,000
quesito
1×
Not in top 5,000
aspect
guardar no seu coração
1×
keep in your heart or memory

Source: wordfreq 3.1.1 (general) · SUBTLEX-PT-BR 2012 (spoken). These numbers are close, not perfect.

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