não ter onde cair morto

Portuguese

Etymology

Literally, “have nowhere to drop dead”, from the sense of be so poor to the point of not having the money to pay for a burial.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈnɐ̃w̃ ˈte(ɾ) ˈõ.d͡ʒi kaˈi(ʁ) ˈmoʁ.tu/ [ˈnɐ̃ʊ̯̃ ˈte(ɾ) ˈõ.d͡ʒi kaˈi(h) ˈmoh.tu]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈnɐ̃w̃ ˈte(ɾ) ˈõ.d͡ʒi kaˈi(ʁ) ˈmoʁ.tu/ [ˈnɐ̃ʊ̯̃ ˈte(ɾ) ˈõ.d͡ʒi kaˈi(h) ˈmoh.tu]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /ˈnɐ̃w̃ ˈte(ɾ) ˈõ.d͡ʒi kaˈi(ɾ) ˈmoɾ.tu/ [ˈnɐ̃ʊ̯̃ ˈte(ɾ) ˈõ.d͡ʒi kaˈi(ɾ) ˈmoɾ.tu]
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /ˈnɐ̃w̃ ˈte(ɾ) ˈõ.d͡ʒi kaˈi(ʁ) ˈmoʁ.tu/ [ˈnɐ̃ʊ̯̃ ˈte(ɾ) ˈõ.d͡ʒi kaˈi(χ) ˈmoχ.tu]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈnɐ̃w̃ ˈte(ɾ) ˈõ.de kaˈi(ɻ) ˈmoɻ.to/ [ˈnɐ̃ʊ̯̃ ˈte(ɾ) ˈõ.de kaˈi(ɻ) ˈmoɻ.to]

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈnɐ̃w̃ ˈteɾ ˈõ.dɨ kɐˈiɾ ˈmoɾ.tu/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈnɐ̃w̃ ˈteɾ ˈõ.dɨ kɐˈiɾ ˈmoɾ.tu/
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈnɐ̃w̃ ˈte.ɾi ˈõ.dɨ kɐˈi.ɾi ˈmoɾ.tu/

Verb

não ter onde cair morto

1. (idiomatic) to be extremely poor

Further reading

• “não ter onde cair morto”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2024