Portuguese Phrase
Não consigo tirar isso da cabeça.
Meaning
Literally, ‘I can’t take this out of the head.’ In everyday Portuguese it means ‘I can’t get this out of my mind.’ It’s used when a thought, song, or image keeps replaying in your head.
When to use
Use this phrase when something is stuck in your thoughts—whether it’s a catchy tune, a worry, a funny moment, or a vivid memory that you can’t stop replaying.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Nãoconsigotirarissodacabeça
Negação (Não)
‘Não’ precedes the verb to make the sentence negative, similar to ‘not’ in English.
Verbo modal (consigo)
‘Consigo’ is the first‑person singular of ‘conseguir’ (to be able to). It is followed by an infinitive.
Infinitivo (tirar)
The infinitive verb follows ‘conseguir’ and expresses the action you can’t perform.
Pronome demonstrativo (isso)
‘Isso’ means ‘this/that’ and refers to the idea, image, or memory you’re thinking about.
Preposição + artigo (da)
‘Da’ is a contraction of ‘de + a’, linking the noun ‘cabeça’ to the verb.
Substantivo (cabeça)
Literally ‘head’, but in the idiom ‘tirar algo da cabeça’ it means to get something out of your mind.
🗨In Conversation
Não consigo tirar isso da cabeça.
I can’t get this out of my head.
É aquela música que você ouviu ontem?
Is it that song you heard yesterday?
✕Common Mistakes
Não consigo tirar isso do cabeça.
The phrase is correct; the mistake often comes from using ‘cabeça’ with a masculine article (e.g., ‘do cabeça’). Remember the contraction ‘da’ = de + a.
Não consigo remover isso da cabeça.
Learners sometimes replace ‘tirar’ with ‘remover’, which sounds unnatural in this idiom.
↔Alternatives
Não consigo parar de pensar nisso.
I can’t stop thinking about it.
Essa ideia não sai da minha cabeça.
That idea won’t leave my mind.
Fico com isso na cabeça o tempo todo.
I keep it on my mind all the time.
Cultural Tip
‘Tirar algo da cabeça’ is a common Brazilian idiom. It’s informal but perfectly acceptable in most conversational contexts. In Portugal you might hear ‘não consigo tirar isso da cabeça’ as well, but some speakers prefer ‘não consigo tirar isso da mente’, which sounds a bit more formal.