Brincar vs. Jogar: How to Say ‘Play’ in Brazilian Portuguese — Practice

Use brincar for playful activities and joking

Brincar can mean to play, have fun, or joke around. For an activity, Brazilian Portuguese commonly uses brincar de + noun or infinitive: brincar de esconde-esconde (play hide-and-seek), brincar de cozinhar (play at cooking). The preposition de is part of the pattern.

Brincar can also mean joke or tease, so tone matters. A pessoa está brincando can mean the person is joking; não brinca! can express surprise like ‘you’re kidding!’

Use jogar for games and sports

Jogar is common for organized games, sports, and many video or board games: jogar futebol, jogar cartas, jogar videogame. The game often follows the verb directly, without de.

Some activities allow more than one verb depending on the focus and regional usage. The helpful default is brincar de for a playful activity and jogar + game or sport for playing it. Learn the full phrase with its noun rather than translating ‘play’ alone.

Remember: Brincar is common for playful fun, pretend activities, and joking; brincar de introduces the activity. Jogar is common for sports and games: jogar futebol, cartas, or videogame.

Check your understanding

Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.

Recall the Portuguese, then say it

Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.

1. The children play in the backyard.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   As crianças brincam no quintal.

2. We played a game of guessing the song.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   A gente brincou de adivinhar a música.

3. I’m joking; don’t worry.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Estou brincando, não fique preocupado.

4. My brother plays soccer on Saturdays.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Meu irmão joga futebol aos sábados.

5. Shall we play cards after dinner?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Vamos jogar cartas depois do jantar?

6. They play video games together.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Eles jogam videogame juntos.

Make the phrase useful to you

Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.

Brincar is common for playful fun, pretend activities, and joking; brincar de introduces the activity. Jogar is common for sports and games: jogar futebol, cartas, or videogame.

Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.

Sources and your next lesson

This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our Brincar vs. Jogar: How to Say ‘Play’ in Brazilian Portuguese lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.

To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.