Dar uma Chance: Give a Person, Plan, or Activity a Chance — Practice

Use dar uma chance before deciding

Dar uma chance means to give someone or something an opportunity, or to try an activity before deciding whether you like it. The phrase can refer to a person, a course, a plan, a restaurant, or an unfamiliar experience.

You can say dar uma chance para alguém or dar uma chance a alguém. Before an infinitive, use the pattern dar uma chance para + verb in informal speech: dar uma chance para experimentar.

Make the opportunity concrete and respectful

The phrase encourages someone to consider an option, but it should still leave them free to choose. If you are inviting someone, state what the activity involves and avoid treating a yes as guaranteed.

Tentar (try) is a direct alternative for an activity. Dar uma oportunidade can sound more formal and is common when the opportunity concerns a person’s work or ability.

Remember: Use dar uma chance to offer someone or something an opportunity; use tentar for the simple action of trying.

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. I’ll give this course a chance before choosing another one.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Vou dar uma chance a esse curso antes de escolher outro.

2. Give us a chance to explain the idea.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Dá uma chance para a gente explicar a ideia.

3. She gave the new restaurant a try.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Ela deu uma chance ao restaurante novo.

4. How about giving vegetarian food a try?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Que tal dar uma chance para a comida vegetariana?

5. We can try another route if you prefer.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Podemos tentar outro caminho se você preferir.

6. The team gave the new teacher an opportunity.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   A equipe deu uma oportunidade para a nova professora.

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.

Use dar uma chance to offer someone or something an opportunity; use tentar for the simple action of trying.

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 Dar uma Chance: Give a Person, Plan, or Activity a Chance 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.