Levar na Brincadeira: Say You Took Something as a Joke — Practice

Use levar na brincadeira for a light reaction

Levar na brincadeira means to take something as a joke, treat it lightly, or not become offended by it. The phrase describes how a person reacts to a remark or situation; it does not prove that the original comment was harmless.

Conjugate levar for the person: levei na brincadeira (I took it as a joke), levou na brincadeira (he or she did), and levaram na brincadeira (they did). You can name what was taken lightly with isso or a noun phrase.

Contrast levar na brincadeira with levar a sério

Levar a sério means to take something seriously. It is a useful contrast, but the two phrases are not commands for how someone must feel. If a remark hurt someone, respect that reaction even if another person intended a joke.

Use brincar when you mean that someone is joking or playing around. Use levar na brincadeira when you mean that the listener chose to respond lightly.

Remember: Use levar na brincadeira for a light reaction and levar a sério for a serious one; neither phrase determines how another person should feel.

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 took the comment as a joke.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Eu levei o comentário na brincadeira.

2. She took the criticism lightly and answered calmly.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Ela levou a crítica na brincadeira e respondeu com calma.

3. Are you serious or are you joking?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Você está falando sério ou está brincando?

4. I take my studies seriously, but I try not to get anxious.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Levo meus estudos a sério, mas tento não ficar ansioso.

5. Don’t take the joke personally.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Não leve a brincadeira para o lado pessoal.

6. He was joking, but the comment bothered me.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Ele estava brincando, mas o comentário me incomodou.

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 levar na brincadeira for a light reaction and levar a sério for a serious one; neither phrase determines how another person should feel.

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 Levar na Brincadeira: Say You Took Something as a Joke 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.