The Difference Between JOGAR and BRINCAR

Fernando Nonohay Nonohay Author

In this post, you will learn the difference between the verbs "jogar" and brincar" - they both mean "to play", but they are used in different contexts

Let's start with the verb jogar

👉 The verb jogar means to play, as in to take part in a game, where the main objective is to win. For example:

jogar futebol / to play football

Você gosta de jogar futebol? / Do you like playing football?

jogar xadrez / to play chess

Vamos jogar xadrez? / Shall we play chess?

jogar videogame / to play videogames

Ontem joguei videogame o dia inteiro. / Yesterday, I played videogames all day.

👉 The verb jogar can also mean to throw 

Vou jogar essa bola pra você! / I'm going to throw this ball to you!

and  to throw away

Vou jogar fora essa guitarra! / I'm going to throw away this guitar!

👉 Let's see two very common expressions with the verb jogar:

jogar conversa fora / to chat; to make small talk

Às vezes, eu gosto de jogar conversa fora. / Sometimes I like making small talk.

jogar tudo pro alto / jogar tudo pra cima / to drop everything; to stop doing something

Ontem, quase joguei tudo pro alto! / Yesterday, I almost dropped everything!

Now, let's move onto the verb  brincar

👉 The verb brincar can also be translated as to play, but it's used in relation to toys and children's play For example:

brincar de casinha / to play doll

Elas estão brincando de casinha. / They are playing house.

brincar de carrinho / to play (with) toy cars

Eu gostava de brincar de carrinho. / I used to like playing (with) toy cars

brincar de esconde-esconde / to play hide-and-seek

Vamos brincar de esconde-esconde! / Let's play hide-and-seek.

Another meaning of the verb brincar is to joke, to jest:

A very common expression with the verb brincar is

brincar com fogo / to play with fire

Quem brinca com fogo acaba se queimando. / If you play with fire, you get  burned.

There is another verb that can also be translated as to play, which is tocar, when referring to a musical instrument.

tocar piano / to play the piano

Eu toco piano todos os dias. / I play the piano every day.

Categories: : Verbs, Vocabulary, How to Say Anything in Brazilian Portuguese