Portuguese · Everyday Verbs

"to play" in Portuguese: jogar

jogar

zhoh-GAHR / ZHOH-gooverb/ʒo.ˈɡaʁ/

Note: instruments: tocar; children: brincar

To play (sports/games) in Portuguese is jogar. Say eu jogo futebol or jogo xadrez. Instruments use tocar; kids’ play often uses brincar.

Weekend plans

Eu jogo futebol com os amigos no sábado.

I play soccer with friends on Saturday.

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How to pronounce jogar

Say it

zhoh-GAHR / ZHOH-goo

/ʒo.ˈɡaʁ/

zhoh-GAHR. Eu jogo is ZHOH-goo.

"to play" in Portuguese: quick reference

Portuguese	English	When to use
jogar	to play (game/sport) Dictionary form.	Dictionary form.
eu jogo	I play Present.	Present.
vamos jogar	let’s play Invite.	Invite.
joguei	I played Past.	Past.

How to use jogar in real life

1Weekend plans
Eu jogo futebol com os amigos no sábado.
I play soccer with friends on Saturday.
Sport.
2Board game night
Vocês querem jogar um jogo de tabuleiro?
Do you want to play a board game?
Invite.
3Match recap
A gente jogou bem, mas perdeu no fim.
We played well, but lost at the end.
Past.

Mistakes English speakers make with jogar

Incorrect: Eu toco futebol.

Correct: Eu jogo futebol.

Sports/games use jogar; tocar is for instruments.

Incorrect: As crianças jogam no parque (meaning free play).

Correct: As crianças brincam no parque. / Elas jogam bola no parque.

Free play is brincar; jogar needs a game/sport.

Good to know

Jogar covers soccer, cards, video games, and board games. Tocar violão is play guitar. Brincar is play as kids do. Jogo as a noun means game—keep the verb clear with eu jogo.