brincar

Senses

1. 1.

   to play

   engage in recreational or playful activity

2. 2.

   to joke; to tease

   speak or act in a joking or mocking manner

3. 3.

   to toy with; to mess around with

   handle something playfully or without serious intent

4. 4.

   to gamble

   play a game of chance for money

Examples

• "As crianças brincam no parque todos os dias."

  The children play in the park every day.

• "Ele estava brincando quando fez aquele comentário."

  He was joking when he made that remark.

• "Não brinque com meus sentimentos!"

  Don't toy with my feelings!

Usage

Very common everyday verb. Often used with the preposition "com" (brincar com) meaning "to play with" or "to toy with." The phrase "estar brincando" (to be joking) is particularly common in casual speech. Often followed by de + noun to mean "to play a particular game" (e.g., brincar de polícia e ladrão, to play cops and robbers).