Essential Portuguese Vocabulary for Games and Sports

Learning Portuguese is always exciting and if you’re passionate about games and sports, picking up the relevant vocabulary can make the experience even more rewarding.

Whether you’re a fan, player, coach, or just looking to improve your Portuguese, knowing the essential vocabulary for games and sports can enhance your understanding and enjoyment of various activities. In this blog post, we’ll cover basic Portuguese terms related to different sports and games.

General Sports Vocabulary

Before diving into specific sports, let’s start with some general terms that can be used across various sports and games.

• Sport: Desporto
• Game: Jogo
• Player: Jogador
• Coach: Treinador
• Team: Equipo
• Match/Game: Partida
• Championship: Campeonato
• Competition: Competição
• Victory: Vitória
• Defeat: Derrota
• Draw: Empate
• Referee: Árbitro
• Fan: Adeptos

Soccer → Futebol

Soccer is the most popular sport in many Portuguese-speaking countries. Here’s some essential vocabulary:

• Goal: Golo
• Goalkeeper: Guarda-redes
• Defender: Defesa
• Midfielder: Médio
• Forward: Avançado
• Corner kick: Canto
• Foul: Falta
• Yellow card: Cartão amarelo
• Red card: Cartão vermelho
• Penalty kick: Penálti
• Offside: Fora-de-jogo
• Shot: Remate

Basketball → Basquetebol

Basketball is another popular sport. Here are some key terms:

• Basket/Hoop: Cesto
• Dribble: Drible
• Shot: Lançamento
• Rebound: Ressalto
• Assist: Assistência
• Block: Bloco
• Court: Campo
• Practice: Treino
• Point: Ponto
• Foul: Falta
• Free throw: Lance livre
• Dunk: Afundanço

Tennis → Ténis

Tennis requires a different set of vocabulary:

• Racket: Raquete
• Ball: Bola
• Serve: Serviço
• Volley: Volei
• Ace: Ás
• Deuce: Deuce
• Break of serve: Quebra de serviço
• Tiebreak: Tiebreak
• Forehand: Direita
• Backhand: Esquerda
• Net: Rede
• Doubles match: Jogo de pares

Volleyball → Voleibol

Volleyball also has its unique terms:

• Net: Rede
• Block: Bloco
• Setter: Distribuidor
• Hitter/Spiker: Atacante
• Reception: Recepção
• Serve: Serviço
• Point: Ponto
• Set: Set
• Match point: Ponto de jogo
• Court: Campo
• Defense: Defesa
• Rotation: Rotação

Gaming → Jogos de vídeo

For those who enjoy video games, here are some common terms:

• Video game: Jogo de vídeo
• Player: Jogador
• Controller: Comando
• Console: Consola
• Level: Nível
• Mission: Missão
• Power: Poder
• Skill: Habilidade
• Team: Equipa
• Save point: Ponto de salvamento
• Character: Personagem
• Boss: Chefe
• Life: Vida

Board Games → Jogos de Tabuleiro

Board games are a great way to practice language skills. Here are some terms you might find useful:

• Board game: Jogo de tabuleiro
• Piece: Peça
• Card: Carta
• Dice: Dados
• Board: Tabuleiro
• Turn: Vez
• Move: Movimento
• Roll (the dice): Lançar (os dados)
• Draw (a card): Tirar (uma carta)
• Win: Vencer
• Lose: Perder
• Rule: Regra
• Strategy: Estratégia

Card Games → Jogos de Cartas

Card games are another fantastic way to practice language skills and have fun. Here are some essential terms for card games in Portuguese:

• Card game: Jogo de cartas
• Deck: Baralho
• Card: Carta
• Suit: Naipe
• Spades: Espadas
• Hearts: Copas
• Diamonds: Ouros
• Clubs: Paus
• Ace: Ás
• King: Rei
• Queen: Dama
• Jack: Valete
• Joker: joker
• Hand: Mão
• Draw (a card): Puxar (uma carta)
• Discard: Descartar
• Shuffle: Baralhar
• Deal: Distribuir or dar
• Player: Jogador
• Opponent: Adversário
• Round: Rodada
• Score: Pontuação
• Win: Vencer
• Lose: Perder
• Bet: Aposta
• Bluff: Fazer bluff
• Trick: Truque
• Trump: Trunfo
• Meld: Combinação