Jogar Verde pra Colher Maduro and Other Ways to Use Jogar in Portuguese

If you've been searching for the jogar verde meaning, here's the short answer: in Brazil we say someone is jogando verde pra colher maduro when they drop a question or a comment out of nowhere, acting like it's no big deal, just to get you to reveal something you weren't planning to share. In English, you'd call it fishing for information. Literally, it means "throwing the green to harvest the ripe."

We also use a shorter version: "jogar um verde" or just jogar verde. For example, if a friend says "Fiquei sabendo que você tá namorando, hein?" without knowing anything at all, just to see how you react, they're jogando verde pra colher maduro (or "para colher maduro," the more formal version). So what does jogar verde mean in practice? Asking a sneaky, indirect question to get the truth out of someone.

But the verb jogar in Portuguese goes way beyond playing soccer or video games. In this lesson I'll show you the meaning of jogar in different contexts, with everyday expressions like jogar na cara, jogar conversa fora, jogar a toalha, and jogar limpo, each one with example sentences to practice the way we actually talk in Brazil.

Video: Different Ways to Use "JOGAR"

In this video I show you how we use the verb jogar in Portuguese in real life: it doesn't just mean to play, it can also mean to throw, to toss out, or to hint at something, depending on the expression. Watch it first and then practice with the sentences below.

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Portuguese Sentences to Practice: Jogar

Jogar means to play, but in Brazil we also use it to mean to throw, to toss something in the trash, or to throw something in someone's face. These are the jogar expressions you'll hear the most, each one with its meaning and a real sentence to practice.

Use these sentences to connect the verb JOGAR with different contexts.

Jogar na cara

Jogar na cara means to throw something in someone's face: bringing up a favor, a mistake, or some help you gave them to guilt them or win an argument. English uses almost the exact same image, so this is one of the easiest ones to remember.

• Como se não bastasse, depois de toda a discussão ela ainda jogou na cara dele que se não fosse pela empresa dela ele estaria sem trabalho.

Jogar verde pra colher maduro

Jogar verde pra colher maduro means asking an indirect question or hinting at something you don't actually know, just so the other person confirms the information without realizing it. Literally it's "throwing the green to harvest the ripe," and in English it's pretty much fishing for information or baiting someone into talking. The short version is "jogar um verde."

• Ele ficou com raiva porque o chefe tava jogando verde pra colher maduro.

Jogar conversa fora

Jogar conversa fora means chatting with no set topic or goal, just for the fun of hanging out with someone, like shooting the breeze in English. We say it all the time in Brazil when we invite a friend out for a drink to talk about a little bit of everything.

• Tá a fim de jogar conversa fora hoje à noite?

Another informal way to say it is "bater papo," a friendly chat.

• A gente passou umas duas horas batendo papo lá no barzinho da esquina.

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Jogar fora

Jogar fora means to throw something away or toss it in the trash, and it also shows up in phrases like "jogar dinheiro fora" (to waste money) or "jogar tempo fora" (to waste time). Since fora means "out," the image is basically the same as "throw out" in English, and it's by far the most common way to say it in Brazil.

• Eu tava limpando o quarto e encontrei essa sandália rasgada, posso jogar fora?

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Jogar no mato

Jogar no mato means getting rid of something without thinking twice, literally "throwing it into the bushes." It's a very informal, exaggerated way of saying jogar fora, and we use it a lot in Brazil for old stuff that's no good for anything anymore.

• O sofá da sua casa tá muito velho, por que você não joga no mato e compra logo outro novo?

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Jogar a toalha

Jogar a toalha means to give up or abandon a goal after trying really hard, exactly like "throw in the towel" in English. The image comes from boxing in both languages, so you can translate it almost word for word.

• Depois de tentar tantas vezes sem sucesso, ele finalmente jogou a toalha.

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Jogar sinuca

Jogar sinuca means to play pool or snooker, one of the most popular games in Brazilian bars. And watch out for the expression "estar numa sinuca de bico": it means being in a no-win situation that's really hard to get out of, kind of like being behind the eight ball in English.

• Esse hotel que ele reservou tem até um espaço de lazer pra jogar sinuca.

Confiar no seu taco

It means having confidence in yourself and in your own skills or abilities. Taco is the pool cue, so the idea is trusting your own shot.

• Você confia no seu taco pra passar na entrevista de trabalho?

Jogar charme

Jogar charme means flirting or turning on all your charm to get someone's attention, usually with romantic intentions. If you're into the topic, check out how to say hitting on someone in Portuguese, because in Brazil we have our own word for it.

• Depois que você começou a jogar charme pra cima dela todo mundo tá pensando que você quer namorar com ela.

Jogar com as palavras

Jogar com as palavras means using words in an ambiguous way to confuse people, dodge a question, or cover something up. It's also used in a positive way, for clever wordplay that makes people laugh, just like "playing with words" in English.

• É difícil conversar com ele de forma objetiva, ele sempre fica jogando com as palavras pra disfarçar os erros dele.

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Jogar limpo

Jogar limpo means acting honestly and following the rules, just like "play fair" in English. You'll hear it in sports, but also at work, in business, or in a relationship.

• Quais foram as restrições impostas pela organização pra forçar as pessoas a jogarem limpo?

Jogar sujo

Jogar sujo is the opposite: cheating or using dishonest methods to win, just like "play dirty" in English. Since everything in Brazil ends up being about soccer, you'll hear it a lot during matches, along with other soccer expressions in Portuguese.

• Ele só ganhou essa competição porque jogou sujo.

Jogar praga (rogar praga)

Jogar praga or rogar praga means wishing someone bad luck or putting a curse on them, a lot like putting a hex on someone or jinxing them in English. Both forms are correct: rogar praga is the traditional version and jogar praga is the more colloquial one in Brazil.

• Se você não estivesse rogando praga nos meus planos, tudo teria dado certo.

Jogar a culpa

Jogar a culpa means putting the blame on someone else so you don't have to own up to your own responsibility. Think of it as shifting the blame or passing the buck in English, so it'll feel natural from day one.

• Você não cansa de sempre estar jogando a culpa nas outras pessoas? Quando vai finalmente assumir a responsabilidade por seus erros?

EXTRA

É mais jogo

É mais jogo means something is the better option or makes more sense, like saying "it's a better call" or "it's the smarter move." Here you don't have the verb jogar, but the noun jogo (game), and we use it a lot in Brazil to make everyday decisions.

• Acho que é mais jogo a gente esperar um pouco mais antes de pegar a estrada, essa hora tem muito engarrafamento.

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