From Altinha to Pega-Pega: Talking About Games in English
How do you say "jogar altinha" in English?
Take a look at the post below.
by Sergio Viula
One of the most fun topics to explore in the English classroom is childhood games and playground activities. Many of them don’t have exact translations — so the goal isn’t literal equivalence, but natural communication.
Here’s a practical list showing how to talk about common Brazilian games in English, with example sentences you can actually use.
Ball Games
Altinha → play keep-ups / play keepy-uppy
We played keep-ups on the beach until sunset.
The kids were playing keepy-uppy before practice.
Bobinho → play keep-away / play monkey in the middle
The children were playing keep-away during recess.
We used to play monkey in the middle at school.
Pelada → play a pickup soccer game
We organized a pickup soccer game after school.
Embaixadinhas → juggle a soccer ball / do keep-ups
He can juggle a soccer ball more than 100 times.
She does keep-ups every day to improve her control.
Running Games
Pega-pega → play tag
We used to play tag every afternoon in the park.
Esconde-esconde → play hide and seek
They are playing hide and seek in the backyard.
Polícia e ladrão → play cops and robbers
My cousins loved playing cops and robbers.
Pique-esconde → (explain) a mix of tag and hide and seek
We played a game that’s like a mix of tag and hide and seek.
Group Playground Games
Queimada → play dodgeball
Our class played dodgeball in PE.
Cabo de guerra → play tug of war
The blue team won the tug of war.
Dança das cadeiras → play musical chairs
They laughed a lot during musical chairs.
Batata quente → play hot potato
We played hot potato at the birthday party.
Other Classic Activities
Amarelinha → play hopscotch
She drew hopscotch squares on the sidewalk.
Pular corda → jump rope / skip rope
The children are jumping rope together.
They skipped rope during recess.
Soltar pipa → fly a kite
We went to the park to fly a kite.
Bolinha de gude → play marbles
My grandfather taught me how to play marbles.
Grammar Focus: Talking About Games
Using Play + Game
In English, we normally use the verb play with games and sports.
- play tag
- play dodgeball
- play marbles
- play musical chairs
Talking About the Past with Used To
To describe childhood habits:
Structure:
used to + base verb
- I used to play tag after school.
- We used to fly kites in the summer.
This expresses repeated actions in the past that no longer happen regularly.
Present Continuous for Actions Happening Now
Structure:
be + verb-ing
- They are playing hide and seek.
- The kids are jumping rope.
Explaining Cultural Concepts
When there is no direct translation, use descriptive language:
- It’s similar to…
- It’s a kind of…
- It’s like a mix of…
Final Thought
Language learning becomes richer when it connects to lived experience. Asking students to describe the games they grew up playing encourages storytelling, vocabulary expansion, and cultural exchange — all at once.
What about you?
What games did you play as a child? Can you explain them in English?
😎😎😎
Comentários
Postar um comentário