‘Take a Chance’ and ‘Give Someone a Chance’ in Portuguese — Practice

Use arriscar for taking a risk

Arriscar means to risk or take a chance. Use arriscar + infinitive to describe trying something even when the outcome is uncertain.

Use dar uma chance for offering an opportunity

Dar uma chance means to give someone or something a chance. It is about allowing an opportunity, not necessarily taking a personal risk.

Choose based on who is taking the risk

If you are doing something uncertain, use arriscar or tentar. If you are allowing another person to try, use dar uma chance. A chance can also mean an opportunity: oportunidade is a slightly more formal synonym.

Remember: Arriscar is taking a chance; dar uma chance is giving someone or something an opportunity.

Check your understanding

Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.

Recall the Portuguese, then say it

Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.

1. I’m going to take a chance and order the dish I’ve never tried.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Vou arriscar e pedir o prato que nunca experimentei.

2. She took a chance on changing careers.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Ela arriscou mudar de carreira.

3. I’m going to give this new course a chance.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Vou dar uma chance a esse curso novo.

4. Give her a chance to explain the idea.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Dê uma chance para ela explicar a ideia.

5. I took a chance and tried to speak with the manager before leaving.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Tentei falar com o gerente antes de sair.

6. The team gave the proposal a chance to work.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   A equipe deu uma oportunidade para a proposta funcionar.

Make the phrase useful to you

Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.

Arriscar is taking a chance; dar uma chance is giving someone or something an opportunity.

Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.

Sources and your next lesson

This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our ‘Take a Chance’ and ‘Give Someone a Chance’ in Portuguese lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.

To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.