Questions & Answers about Estás a brincar comigo?
I thought brincar meant to play. Does it also mean to joke?
Yes! While brincar often means to play like a child (such as playing with toys), it is also the standard verb for to joke or to kid around. In this context, estás a brincar perfectly translates to are you kidding.
Why does the sentence use a brincar instead of the gerund brincando?
In European Portuguese, the standard way to express an ongoing action (the present continuous) is by using the verb estar followed by the preposition a and the infinitive of the main verb. While Brazilian Portuguese uses the gerund brincando, a speaker from Portugal will almost always say estás a brincar.
Why is with me translated as the single word comigo?
The preposition com (with) has special irregular forms when combined with certain personal pronouns. Instead of saying com mim, which is grammatically incorrect, you must combine them into the single word comigo. You will see this same pattern in words like contigo (with you) and connosco (with us).
Can I use this exact phrase with anyone if I am surprised?
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