¿puedes jugar?
The English phrase 'can you play' is translated into Spanish as ¿puedes jugar?
This phrase is used to ask if someone is able or available to participate in a game or sport.
Which one should you use?
Because the verb conjugation puedes already indicates the subject 'tú' (you), the subject pronoun is often omitted in Spanish.
How does it change in a sentence?
When asking a group of people if they can play, use the plural form ¿pueden jugar? To answer a question in the negative, you change the conjugation to the first person, saying No puedo jugar to mean 'I cannot play'.
Did you know?
- While ¿puedes jugar? is perfect for sports, you cannot use jugar to ask if someone can play a musical instrument. Instead, you must use the verb tocar, which literally means 'to touch'.
- Even though they sound very different, the Spanish verb jugar and the English word 'joke' actually share the same ancient ancestor.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, jugar can be used colloquially to describe 'playing around' or flirting with someone, moving beyond the context of a formal game.
Examples in context
- ¿Puede jugar con nosotros hoy?Can you play with us today?
- ¡Hola! ¿Puedes jugar al fútbol con nosotros?Hi! Can you play soccer with us?
- ¿Puede jugar al tenis conmigo?Can you play tennis with me?
- ¿Puedes jugar al básquetbol el viernes?Can you play basketball on Friday?
- ¿Puedes jugar a las cartas con nosotros?Can you play cards with us?
- Es un juego nuevo, ¿puedes jugar?It is a new game, can you play?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries jugar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
