What does it mean word for word?
The phrase jugar a Minecraft is used to mean "to play Minecraft". In many Spanish-speaking regions, the verb jugar is followed by the preposition a when referring to playing a game.
Which one should you use?
While ¿quieres jugar a Minecraft? specifically asks if someone wants to play, other forms offer different nuances: ¿Te gustaría jugar a Minecraft? asks if they would like to play and ¿Te apetece jugar a Minecraft? asks if they feel like playing.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, you can use the informal phrase ¿Te late jugar Minecraft? to mean "Do you fancy playing Minecraft?" In Spain, the informal phrase ¿Te apuntas a jugar a Minecraft? is used to mean "Do you fancy joining to play Minecraft?"
How does it change in a sentence?
When addressing more than one person, the verb changes from quieres to quieren to form ¿quieren jugar a Minecraft? (do you plural want to play Minecraft?). To be polite or formal when addressing a single person, use the third-person singular form quiere to ask ¿quiere jugar a Minecraft? (do you formal want to play Minecraft?).
Did you know?
- While the page suggests ¿Te late jugar Minecraft? for Mexico, the word late comes from the verb latir, which means 'to beat' or 'to throb' like a heart.
- In Spain, the phrase ¿Te apuntas? literally asks if you want to 'sign your name' to an activity.
- If you look closely at the history of the word jugar, it is actually a distant relative of the English word 'joke'.
Examples in context
- ¿Le gustaría jugar a Minecraft esta tarde?Would you like to play Minecraft this afternoon?
- ¿Quieres jugar a Minecraft en línea conmigo?Do you want to play Minecraft online with me?
- ¿Te late jugar al Minecraft ahora?Do you fancy playing Minecraft now?
- Oye, ¿quieres jugar a Minecraft?Hey, do you want to play Minecraft?
- No tengo nada que hacer, ¿quieres jugar a Minecraft?I have nothing to do, do you want to play Minecraft?
Example conversation
Two friends are talking via text message in the afternoon.
- LucíaHola Javier, ¿quieres jugar a Minecraft?Hi Javier, do you want to play Minecraft?
- JavierSí, me encantaría.Yes, I would love to.
- Lucía¡Genial! Voy a conectarme ahora.Great! I'm going to log on now.
- JavierPerfecto, te espero en el servidor.Perfect, I'll wait for you in the server.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Minecraft, a, jugar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
