juego al fútbol
/xweɡo al futbol/from spelling rules
In Spanish, juego al fútbol is the phrase for "I play soccer".
This phrase is a statement used to express that someone participates in the sport of soccer. While fútbol is the standard term used across the Spanish-speaking world, in some very formal Latin American contexts, you might encounter the term el balompié, though fútbol is much more common.
Which one should you use?
In English, you say you "play" a sport, but in Spanish, the structure is to play "to the" a sport (jugar al…).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, you might say Juego al fútbol. In Spain, it is more common to use Juego al fútbol sala when you want to specifically refer to indoor soccer.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase juego al fútbol uses the first-person singular present indicative of the verb jugar (to play). The infinitive form of the phrase is jugar al fútbol.
Did you know?
- The verb jugar is used for both sports and games, but unlike English, it cannot be used to describe playing a musical instrument.
- The word juego shares the same Latin ancestor as the English word 'joke'.
- Although fútbol is the standard term, the word balompié is a poetic alternative that literally translates as 'ball-foot'.
Examples in context
- Juego al fútbol todos los días.I play soccer every day.This sentence is useful for mentioning the frequency of the activity with juego al fútbol.Tatoeba #355027 by tatoerique, translation #249383 by CK
- Juego al fútbol los fines de semana.I play soccer on weekends.
- Yo juego al fútbol en el parque.I play soccer in the park.
Example conversation
Alejandro and Lucía are talking about their hobbies.
- AlejandroEn mi tiempo libre, juego al fútbol.In my free time, I play soccer.
- Lucía¿De verdad? Yo también lo juego.Really? I play it too.
- Alejandro¡Genial! Podemos jugar juntos.Great! We can play together.
- LucíaMe parece una idea estupenda, Alejandro.That sounds like a wonderful idea, Alejandro.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fútbol, juego, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
