Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| jugar | /xuˈɡaɾ/ /ʃuˈɡaɾ/ (Early, Modern, Spanish) |
| trebejar | /tɾebeˈxaɾ/ |
Jugar is the standard verb used to describe playing games, sports or engaging in any form of recreational play. Related to this, jugada refers to a specific action carried out when it is one's turn during a game, while juego refers to an individual's performance in a sport.
Which one should you use?
Jugar is specifically used for games and sports. It is important to distinguish this from playing a musical instrument. For instruments, you must use a different verb, tocar.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When you are playing a specific game or sport, jugar is often followed by the preposition a. For example, one might say jugar al tenis.
How do you pronounce it?
/xuˈɡaɾ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly say jugar un instrumento when they mean to play a musical instrument. You should use tocar instead.
Did you know?
- The English word 'joke' and the Spanish verb jugar share the same ancestor, the Latin word iocus, meaning 'joke' or 'jest'.
- The verb jugar is the only verb in the Spanish language that undergoes a 'u' to 'ue' vowel change, such as moving from jugo to juego.
- The verb trebejar is an unusual way to describe playing, derived from the word trebejo, which means 'tool' or 'toy'.
Examples in context
- Sé jugar al tenis.I can play tennis.This sentence shows how to express the ability to play a specific sport with jugar.Tatoeba #491070 by Shishir, translation #255078 by CK
- Voy a jugar tenis.I am going to play tennis.This sentence demonstrates the use of jugar for future intent.Tatoeba #578582 by Leono, translation #255099 by CK
- Ven a vernos jugar.Come to watch us play.This sentence shows jugar used in an infinitive form to describe an action being watched.Tatoeba #2050758 by Alba, translation #2050568 by CK
- Juego al fútbol.I play soccer.
- Toco la guitarra.I play the guitar.
- Divirtámonos jugando al vóley.Let's play volleyball
- ¿Quieres jugar videojuegos?Do you want to play video games?
- Voy a echar una partida de baloncesto.I'm going to play basketball
- Voy a jugar al tenis con mis amigos.I'm going to play tennis with my friends.
- Mi hermana toca el piano de manera extraordinaria.My sister plays the piano exceptionally.
- Nos divertimos jugando al escondite.We have fun playing hide-and-seek.
- ¿Vamos a jugar a las cartas esta noche?Shall we play cards tonight?
- Vamos a echar una partida de ajedrez.Let's play a game of chess.
- 432 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo are talking about what to do at the park.
- Lucía¿Quieres jugar en el parque?Do you want to play in the park?
- MateoSí, me gusta jugar afuera.Yes, I like to play outside.
- LucíaPodemos jugar al fútbol.We can play soccer.
- Mateo¡Qué buena idea, Lucía!What a great idea, Lucía!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “play” translations and entries jugar, trebejar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries jugar, trebejar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
