لَعِبَ
laʕiba
The English verb 'play' is translated into Arabic as لَعِبَ (laʕiba). Wiktionary also lists لعب (arz).
Meaning: act in a manner such that one has fun (verb)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| لَعِبَ | laʕiba | ||
| لعب | arz | /la.ʕi.ba/ | Egyptian Arabic |
This verb is used to describe acting in a manner such that one has fun. When you are playing with an object or a toy, the verb is often followed by the preposition بِـ.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, you may use لعب or يلعب to express the verb 'play'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The present tense form is يَلْعَبُ (yal'abu) for 'he plays' or 'he is playing'. To say 'I played', use the first-person singular past tense form لَعِبْتُ (la'ibtu).
How do you pronounce it?
laʕiba
Did you know?
- While English uses 'play' for both sports and theater, in Arabic, if you are referring to a theatrical 'play', you would use the word مَسْرَحِيَّة rather than the verb لَعِبَ.
- The term for 'play' is also the root used to describe 'toys' or 'games', and in a metaphorical sense, it can be used to describe someone 'playing' or 'messing around' with a person's feelings.
- In classical or religious Arabic, the root of لَعِبَ can carry a connotation of 'vanity' or 'frivolity'. It is used to describe things that lack spiritual substance or seriousness.
Examples in context
- هل لعبت التنس البارحة؟Did you play tennis yesterday?This sentence is useful for asking if someone played tennis yesterday using the form لعب.Tatoeba #384056 by saeb, translation #244484 by CK
- توم لا يمكنه لعب التنس.Tom can't play tennis.This sentence is useful for stating that someone cannot play tennis using the form لعب.Tatoeba #616627 by saeb, translation #37238 by CK
- اتريد لعب الغولف أم لا؟Do you want to play golf or not?This sentence is useful for asking if someone wants to play golf using the form لعب.Tatoeba #6200099 by aym, translation #3413236 by CK
- يلعب الأطفال في الحديقة.The children are playing in the park.
- نحن نحب أن نلعب كرة القدم.We love to play football.
- يجتمع الأطفال في الملعب.The children gather in the playground.
- ركز! هناك مباراة كرة قدم الليلة. هل تريد أن تلعب معنا؟Pay attention! There's a football match tonight. Do you want to play with us?
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about how children spend their time.
- سارة Saraهل لَعِبَ الطفلُ في الحديقة؟hal la'iba al-tiflu fi al-hadiqa?Did the child play in the garden?
- عمر Omarنعم، لَعِبَ كثيراً هناك.na'am, la'iba kathiran hunak.Yes, he played a lot there.
- سارة Saraهل هو سعيد؟hal huwa sa'id?Is he happy?
- عمر Omarنعم، لَعِبَ بمتعة كبيرة.na'am, la'iba bi-mut'atin kabira.Yes, he played with great fun.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “play” translations and entries لعب, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
