玩
/wän³⁵/
The English phrase "playing" translates to Chinese as 玩.
The verb 玩 is used for general play or to have fun, such as hanging out or playing with toys.
Which one should you use?
While 玩 covers playing with toys or hanging out, it is not used for playing musical instruments or playing specific sports. For those, you must use specific verbs like 打 for ball games or 弹 for musical instruments instead.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the continuous aspect "is playing", you can use the structure 在 + 玩.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /wän³⁵/.
Did you know?
- The character 玩 contains the radical for 'jade', because ancient Chinese people played with and admired polished jade stones.
- If you say you are 'playing' (玩) with a person's feelings in Chinese, it implies you are being manipulative or insincere.
- When someone says they are 玩 in a city, they are not necessarily playing with toys, but are likely 'sightseeing' or 'touring' as a visitor.
Examples in context
- 我也不想玩。I don't feel like playing either.Tatoeba #9955892 by GlossaMatik, translation #2050626 by CK
- 我在花园里玩。I'm playing in the garden.Tatoeba #2785224 by GlossaMatik, translation #2785223 by sundown
- 男孩在玩玩具兵。The boy is playing with his toy soldiers.Tatoeba #6148997 by verdastelo9604, translation #1907681 by Spamster
- 孩子们正在公园里玩耍The children are playing in the park.
- 我和朋友们一起去公园玩I'm going to the park to play with my friends.
- 他们三个人在海边玩耍They are playing by the seaside.
- 我想和你一起玩游戏。I want to play games with you.
- 52 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking on the phone about a child.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen他在哪里玩？Tā zài nǎlǐ wán?Where is he playing?
- 伟 Wei他在公园里玩。Tā zài gōngyuán lǐ wán.He is playing in the park.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen他是在玩球吗？Tā shì zài wán qiú ma?Is he playing with a ball?
- 伟 Wei不是，他在玩泥巴。Bú shì, tā zài wán níbā.No, he is playing with mud.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 玩, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 玩, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
