jugar videojuegos
/xuɡaɾ bideoxweɡos/from spelling rules
In Spanish, the phrase for "to play video games" is jugar videojuegos.
jugar videojuegos is the most common and standard way to express the activity of playing video games in Spanish.
What does it mean word for word?
The term for the games themselves, videojuegos, is written as a single word in Spanish, unlike the two separate words used in English.
How does it change in a sentence?
While jugar videojuegos is standard, it is very common to see the phrase expanded to jugar a los videojuegos, which includes the preposition a and the definite article los.
How do you pronounce it?
/xuɡaɾ bideoxweɡos/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful not to use the verb tocar when translating "to play" in this context. While tocar means "to play" when referring to musical instruments, you must use jugar for games and sports.
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, people use the slang term viciar to describe playing video games for hours on end.
- The verb jugar shares a surprising history with the English word 'joke'. Both stems trace back to the Latin 'iocus', meaning a 'jest' or 'jesting'.
- While jugar is used for video games, the Spanish language uses the same verb for sports and gambling, unlike English which uses 'play' and 'gamble' separately.
Examples in context
- Jugar videojuegos no paga.It doesn't pay to play video games.This sentence uses jugar videojuegos to illustrate a common sentiment regarding the economic payoff of the activity.Tatoeba #1277943 by marcelostockle, translation #34754 by AlanF_US
- Me encanta jugar videojuegos los fines de semana.I love to play video games on weekends.
- ¿Qué haces después de estudiar? Yo juego a los videojuegos para relajarme.What do you do after studying? I play video games to relax.
- Vamos a echarnos unos videojuegos esta tarde.Let's play some video games this afternoon.
- Me gusta jugar videojuegos los fines de semana.I like to play video games on weekends.
- ¿Quieres jugar videojuegos conmigo hoy?Do you want to play video games with me today?
Example conversation
Two friends are deciding what to do in the afternoon.
- Sofía¿Qué quieres hacer, Mateo?What do you want to do, Mateo?
- MateoPodemos jugar videojuegos en mi casa.We can play video games at my house.
- Sofía¡Qué buena idea!What a great idea!
- MateoTe espero a las cinco.I will wait for you at five.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries jugar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
