We have to play sports.
Nosotros tenemos que hacer deporte.
They play baseball.
Juegan al béisbol.
He doesn’t play basketball.
Él no juega al baloncesto.
Do you play soccer?
¿Juegas al fútbol?
The puppy has to play.
El perrito tiene que jugar.
I play violin.
Yo toco violín.
They will play soccer tomorrow.
Ellos jugarán fútbol mañana.
Did you play the guitar?7
¿Tocaste la guitarra?
You should play well. Play well.
Debes jugar bien. Juega bien.
Do you want to play?
¿Quieres jugar?
You can play in the gym after school.
Puedes jugar en el gimnasio después de la escuela.
I play with my friends.
Yo juego con mis amigos.
to play a sport
practicar deporte
I play basketball.
Yo practico baloncesto.
I play soccer.
Yo practico fútbol.
I play tennis.
Yo practico tenis.
They play for the trophy.
Ellas juegan por el trofeo.
I play football.
Yo practico fútbol americano.
I play volleyball.
Yo practico voleibol.
I play golf.
Yo practico golf.
Why should we not play a part?
¿Por qué no?
What did I see in this play?
¿Y qué veía en esta obra?
What role is it to play?
¿Qué papel le corresponde?
We must not play it down.
No debemos quitarle importancia.
Do not play one off against the other.
No nos enfrentemos entre nosotros.
All have their role to play.
Todos tienen un papel que desempeñar.
A system was in play.
Se trata de un sistema.
We each have our own role to play.
Cada uno de nosotros deberá desempeñar su papel.
We are not a record which you play over and over again.
No somos un CD que se pone una y otra vez.
This House has an important role to play to play in that.
Esta Cámara tiene un papel importante que desempeñar en este sentido.
Clearly, they have no role to play in your strategy.
Sin embargo es cierto que no tienen ningún papel en su estrategia.
Everyone must play their own part.
Que cada uno desempeñe su papel en su lugar.
That is the state of play at the present time.
Eso es todo por ahora.
Fair play was given up!
¡Se ha renunciado al juego limpio!
What role does MEDA have to play in this?
¿Qué es lo que ocurre con Meda?.
The principle of subsidiarity should come into play here.
Aquí debe intervenir el principio de subsidiariedad.
The EP has a role to play in this procedure.
El PE debe jugar un papel en este procedimiento.
For children it should be ‘learning as you play’ .
Para los niños debería ser: poder aprender jugando.
Yet the producers do have a role to play.
Los productores deben, no obstante, desempeñar una función.
I believe that that is the role we must play.
Creo que tenemos ese papel por desempeñar.
Parliament has a major role to play.
El parlamento va a desempeñar un papel destacado.
As stated before, they too play a significant role.
Tal como ya se ha dicho, éstos desempeñan un papel importante.
And this is something that Parliament cannot play down.
Y no podemos minimizarlo en este recinto.
So I can only urge you not to play with fire.
Por lo tanto, yo sólo puedo decir: ¡no jueguen con fuego!
I do not think that we should play this down in today’s debate.
Yo desearía que no quitásemos importancia a este hecho en el debate de hoy.
In any event, that is the state of play.
En cualquier caso, es la situación real.
Everybody had a role to play.
Todo el mundo ha tenido un papel que desempeñar.
There are the other issues of external forces at play.
Están en juego las otras cuestiones de las fuerzas exteriores.
However, there are other factors at play.
Sin embargo, existen otros factores en juego.
The Commission has a role to play in this.
La Comisión tiene un papel que desempeñar en este sentido.
We are ready to play our part as I say.
Estamos dispuestos a desempeñar nuestro papel, como digo.
Europe has a very important part to play.
Europa tiene que jugar aquí un papel muy importante.
They play into Ariel Sharon’s hands.
Le hacen el juego a Ariel Sharon.
Parliament has a modest role to play.
El Parlamento debe desempeñar un papel modesto.
That too is a play by Shakespeare, which he wrote in 1601.
Esto es también un poco de Shakespeare, escrito en 1601.
We should be compassionate in the role that we seek to play.
Tenemos que ser compasivos en el papel que queremos desempeñar.
This, then, is where Parliament also has a part to play.
Aquí es donde el Parlamento tiene también un papel que desempeñar.
That is to establish the state of play.
Se hace para establecer cuál es la situación.
It would be excellent if Parliament had a role to play in this.
Sería excelente que el Parlamento pudiera intervenir en esta cuestión.
This is where Europe has an important part to play.
Europa tiene que desempeñar un papel importante en este aspecto.
A lot of governments play that game.
Muchas administraciones se dedican a este juego.
You must see to it that they all play their part.
Usted debe procurar que todos desempeñen su papel.
So what role did the United States play?
Así pues, ¿qué papel han desempeñado los Estados Unidos?
It is important not to play into the hands of the terrorists.
No se debe entregar a los terroristas la llave de las negociaciones.
What is the state of play on that point?
¿Cuál es la situación en estos momentos?
We should insist that they themselves play the game.
Hemos de insistir en que ellos han de jugar limpio.
You did not even play in the second half.
Usted ni siquiera jugó el segundo tiempo.
This is a game I am not prepared to play.
Se trata de un juego en el que no estoy dispuesto a participar.
There is a question of economic credibility at play here.
Lo que está en juego en este caso es una cuestión de credibilidad económica.
The OECD has a role to play there.
La OCDE puede desempeñar un papel importante en este terreno.
[ view all sentence pairs ]
play [pleɪ]
noun
1 (recreation) juego (m)
Children learn through play
to be at play estar jugando
to do/say sth in play hacer/decir algo en broma
2 (Dep) juego (m); (move, manoeuvre) jugada (f); movida (f)
There was some good play in the second half
neat play una bonita jugada; a clever piece of play una hábil jugada; play began at three o’clock el partido empezó a las tres; to be in play [+ball] estar en juego; to be out of play [+ball] estar fuera de juego
3 (Teat) obra (f) (de teatro); pieza (f);plays teatro (m)
the plays of Lope las obras dramáticas de Lope; el teatro de Lope; radio/television play obra (f) para radio/televisión; to be in a play [+actor] actuar en una obra
He was recently in a play at the Royal Court
4 (Téc) etc juego (m)
there’s not enough play in the rope la cuerda no da lo suficiente; there’s too much play in the clutch el embrague tiene demasiada holgura or va demasiado suelto
5 (interaction)
the play of light on the water el rielar de la luz sobre el agua; the play of light and dark in this picture el efecto de luz y sombra en este cuadro; the free play of market forces la libre interacción de los mercados; the play of ideas in the film is fascinating el abanico de ideas en la película es fascinante
6 (figurative phrases)
to bring or call into play poner en juego
to come into play entrar en juego
to give full free play to one’s imagination
to make a play for sth/sb intentar conseguir algo/conquistar a algn
to make (a) great play of sth insistir en algo; hacer hincapié en algo
a play on words un juego de palabras
transitive verb
1 [+football, tennis, chess, bridge, cards, board game etc] jugar a; [+game, match] jugar; disputar
to play a match against sb The match will be played on Saturday
do you play football? ¿juegas al fútbol?; what position does he play? ¿de qué juega?; to play centre-forward/centre-half etc jugar de delantero centro/medio centro etc; they played him in goal lo pusieron en la portería
to play a game of tennis jugar un partido de tenis
to play a game of cards (with sb) echar una partida de cartas (con algn); the children were playing a game in the garden los niños estaban jugando (a un juego) en el jardín; don’t play games with me! ¡no me vengas con jueguecitos!; ¡no trates de engañarme!
Don’t play games with me! Just give me a straight answer.
to play the field (have many girlfriends, boyfriends) darse al ligue (informal)
He gave up playing the field and married a year ago
to play the game (get involved) tomar parte; mojarse (informal); (play fair) acatar las normas
If you want to meet women, you have to approach them — you can’t just sit back, you have to play the game He’d begun to like this guy. Ramon, as far as Grady could tell, was playing the game. He was doing the right thing without being prodded or pushed
2 [+team, opponent] jugar contra
I played him twice jugué contra él dos veces; last time we played Sunderland … la última vez que jugamos contra Sunderland …
to play sb at chess jugar contra algn al ajedrez
I’ll play you for the drinks quien pierde paga
3 [+card] jugar; [+ball] golpear
A player can only be penalized if he has made no attempt to play the ball
[+chess piece etc] mover; [+fish] dejar que se canse; agotar
he played the ball into the net (Tennis) estrelló or golpeó la pelota contra la red
to play the market (St Ex) jugar a la bolsa
to play one’s cards right or well jugar bien sus cartas
Soon, if she played her cards right, she would be head of the London office
he played his ace sacó el as que llevaba escondido en la manga
And then she played her ace — she told him he couldn’t have been at home that night because she phoned him and there was no answer
to play ball (with sb) (cooperate) colaborar (con algn)
The question is, will he play ball with us or will he choose to go it alone? If he won’t play ball we’ll just have to get tough with him
4 (perform) [+role, part] hacer; interpretar
In his new movie he again plays the part of a villain
[+work] representar; (perform in) [+town] actuar en
what part did you play? ¿qué papel tuviste?; when we played «Hamlet» cuando representamos «Hamlet»; when I played Hamlet cuando hice el papel de Hamlet; we shall be playing the West End pondremos la obra en el West End; when we last played Blackpool cuando actuamos la última vez en Blackpool; let’s play it for laughs hagámoslo de manera burlesca
to play one’s part well He played his part well — no one suspected he wasn’t her husband he was only playing a part It was clear that he didn’t really believe what he was telling her — he was only playing a part to play a part (in) Relatives and friends can play a part in letting the person believe that he or she is worth helping He was executed for playing a part in the plot to kill Hitler Unfortunately, Hartson played no part in their success — he was injured at the time Stress seems to play a part in some cases of unexplained infertility But many other factors also seem to play a part
to play the peacemaker/the devoted husband hacer el papel de pacificador/de marido amantísimo
Whenever the boys started arguing, it was always their father who played the peacemaker
we could have played it differently podríamos haber actuado de otra forma
We could have played it differently — we could have used bribery instead of threats
to play it cool mantener el tipo; actuar como si nada
Needless to say, I was mortified by the development, but felt that publicly I must play it cool
to play (it) safe obrar con cautela; ser prudente
5 (Mús) etc [+instrument, note] tocar; [+tune, concerto] tocar; interpretar (formal)
After dinner we asked him to play a tune on the fiddle
[+tape, CD] poner; tocar
to play the piano/violin tocar el piano/el violín; they played the 5th Symphony tocaron or (formal) interpretaron la Quinta Sinfonía; they were playing Beethoven tocaban or (formal) interpretaban algo de Beethoven; I can’t play a note no tengo ni idea de música
None of us could play a note but we all fought to carry the guitar as we walked down the street to play a joke trick on sb to play a dirty trick on sb
6 (direct) [+light, hose] dirigir
to play hoses on a fire dirigir mangueras sobre un incendio; to play a searchlight on an aircraft dirigir un reflector hacia un avión; hacer de un avión el blanco de un reflector
to play sb false
intransitive verb
1 (amuse o.s.) [+child] jugar; [+puppy, kitten etc] jugar; juguetear
to go out to play salir a jugar; to play with a stick juguetear con un palo; to play with an idea dar vueltas a una idea; barajar una idea; to play with one’s food comiscar; to play with fire jugar con fuego; he’s got money to play with tiene dinero de sobra; how much time/money do we have to play with? ¿con cuánto tiempo/dinero contamos?; ¿de cuánto tiempo/dinero disponemos?; he’s just playing with you se está burlando de ti; to play with o.s. tocarse; masturbarse
2 (Dep) (at game, gamble) jugar
play! ¡listo!; who plays first? ¿quién juega primero?; are you playing today? ¿tu juegas hoy?; I’ve not played for a long time hace mucho tiempo que no juego
England are playing against Scotland in the final Inglaterra jugará contra or se enfrentará a Escocia en la final
to play at chess jugar al ajedrez
they’re playing at soldiers están jugando a (los) soldados; he’s just playing at it lo hace para pasar el tiempo nada más; the little girl plays at being a woman la niña juega a ser mujer; what are you playing at? pero ¿qué haces?; ¿qué te pasa?
to play by the rules acatar las normas
Politicians, of all people, must play by the rules She played by the rules. She worked hard, saved money, put herself through school, became a teacher, got married, and looked forward to living the American dream
to play fair jugar limpio
he plays for Liverpool juega en el Liverpool
to play for money jugar por dinero; to play for high stakes apostar muy alto; poner mucho en juego
The minster knew he was playing for high stakes. If the plan didn’t succeed, he would have no choice but to resign
to play in defence/goal (Dep) jugar de defensa/de portero
he played into the trees (Golf) mandó la bola a la zona de árboles
to play for time tratar de ganar tiempo
to play into sb’s hands hacer el juego a algn
to play to one’s strengths sacar partido a sus cualidades
We played to our strengths. We pressurized everyone and made them run There are many ways to succeed in this business, but you must learn what you are good at in order to play to those strengths
3 (Mús) [+person] tocar; [+instrument, record etc] sonar
do you play? ¿sabes tocar?; a record was playing in the background de fondo sonaba un disco; when the organ plays cuando suena el órgano
will you play for us? ¿nos tocas algo?
to play on the piano tocar el piano
to play to sb tocar para algn
4 (Teat) (Cine) (act) actuar
to play in a film trabajar en una película; we have played all over the South hemos representado en todas partes del Sur; the film now playing at the Odeon la película que se exhibe or proyecta en el Odeon
to play hard to get hacerse de rogar; [+woman] hacerse la difícil
to play dead hacerse el muerto
Sometimes when we chase them, they are so scared that they roll themselves into a ball and play dead
5 (move about, form patterns) correr
the sun was playing on the water rielaba el sol sobre el agua; a smile played on his lips una sonrisa le bailaba en los labios
6 [+fountain] correr; funcionar
…a marble court in the middle of which a fountain is playing There was a fountain playing in the middle of the hall
modifier
play clothes (n) ropa (f) para jugar
play reading (n) lectura (f) (de una obra dramática)
Continue Learning about Other Arts
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Do you mean how do you spell the Spanish word for quit.
How do you say spell in Spanish?
The Spanish word for «spell» (as in letters in a word) is
«deletrear» Which translated lyerally means to separate the
letters. The word for «spell» (as in time) is «temporada». The word
for «spell» (as in hex) is «encanto».
How do you spell dozen in Spanish?
The Spanish word is docena.
How do you spell science in spanish?
You spell the word science in Spanish as ciencia. In Italian the
word science is scienza and in German it is wissenschaft.
How do you spell invite in Spanish?
The Spanish word for «invite» is «invitar».
These examples may contain rude words based on your search.
These examples may contain colloquial words based on your search.
Suggestions
But you have your job and the boys can play minigolf…
Pero tu tienes tu empleo y los chicos pueden jugar mini golf…
If you don’t like auctions, we can play contract.
Si no le gustan las subastas, podemos jugar «contratos».
Get back on stage or you’ll never play here again.
Volved al escenario o no volveréis a tocar aquí en la vida.
Everybody’s heard it… move on, play something else.
Todo el mundo lo ha oído… vamos, toca otra cosa.
Well… you play long enough, the house always wins.
Bueno, si juegas el tiempo suficiente, la casa siempre gana.
Now before the dark will sharpen us… play, drink.
Ahora, antes de que la noche nos agudice jueguen, beban.
Swim, play some tennis, take a girl out dancing.
Nada, juega al tenis, lleva a una chica a bailar.
That’s the kind of music they play for rich people.
Ese es el tipo de música que tocan para la gente rica.
I ride on my sister’s shoulder and play an ukulele.
Me subo a los hombros de mi hermana y toco el ukelele.
You can play against hundreds of opponents in exciting tournament action.
Usted puede jugar contra cientos de oponentes en torneos llenos de emoción.
The last time I’ll see him play with our children.
La última vez que lo voy a ver jugando con nuestros hijos.
After that you can play a really bright and colorful game.
Después de que se puede jugar un partido muy brillante y colorido.
It is necessary that people play it under stuff’s looking.
Es necesario que la gente lo juega bajo mirada de la materia.
This kind of image play an important role in public perception.
Este tipo de imagen juegan un papel importante en la percepción pública.
You can’t always score six goals and play superb football.
No siempre se puede marcar seis goles y jugar un fútbol soberbio.
You can play solo or two-player matches both online and offline.
Puedes jugar solo o partidas de dos jugadores tanto online como offline.
Family and friends play a critical role in good diabetes care.
La familia y amigos juegan un rol vital en el buen cuidado.
People choose products and services according to the roles they play.
Uno elige productos y servicios de acuerdo a los roles que juega.
The game really starts to shine when you play with friends.
El juego comienza a brillar de verdad cuando lo juegas con amigos.
Also if you like you can play as an internet alone.
También, si lo desea, puede jugar como una internet solo.
Suggestions that contain play
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Word index: 1-300, 301-600, 601-900
Expression index: 1-400, 401-800, 801-1200
Phrase index: 1-400, 401-800, 801-1200
WordReference English-Spanish Dictionary © 2023:
| Principal Translations | ||
| Inglés | Español | |
| play⇒ vi | (do [sth] for amusement) | jugar⇒ vi |
| The children are playing. | ||
| Los niños están jugando. | ||
| play [sth]⇒ vtr | (perform on: a musical instrument) | tocar⇒ vtr |
| He plays the piano and the guitar. | ||
| Toca el piano y la guitarra. | ||
| play [sth] vtr | (music: perform) | tocar⇒ vtr |
| interpretar⇒ vtr | ||
| Play another Beethoven sonata. | ||
| Toca otra sonata de Beethoven. | ||
| play [sth] vtr | (put on, listen to: music, a CD) | poner⇒ vtr |
| reproducir⇒ vtr | ||
| I am playing the new CD on the stereo. | ||
| Voy a poner el nuevo CD en el equipo. | ||
| play [sth] vtr | (take part in: a sport or game) | jugar a vi + prep |
| Who’d like to play tennis? Let’s play hide-and-seek! | ||
| ¿Quién quiere jugar al tenis? | ||
| play [sb]⇒ vtr | (act the role of) (coloquial) | hacer de vtr + prep |
| interpretar⇒ vtr | ||
| hacer el papel de loc verb | ||
| Who wants to play Lady Macbeth? | ||
| ¿Quién quiere hacer de Lady Mcbeth? | ||
| play n | (performance) (teatro) | obra nf |
| I’d like to see a play for my birthday. | ||
| Me gustaría ver una obra de teatro para mi cumpleaños. | ||
| play n | (drama) (escrito teatral) | obra nf |
| He wrote the play with specific actors in mind. | ||
| Escribió la obra pensando en unos actores concretos. | ||
| play n | (recreational activity) | juego nm |
| ocio nm | ||
| You have no time for play when you run your own company. | ||
| No tienes tiempo para juegos cuando diriges tu propia compañía. | ||
| No tienes tiempo para el ocio cuando diriges tu propia compañía. |
| Additional Translations | ||
| Inglés | Español | |
| play n | dated (gambling) | juego nm |
| He acquired a lot of debts at play. | ||
| Adquirió una buena cantidad de deudas de juego. | ||
| play n | (movement, looseness) | juego nm |
| holgura nf | ||
| There’s too much play between the wheel and the axle. | ||
| Hay demasiado juego entre la rueda y el eje. | ||
| Hay demasiada holgura entre la rueda y el eje. | ||
| play n | (game: turn) | jugada nf |
| turno nm | ||
| It’s my play. Can I have the dice, please? | ||
| Es mi jugada. ¿Me das los dados, por favor? | ||
| Es mi turno. ¿Me das los dados, por favor? | ||
| play n | (conduct of a game) | juego nm |
| It’s a tournament in which you’ll see top class play. | ||
| En este torneo verás un juego de primera categoría. | ||
| play n | (movement of light) | juego nm |
| baile nm | ||
| They watched the play of the sunlight on the water. | ||
| Miraban el juego de luces sobre el agua. | ||
| Miraban el baile de luces del reflejo del sol sobre el agua. | ||
| play n | (attention) | cobertura nf |
| The double murder got a lot of play on the morning news. | ||
| El doble asesinato tuvo una gran cobertura en los noticieros de la mañana. | ||
| play n | (button) (voz inglesa) | play nm |
| Insert the CD and press play. | ||
| Mete el compacto y dale al «play». | ||
| play n | (sport, game: move) | jugada nf |
| In a single amazing play, the baseball team got three outs. | ||
| Con una increíble jugada, el equipo de béisbol marcó tres fueras. | ||
| play⇒ vi | (take part) | jugar⇒ vi |
| participar⇒ vtr | ||
| We’d like to play, too. | ||
| Nos gustaría jugar también. | ||
| Nos gustaría participar también. | ||
| play vi | (gamble) | apostar⇒ vtr |
| Minors are not allowed to play. | ||
| No se permite apostar a los menores. | ||
| play vi | (jest) | bromear⇒ vi |
| I didn’t mean it. I was only playing. | ||
| No lo hice en serio. Sólo estaba bromeando. | ||
| play vi | (pretend) (figurado) | actuar⇒ vi |
| simular⇒ vi | ||
| fingir⇒ vi | ||
| She wasn’t really injured; she was just playing. | ||
| Ella no estaba realmente lastimada; sólo estaba actuando. | ||
| Ella no estaba realmente lastimada; sólo estaba simulando. | ||
| Ella no estaba realmente lastimada; sólo estaba fingiendo. | ||
| play vi | (feign) | hacerse⇒ v prnl |
| He’s playing dead. | ||
| Se está haciendo el muerto. | ||
| play vi | (be performed) (radio, televisión, teatro) | haber v impers |
| (radio, televisión) | dar⇒ vtr | |
| (música, canción) | sonar⇒ vi | |
| (cine) | pasar⇒ vtr | |
| What’s playing tonight? | ||
| ¿Qué hay esta noche? | ||
| ⓘEsta oración no es una traducción de la original. ¿Qué dan a esta hora en la radio? | ||
| ⓘEsta oración no es una traducción de la original. El nuevo CD de Coldplay sonaba en el estéreo. | ||
| play vi | (music: perform) | tocar⇒ vtr |
| He loves the violin. He plays all day. | ||
| Le gusta el violín. Lo toca todo el día. | ||
| play [sth]⇒ vtr | (stage a performance of) | representar⇒ vtr |
| They’re playing «Waiting for Godot» all week. | ||
| Representan «Esperando a Godot» toda la semana. | ||
| play [sth] vtr | (bet on) | jugar a vi + prep |
| apostar a vi + prep | ||
| He likes to play the horses. | ||
| Le gusta jugar a los caballos. | ||
| Le gusta apostar a los caballos. | ||
| play [sb]⇒ vtr | (compete against) | jugar contra vi + prep |
| competir con vi + prep | ||
| No one wants to play him because he never loses. | ||
| Nadie quiere jugar contra él porque nunca pierde. | ||
| Nadie quiere competir con él porque nunca pierde. | ||
| play [sth]⇒ vtr | (pretend) | jugar a vi + prep |
| Let’s play house. | ||
| Vamos a jugar a la casita. | ||
| play [sth] vtr | (direct light, water) | enfocar⇒ vtr |
| dirigir⇒ vtr | ||
| He played the spotlight on the entranceway. | ||
| Enfocó la luz hacia la entrada. | ||
| play [sb]⇒ vtr | informal (deceive) | engañar a vtr + prep |
| (coloquial) | jugársela a loc verb + prep | |
| Kate didn’t realize the man she’d met on a dating site was playing her until she’d spent half her savings on him. | ||
| Kate no se dio cuenta de que el hombre que conoció en un sitio de citas online la estaba engañando hasta que se gastó la mitad de sus ahorros en él. |
WordReference English-Spanish Dictionary © 2023:
| Locuciones verbales play |
||
| Inglés | Español | |
| play a role in [sth] vtr phrasal insep | (act a part in) | actuar⇒ vi |
| My brother’s playing a role in the new production of The Phantom of the Opera. My brother is playing a role in the new theatre production. | ||
| Mi hermano actúa en la producción de El fantasma de la opera. | ||
| tener un papel loc verb | ||
| Mi hermano tiene un papel en la producción de El fantasma de la opera. | ||
| play about vi phrasal | UK, informal (behave in a frivolous way) | hacer el tonto loc verb |
| Since we have a lot of work to do, there isn’t any time to play about. | ||
| Como tenemos mucho trabajo que hacer, no hay tiempo para hacer el tonto. | ||
| hacer tonterías loc verb | ||
| Como tenemos mucho trabajo que hacer, no hay tiempo para hacer tonterías. | ||
| (coloquial) | tontear⇒ vi | |
| Como tenemos mucho trabajo que hacer, no hay tiempo para tontear. | ||
| jugar⇒ vi | ||
| Como tenemos mucho trabajo que hacer, no hay tiempo para jugar. | ||
| (AR, coloquial) | pavear⇒ vi | |
| Como tenemos mucho trabajo que hacer, no hay tiempo para pavear. | ||
| (CL) | lesear⇒ vtr | |
| hacer leseras loc verb | ||
| Como tenemos mucho trabajo que hacer, no hay tiempo para lesear. | ||
| play against [sth/sb] vtr phrasal insep | (have as an opponent) | jugar contra vi + prep |
| Every time I play against Tom, he beats me in every game. | ||
| Cada vez que juego contra Tom me gana. | ||
| enfrentarse⇒ v prnl | ||
| Note: Ante complemento directo de persona debe usarse la preposición «a». | ||
| Cada vez que me enfrento a Tom me gana. | ||
| play along vi phrasal | (music: play accompaniment) | acompañar⇒ vtr |
| Joanna sang while Keith played along on the guitar. | ||
| Joanna cantaba y Keith la acompañaba en la guitarra. | ||
| play along vi phrasal | figurative, informal (feign co-operation) | seguir la corriente loc verb |
| seguir el juego loc verb | ||
| Leo wanted me to join in when he pranked our teacher, but I refused to play along. | ||
| Leo quería que le haga una broma a la maestra con él, pero me negué a seguirle la corriente. | ||
| play along with [sth/sb] vi phrasal + prep | figurative, informal (feign co-operation with) | seguir la corriente loc verb |
| (sólo personas) | seguirle el juego a loc verb | |
| Note: Ante complemento directo de persona debe usarse la preposición «a». | ||
| I don’t always do what my mother suggests, but I play along with her plans to make her happy. | ||
| No siempre hago lo que sugiere, pero le sigo la corriente a mi madre para hacerla feliz. | ||
| play around vi phrasal | informal (experiment) | juguetear⇒ vi |
| I was just playing around to see if I could get the webcam to work. | ||
| Estaba jugueteando para ver si podía hacer funcionar la cámara web. | ||
| probar⇒ vtr | ||
| Estaba probando si podía hacer funcionar la cámara web. | ||
| play around vi phrasal | informal (be frivolous) (ES) | tontear⇒ vi |
| Quit playing around and get back to work! | ||
| ⓘEsta oración no es una traducción de la original. Deja de tontear y presta atención. | ||
| (AR, coloquial) | boludear⇒ vi | |
| Déjense de boludear y pónganse a hacer la tarea. | ||
| play around vi phrasal | informal (be unfaithful) | ser infiel loc verb |
| play around with [sth] vtr phrasal insep | informal (tamper) (coloquial) | meter mano en loc verb + prep |
| jugar con vi + prep | ||
| Someone has been playing around with the projector and now it doesn’t work. | ||
| Alguien ha metido mano en el proyector y ahora no anda. | ||
| play around with [sth] vtr phrasal insep | informal (amuse yourself) | jugar con vi + prep |
| The dog was playing around with a stick he’d found on the ground. | ||
| El perro estaba jugando con un palo que encontró en el suelo. | ||
| play at [sth] vtr phrasal insep | (pretend, make believe [sth]) | jugar a vi + prep |
| The children are playing at doctors and nurses. | ||
| Los niños están jugando a doctores y enfermeras. | ||
| play [sth] back, play back [sth] vtr phrasal sep |
(replay) | volver a poner loc verb |
| (voz inglesa) | darle replay loc verb | |
| Thomas recorded himself playing guitar and then played the song back. | ||
| Thomas se grabó a sí mismo tocando la guitarra y después lo volvió a poner. | ||
| play [sth] by ear vtr phrasal sep | (music: not follow a score) | tocar de oído loc verb |
| (figurado) | improvisar⇒ vtr | |
| I read music well, but I have a hard time playing by ear. He’s amazing; he never learned to read music, he just plays by ear. | ||
| Leo música bastante bien, pero me cuesta mucho tocarla de oído. | ||
| play [sth] down vtr phrasal sep | informal (minimize significance of) | restar importancia a loc verb |
| In my job interview I played down my previous failures and emphasized my successes. | ||
| En mi entrevista de trabajo resté importancia a mis errores previos y remarqué mis éxitos. |
WordReference English-Spanish Dictionary © 2023:
| Compound Forms: play |
||
| Inglés | Español | |
| bring [sth] into play⇒ vtr | (align, line [sth] up) | poner en juego loc verb |
| traer⇒ vtr | ||
| Artillery was brought into play and this caused the enemy to retreat. | ||
| Pusieron en juego la artillería y lograron que el enemigo se retirara. | ||
| byplay, by-play n |
(incidental onstage action) | aparte nm |
| acción secundaria nf + adj | ||
| play cat and mouse with [sb] v expr | (toy with [sb]) | jugar al gato y al ratón con loc verb |
| play cat and mouse with [sb] v expr | (use strategy on opponent) (estrategia) | jugar al gato y al ratón loc verb |
| child’s play n | figurative ([sth] very easy) | juego de niños loc nom m |
| (coloquial) | ser pan comido loc verb | |
| (coloquial) | ser coser y cantar loc verb | |
| (ES: coloquial) | estar chupado loc verb | |
| I finished the crossword puzzle very quickly; it was child’s play. | ||
| Terminé el crucigrama muy rápido; fue un juego de niños. | ||
| come into play vi | (become involved) | entrar en juego loc verb |
| ponerse en juego loc verb | ||
| intervenir⇒ vtr | ||
| Tiredness comes into play near the end of a race. | ||
| El cansancio entra en juego al final de las carrera. | ||
| come to play v expr | informal (aim to succeed or win) | salir a ganar expr |
| The Canadian team really came to play tonight! They’re scoring goal after goal. | ||
| do your part v expr | mainly US (contribute, participate) | hacer su parte loc verb |
| cumplir con su parte loc verb | ||
| poner de su parte loc verb | ||
| Martha did her part to make the event a success. | ||
| Martha hizo su parte para que el evento fuera un éxito. | ||
| double play n | (baseball) (béisbol) | doble juego loc nom m |
| doble jugada loc nom f | ||
| dramatic play n | (role playing for fun, esp. by children) (niños) | juego dramático loc nom m |
| play ducks and drakes with [sth], make ducks and drakes of [sth] v expr |
figurative (squander, handle recklessly) (coloquial) | tirar manteca al techo expr |
| despilfarrar⇒, derrochar⇒ vtr | ||
| fair play n | (sportsmanship, fairness) | juego limpio loc nom m |
| The concept of fair play is very important in the Olympics. Technically I win by default, but in the spirit of fair play I’ll reschedule the match. | ||
| El concepto de juego limpio es muy importante en los juegos olímpicos. | ||
| foul play n | (illegal act) (figurado) | juego sucio loc nom m |
| algo sucio, algo raro loc nom m | ||
| The senator died in a car crash, but foul play is suspected. | ||
| El senador murió en un accidente de autos pero se sospecha que hubo juego sucio. | ||
| free play n | (unstructured playtime for children) (en escuela) | juego libre loc nom m |
| tiempo libre nm + adj mf | ||
| free play n | (unrestricted conduct, as by a business) (mercado) | interacción libre nf + adj mf |
| free play, freeplay n |
(concept in literary theory) | improvisación nf |
| hand play n | (sexual touching) (sexual) | juego de manos loc nom m |
| jugueteo nm | ||
| The couple were enjoying some hand play. | ||
| in play adj | (ball: not out) (deportes) | en juego loc adv |
| The ball was in play when the winger crossed it for the centre forward to score. | ||
| La pelota estaba en juego cuando el lateral la pasó al delantero para que marcara un gol. | ||
| in play adj | figurative (active) | en juego loc adv |
| (informal) | jugar⇒ vi | |
| Lowering the interest rate is among ideas that are still in play. | ||
| Bajar la tasa de interés es una de las ideas que todavía está en juego. | ||
| Bajar la tasa de interés es una de las ideas que todavía juega. | ||
| in play adv | (as a joke) | en broma loc adv |
| en chiste loc adv | ||
| The comment was made in play and not intended to offend anyone. | ||
| El comentario fue hecho en broma y sin intenciones de ofender a nadie. | ||
| it’s child’s play expr | (it’s extremely easy) | ser un juego de niños loc verb |
| It’s so easy to do — it’s child’s play, really. | ||
| ⓘEsta oración no es una traducción de la original. Para él, hablar ante un auditorio de cien personas, era un juego de niños. | ||
| long play | (long-playing phonograph record) | disco nm |
| disco de vinilo nm + loc adj | ||
| vinilo nm | ||
| (voz inglesa) | long play loc nom m | |
| long play record, long-play record n |
(12-inch vinyl record) (por la sigla LP en inglés) | elepé nm |
| I don’t think you can find long play records any more. | ||
| Ya no creo que encuentres elepés. | ||
| (abreviación de long play) | LP nm | |
| Note: Se pronunciaba ele-pé. | ||
| Ya no creo que encuentres LPs. | ||
| disco de vinilo nm + loc adj | ||
| Ya no creo que encuentres discos de vinilo. | ||
| disco de larga duración nm + loc adj | ||
| Ya no creo que encuentres discos de larga duración. | ||
| (voz inglesa) | long play loc nom m | |
| Note: Pronúnciese: lompléi. | ||
| make a play for [sb] v expr | (try to attract sexually) | tirarle los perros a, tirarle los galgos a loc verb |
| tirársele a v prnl + prep | ||
| make a play for [sth] v expr | (try to win, attract) | intentar conseguir loc verb |
| medal play, stroke play n |
(golf: scoring method) (voz inglesa) | medal play, stroke play loc nom m |
| miracle play n | (medieval dramatic form) | milagro nm |
| morality play n | (medieval dramatic form) (teatro medieval) | moralidad nf |
| mystery play | (theater) (teatro) | misterio nm |
| out of play expr | (sports: outside boundary) | fuera de juego loc adj |
| passion play n | (drama depicting Christ’s suffering) | auto sacramental grupo nom |
| Note: Término genérico y formal que puede referirse a representaciones que no tienen que ver con la Pasión. | ||
| Passion Plays are traditionally staged at Easter. | ||
| Los autos sacramentales se llevan a cabo generalmente en Pascuas. | ||
| representación del via crucis nf + loc adj | ||
| Las representaciones del vía crucis se llevan a cabo generalmente en Pascuas. | ||
| vía crucis viviente loc nom m | ||
| Los vía crucis vivientes se llevan a cabo generalmente en Pascuas. | ||
| play a CD v expr | abbr (put on a compact disc) | reproducir un CD loc verb |
| Olga decided to play a CD while she was driving the car. | ||
| poner un CD loc verb | ||
| tocar un disco compacto loc verb | ||
| play a part v expr | (act) | interpretar un papel loc verb |
| representar un papel loc verb | ||
| actuar⇒ vi | ||
| I’d like to play a part in the school musical, so I’m going to audition. | ||
| Me gustaría interpretar un papel en el musical del colegio, así que voy a hacer una audición. | ||
| play a part in [sth] v expr | (participate) | colaborar en vi + prep |
| tomar parte en loc verb + prep | ||
| (formal) | desempeñar un papel en loc verb + prep | |
| This was a real community effort, nearly everyone here played a part in creating the newsletter. | ||
| Esto fue un verdadero esfuerzo comunitario; casi todos colaboraron en la creación del boletín. | ||
| play a part in [sth] v expr | (be partly responsible) (informal) | tener que ver con loc verb + prep |
| tener un rol en loc verb + prep | ||
| colaborar en vi + prep | ||
| participar en vi + prep | ||
| Oliver’s tendency to trust people too easily played a part in his downfall. | ||
| La tendencia de Oliver a confiar demasiado en la gente tuvo que ver con su ruina. | ||
| play a role v expr | (act a part) | tener un papel loc verb |
| Several Nixon loyalists played a role in the Watergate scandal. | ||
| Varios de los leales a Nixon tuvieron un papel en el escándalo de Watergate. | ||
| desempeñar un papel loc verb | ||
| Varios de los leales a Nixon desempeñaron un papel en el escándalo de Watergate. | ||
| jugar un rol loc verb | ||
| Varios de los leales a Nixon jugaron un rol en el escándalo de Watergate. | ||
| play a tune v expr | (music: perform a melody) | tocar una melodía loc verb |
| Suzan taught me to play a tune on the piano. | ||
| Susana me enseñó a tocar una melodía en el piano. | ||
| tocar una tonada loc verb | ||
| Susana me enseñó a tocar una tonada en el piano. | ||
| play [sth] according to the rules v expr | (game, sports) | respetar las reglas del juego loc verb |
| jugar respetando las reglas loc verb | ||
| respetar el reglamento loc verb | ||
| Play the game according to the rules outlined below. | ||
| Jueguen respetando las reglas del juego que se definen debajo. | ||
| play according to the rules, play by the rules v expr |
(game, sports) | respetar las reglas loc verb |
| (figurado) | jugar respetando las reglas loc verb | |
| At the beginning of the game, the referee reminded the players to play by the rules. | ||
| Al principio del juego, el referí recordó a los jugadores que debían respetar las reglas. | ||
| play according to the rules, play by the rules v expr |
figurative (behave fairly) | jugar limpio loc verb |
| It’s best to play according to the rules if you want to get on at work. | ||
| Es mejor jugar limpio si quieres llevarte bien con los del trabajo. | ||
| ser justo loc verb | ||
| Es mejor ser justo si quieres llevarte bien con los del trabajo. | ||
| play [sth] again vtr + adv | (live music: perform again) | tocar de nuevo loc verb |
| tocar otra vez loc verb | ||
| volver a tocar loc verb | ||
| My wife really likes that tune, so I’m going to ask the band to play it again before we leave. | ||
| A mi esposa realmente le gusta ese tema, le voy a pedir a la banda que lo toque de nuevo antes de que nos vayamos. | ||
| play [sth] again vtr + adv | (recorded music: put on again) | poner una y otra vez loc verb |
| poner continuamente loc verb | ||
| Even though the CD is really old, the kids want to play it again. | ||
| Aunque el CD es realmente viejo, a los chicos les gusta ponerlo una y otra vez. | ||
| play area n | (designated zone for children’s play) | área de juego nf + loc adj |
| The children have a play area well away from the main road. | ||
| Los niños tienen un área de juego lejos de la calle. | ||
| play ball vtr + n | (throw, catch a ball) | jugar a la pelota loc verb |
| Shall we play ball in the park? | ||
| ¿Jugamos a la pelota en el parque? | ||
| play ball with [sb] v expr | (throw, catch a ball with [sb]) | jugar a la pelota con loc verb |
| My son often plays ball with the boy from next door. | ||
| play ball vtr + n | figurative (co-operate) (figurado) | jugar en equipo loc verb |
| The deal’s off — John won’t play ball. | ||
| ⓘEsta oración no es una traducción de la original. Para superar esta crisis todos los departamentos tienen que jugar en equipo. | ||
| trabajar juntos vtr + adj | ||
| ⓘEsta oración no es una traducción de la original. Ella es muy taimada y eso hace que sea difícil trabajar juntos. | ||
| play ball with [sb] v expr | figurative (co-operate with [sb]) | cooperar con vi + prep |
| The company needs smart people who can play ball with our software development team. | ||
| play both ends against the middle v expr | figurative (for your own benefit) | apoyar a dos grupos opuestos para sacar beneficio propio loc verb |
| play button n | (control pressed to [sth] start) | botón de play grupo nom |
| The slide show is all set up for you to use; just press the play button when you’re ready to start. | ||
| El proyector está listo para usar, sólo aprieta el botón de play para que estés listo para empezar. | ||
| botón de inicio grupo nom | ||
| El proyector está listo para usar, sólo aprieta el botón de inicio para que estés listo para empezar. | ||
| play cat and mouse v expr | figurative (engage in evasion and pursuit) (coloquial, figurado) | jugar al gato y al ratón loc verb |
| jugar al perro y al gato loc verb | ||
| play cat and mouse with [sb] v expr | figurative (engage in evasion and pursuit with) (coloquial, figurado) | jugar al gato y al ratón con loc verb |
| jugar al perro y al gato con loc verb | ||
| play catch-up vtr + n | informal (get updated) | ponerse al día loc verb |
| Julia wanted to play catch-up and find out what had happened while she had been away. | ||
| Julia quería ponerse al día y enterarse de todo lo que había pasado cuando no estuvo. | ||
| play catch-up vtr + n | informal (do work missed due to illness) (trabajo) | ponerse al día loc verb |
| I had to play catch-up after being away from work on sick leave. | ||
| play chicken vtr + n | (test courage) | jugar a cobarde, gallina loc verb |
| (MX, coloquial) | jugar vieja el que se raje loc verb | |
| ver quién es más gallina loc verb | ||
| (vulgar) | demostrar quién tiene más huevos loc verb | |
| The teenagers played chicken in their cars, driving directly towards one another. | ||
| Los adolescentes jugaron a cobarde, gallina, manejando sus coches directamente uno contra el otro. | ||
| Los adolescentes jugaron vieja el que se raje, manejando directamente uno contra el otro. | ||
| play date | (appointment for children) | cita de juegos nf + loc adj |
| play dead vi + adj | (lie as though dead) | hacerse el muerto loc verb |
| Some animals play dead as a way of defending themselves when they are in danger. | ||
| play dirty v expr | informal, figurative (use unfair or dishonest tactics) (coloquial) | jugar sucio loc verb |
| If he continues to play dirty, they will disqualify him from the match. | ||
| Si sigue jugando sucio, lo van a descalificar del partido. | ||
| play doctor n | (theater) (teatro) | editor, editora nm, nf |
| play down the importance of [sth] v expr | (minimize significance of) | restar importancia a loc verb |
| We are trying to play down the importance of standardized tests in our school. | ||
| Estamos tratando de restar importancia a los tests estándar en nuestra escuela. | ||
| play dumb v expr | informal (feign ignorance) | hacerse el tonto loc verb |
| hacerse el que no sabe loc verb | ||
| (AR: coloquial) | hacerse el boludo, hacerse el gil loc verb | |
| (CO, EC: coloquial) | hacerse el pendejo loc verb | |
| Phil played dumb when his dad asked him if he knew who had broken the window. | ||
| Phil se hizo el tonto cuando su padre le preguntó quién había roto la ventana. |
Interested in having a conversation about sports in Spanish? Either for small talk with your neighbor, a discussion with your friends, an amateur podcast, you name it!
Whether you want to talk about soccer, football, boxing, or share your impressions on the recent Tokyo 2020 Olympics, I’ve covered it all in this post! Join me to learn useful Spanish sports vocabulary and example sentences to hold a conversation about sports in Spanish.
Names of Sports in Spanish
Sport in Spanish is el deporte. The following are the general categories of sports in Spanish.
- combat sports or martial arts – deportes de combate o artes marciales
- extreme Sports – deportes extremos
- traditional sports or games – deportes tradicionales o juegos
- winter sports – deportes de invierno
Here is some useful Spanish sports vocabulary to start a conversation about sports in Spanish.
- athletes – atletas
- disciplines – disciplinas
- sport venues – sedes deportivas
- sports equipment – equipo deportivo
Sports in Spanish That You Play
This sports in Spanish list is to use with the verb jugar because these sports are considered to be juegos (games) as well. The Spanish translation for “play sports” is not literal, as in jugar deportes, but rather hacer deportes (do sports).
Sports in Spanish List 1
| English | Spanish |
| (American) football | el fútbol americano |
| badminton | el bádminton |
| baseball | el béisbol |
| basketball | el básquetbol, el baloncesto |
| bowling | los bolos o el boliche |
| chess | el ajedrez |
| cricket | el críquet |
| football soccer | el fútbol, el balompié |
| golf | el golf |
| grass hockey | el hockey sobre pasto |
Sports in Spanish List 2
| English | Spanish |
| handball | el balonmano |
| kickball | el kickball |
| polo | el polo |
| racketball | el ráquetbol |
| rugby | el rugby |
| softball | el sóftbol |
| table tennis | el tenis de mesa, el pimpón |
| tennis | el tenis |
| volleyball | el vóleibol |
| waterpolo | el waterpolo, el polo acuático |
Example Sentences
Yo jugaba boliche cuando era niño.
I used to play bowling when I was a child.
Mi hermano juega rugby.
My brother plays rugby.
Jugaremos un partido de fútbol el sábado.
We’ll play a soccer match on Saturday.
FUN FACT! While not very commonly used, the word balompié is the most Spanish way to say football. It comes from joining the word balón (ball) to the word pie (foot). Because of spelling rules, in Spanish the n and the p cannot go together, so we substitute the final “n” in balón and change it for an “m”.
If you are interested in learning how to talk about American football in Spanish, check out How to Talk about U.S. Football in Spanish.
Sports in Spanish That You Practice
To practice sports in Spanish is also important since not all sports are games, some of them are disciplines and you don’t really play a discipline, you rather practice it. For these next ones, make sure to use and conjugate the verb practicar (to practice).
Sports to Practice List
| English | Spanish |
| archery | el tiro con arco |
| athletics | el atletismo |
| canoeing | el piragüismo |
| climbing | alpinismo |
| cyclism | el ciclismo |
| diving | el clavadismo |
| fencing | la esgrima |
| gymnastics | la gimnasia |
| horse riding | la equitación |
| pentathlon | el pentatlón |
| rowing | el remo |
| sailing (sport) | la vela |
| shooting | el tiro |
| swimming | la natación |
| weight lifting | el levantamiento de pesas, la halterofilia |
Example Sentences
Mi padre tiene un caballo y practica equitación.
My dad owns a horse and he practices horseback riding.
Conozco a dos niñas que practican gimnasia.
I know two girls who practice gymnastics.
Yo practico pentatlón.
I practice pentathlon.
PRO TIP! Notice the difference between practico (I practice) and práctico (practical). An accent mark can make all the difference in Spanish.
Combat Sports in Spanish
These sports are not games either, they are disciplines. Whenever you mention any of these sports you can use the following three different verbs.
- To practice (practicar)
- To do (hacer)
- To fight (pelear)
Combat Sports List
| English | Spanish |
| boxing | el boxeo |
| Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) | el jiu-jitsu brasileño |
| Japanese Jiu-Jitsu | el jiu-jitsu japonés |
| judo | el yudo |
| karate | el karate |
| kickboxing | el kickboxing |
| Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) | las artes marciales mixtas |
| muay thai | el muay thai o el boxeo tailandés |
| taekwondo | el taekwondo |
| wrestling | la lucha |
Example Sentences in Spanish
La pelea de artes marciales mixtas es esta noche.
The mixed martial arts fight is tonight.
Yo estaba en el equipo de lucha cuando estaba en la universidad.
I was on the wrestling team when I was in college.
Mi hermano hace boxeo y es muy bueno.
My brother boxes, and he’s very good at it.
FUN FACT! Boxing has been an Olympic sport since 1904. The only time it didn’t make an appearance in the Olympics was in Stockholm 1912, according to the International Olympics Committee.
Olympic Winter Sports in Spanish
Sadly, not every sport can be practiced in all weather conditions (well, the team from the Cool Runnings movie might not agree with me!). Some sports are exclusive for the parts of the world where it snows. While you might think that winter sports in Spanish speaking countries are not popular, Chile, Argentina, Spain, Colombia, Mexico, Bolivia, Puerto Rico, and Ecuador participated in the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.
Olympic Winter Sports List
| English | Spanish |
| alpine skiing | el esquí alpino |
| biathlon | el biatlón |
| bobsleigh | el bobsleigh |
| cross-country | el esquí de fondo |
| curling | el curling |
| figure skating | el patinaje artístico |
| freestyle skiing | el esquí acrobático |
| ice hockey | el hockey sobre hielo |
| luge | el luge |
| Nordic combined | la combinada nórdica |
| short track speed skating | el patinaje de velocidad en pista corta |
| ski jumping | el salto de esquí |
| skeleton | el skeleton |
| snowboarding | el snowboard o patinaje sobre nieve |
| speedskating | el patinaje de velocidad |
FUN FACT! The movie “Cool Runnings” has two different translations into Spanish, none of them literal. Latin Americans know it as Jamaica bajo cero (“Jamaica Under Zero”) and Spaniards as Elegidos para el triunfo (“Chosen for triumph”).
If you’re a skii enthusiast and want to learn some specialized vocabulary on it, you ought to check The Ultimate Vocabulary Guide to Skiing in Spanish.
Extreme Sports in Spanish
If chasing after a ball, riding a horse, or avoiding (and throwing) punches and kicks don’t fit your idea of fun or entertainment because they’re full of rules, you’re most likely an extreme sports enthusiast. Here we’ll learn 15 extreme sports vocabulary in Spanish, check it out!
Extreme Sports List
| English | Spanish |
| alpinism | el alpinismo |
| BMX | el BMX (be eme equis) |
| bungee jumping | el puenting, puentismo o salto de bungee |
| climbing | la escalada deportiva |
| longboarding | el descenso en longboard |
| open water swimming | la natación en aguas abiertas |
| parachuting | el paracaidismo |
| paragliding | el parapente |
| parkour | el parkour |
| scuba diving | el buceo |
| skateboarding | el patinaje |
| surfing | el surfeo |
| wakeboarding | el wakeboarding |
| wakesurf | el wakesurf |
| wingsuit flying | el vuelo con traje de viento |
Example Sentences in Spanish
Antes hacía paracaidismo pero me lesioné.
I used to practice parachuting before but I injured myself.
Mi hijo practicará distintos deportes.
My son will practice different sports.
A mi hermano le gusta surfear.
My brother likes to surf.
FUN FACT! There’s an extreme sport called planchado extremo (extreme ironing). According to Team Steam it is “an adrenaline sport which combines the thrill of an extreme outdoor activity with the satisfaction of a well-pressed shirt.”
Venues for Sports in Spanish
People play football in a field or a stadium, basketball in a court, golf in a course, fight in a ring and skate pretty much anywhere. All of these words are a huge part of the world of sports and without them our ideas would be simply incomplete. Check out these vocabulary words in Spanish to talk about venues.
Venues in Spanish List
| English | Spanish |
| arena | la arena |
| golf course | el campo de golf |
| octagon | el octágono |
| ring | el cuadrilátero o el ring |
| pool | la piscina |
| park | el parque |
| stadium | el estadio |
| soccer field | el campo de fútbol |
| tennis court | la cancha de tenis |
| track | la pista |
| venue | la sede |
Spanish Sports Equipment Vocabulary
Many sports need equipment. From a simple pair of shorts and sneakers, to rackets, horses, and even cars, and parachutes! In these next two lists I’ve covered the traditional sports equipment and the extreme sports equipment.
Traditional Sports Equipment in Spanish
| English | Spanish |
| bandages | las vendas o el vendaje |
| bathing suit | el traje de baño |
| gloves | los guantes |
| goggles | los gogles, los lentes |
| headband | la banda para la cabeza |
| helmet | el casco |
| jersey | la camisola, el jersey |
| kit | la equipación |
| mouth guard, mouth piece | el protector bucal |
| padding | la protección |
| racket | la raqueta |
| shin guards | las espinilleras |
| shorts, trunks | los pantaloncillos, la pantaloneta, los shorts |
| sword | el sable, la espada |
| tennis shoes | los (zapatos) tenis |
Extreme Sports Equipment in Spanish
| English | Spanish |
| bicycle | la bicicleta |
| canoe | la canoa |
| elbow pads | las coderas |
| harness | el arnés |
| kayak | el kayak |
| knee pads | las rodilleras |
| longboard | la longboard |
| oxygen tank | el tanque de oxígeno |
| parachute | el paracaídas |
| rollerblades | los patines |
| skateboard | la patineta |
| snorkel | el esnórquel, el buceo |
| snowboard | la patineta de nieve |
| surfboard | la tabla de surf |
| wingsuit | el traje aéreo |
Athletes Who Practice Sports in Spanish
What if you want to say footballer, or football player in Spanish?
| English | Spanish |
| athlete | el, la atleta |
| baseball player | el, la beisbolista |
| basketball player | el, la basquetbolista |
| bike rider | el, la ciclista |
| boxer | el boxeador, la boxeadora |
| diver | el, la clavadista |
| fighter, pugilist | el peleador, la peleadora, el, la pugilista |
| football (soccer) player | el, la futbolista |
| horse rider | el, la jinete |
| runner | el corredor, la corredora |
| scuba diver | el buzo, la buza |
| skater or skateboarder | el patinador, la patinadora |
| skier | el esquiador, la esquiadora |
| surfer | el, la surfista |
| swimmer | el nadador, la nadadora |
Having a Conversation While Playing Sports in Spanish
So far we’ve learned nouns and a few example sentences to talk about sports in Spanish, but we can expand our sports vocabulary in Spanish and our sports in Spanish lists a bit more with sentences in context.
Basic Ideas
Here we’ll learn how to build some simple sentences in Spanish so we can express ourselves when playing sports.
¡Gané!
I win!
¡Perdiste! (O ¡perdió!)
You lose!
Quedamos empatados.
It’s a draw.
¡Buen tiro!
Nice shot!
¡Juguemos otra vez!
Let ‘s play again!
¿Quieres jugar béisbol conmigo?
Do you want to play baseball with me?
PRO TIP! The Spanish translation for “I win” is yo gano. In Spanish however, we use the simple past rather than the simple present to express “to win” (ganar), “to lose” (perder), and to tie (empatar).
Expressing Your Interests in Sports in Spanish
Me gusta mucho jugar básquetbol.
I like playing basketball very much.
No soy muy bueno(a) patinando.
I’m not very good at skating.
Ver fútbol es muy entretenido, pero no me gusta jugarlo .
Watching soccer is very entertaining, but I don’t like playing it.
Cuando era niño(a) estaba en el equipo de natación de mi colegio.
When I was a kid I was in my school’s swimming team.
Me encanta ver cualquier deporte.
I love watching any sport.
Las Olimpiadas son uno de los eventos deportivos más importantes del mundo.
The Olympics are one of the most important sporting events in the world.
Cheering in Spanish
In order to cheer for your team in Spanish use the word ¡vamos!, which literally means “let’s go,” or ¡dale!, which literally means “give it.”
¡Vamos, Lakers!
Let’s go, Lakers!
¡Dale, Argentina!
Come on, Argentina!
Ese equipo es buenísimo.
That team is really great.
¡Que lo saquen!
Get him out!
Practice Your Spanish
Not only is Spanish good to expand your frontiers and talk about sports with more people, but also to widen your knowledge about many other cultures. Additionally, Spanish is highly useful in many occupational areas nowadays.
You can get an incredible job depending on your foreign language proficiency! Did you know that translators and interpreters are among the top five fastest growing occupations? The Bureau of Labor Statistics confirms this. Being bilingual also enables you to improve your cognition and decision-making abilities.
So sign up for a free Spanish class and broaden your horizons even more with our friendly Guatemalan teachers today!
Ready to learn more Spanish vocabulary? Check these out!
- Author
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Italo-Guatemalan, born and raised in Guatemala City, where I got a B.A. in Communication and Journalism. Currently, I’m living in Spain where I’m studying for a master’s degree. I’m a language and travel enthusiast who speaks Spanish, English, Italian, and a bit of Hungarian. I love watching sports, practicing boxing, writing, and gaming.
A park is such a simple, childlike place. It is somewhere to relax, play, and have fun. Imagine heading to a park in a foreign country, enjoying the sites and, oh yeah, having no idea how to describe anything. Chances are you learned the word for park (parque) and nothing else related to it. Here are some helpful vocabulary words in Spanish for a day in the park.
1. Columpiarse / hamacarse – to swing (most countries use columpiarse, I have only heard hamacarse in Argentina)
2. Columpio / hamaca – a swing (the noun)
3. Pasamanos – monkey bars
4. Sube y baja – seesaw, this is pronounced slurred together as in subibaja
5. Tobogán, chorrera – slide
6. Bicicleta – bicycle
7. Patineta – skateboard
8. Patines – skates
9. Rollers – rollerblades (only used in some countries, such as Argentina)
10. Pelota, bola, balón – ball
11. Tirarse una pelota – to play catch
12. Manta – blanket (in case you want to go on a picnic, which is also “picnic” in Spanish)
13. Camino – path
14. Cesto, tacho, basurero, zafacón – trashcan (more here in this trash can post)
15. Cesped, grama, pasto – grass (more here in this Grass post)
16. Cancha – sports field
Fun fact: not all countries have laws about drinking in public, so picnics can be a lot more fun. To be honest, even if they do, they are not often enforced. If you are approached, play the dumb foreigner.
Also, if you are in Latin America, there is a good chance you can catch a pick-up game of soccer (fútbol) and just join in. You might want to keep in mind the popularity of the sport, though, before you join in and make a fool of yourself!
Check out these other English Spanish articles.
Featured photo credit: Rev Dan Catt via photopin cc
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If the best way to learn Spanish is immersion, then the best way to immerse yourself in the Spanish language is to join a football team. As I’ve mentioned before, once upon a time I played for an amateur Czech football club while I lived in Prague. Thanks to kinaesthetic learning, I picked up Czech vocabulary much quicker than in the classroom. The same goes for Spanish. Whether it’s a beer league or a serious team, join up and connect with native Spanish speakers. Talk to them about their number one sport fútbol. This is vocabulary for playing football in Spanish.
Basic Spanish vocabulary for football
When it comes to football, focus on colloquial usage. As you might guess, sports are not the domain of the prim and proper. For today’s lesson, we cover both formal and informal football terms in Spanish. Don’t forget to review your body parts in Spanish for a better understanding of Spanish football terms.
- pelota/balón – ball
- jugador/a – player
- gol – goal
- mano – hand-ball
- cabeza – head/header
- falta – foul
- fuera de lugar – offside
- tarjeta amarilla/roja – yellow/red card
Spanish vocabulary for football players
What’s better than an online Spanish lesson? How about watching a football match on the telly and calling it a study session? Go ahead. Here are Spanish vocabulary words used for football players and officials on the pitch.
- delantero – striker/forward
- mediocampista/volante – midfielder
- defensa/defensor – defender
- árbitro – referee
- línea – line/linesman
Spanish football vocabulary for different countries
What about the goalkeeper? Lingoda blog readers already know that Spanish vocabulary changes from country to country. This goes for football too. Just like Americans say ‘soccer’ and ‘field’ for football pitch, you will hear different words across the Spanish-speaking world.
- portero (Spain), arquero (Latin America), guardameta – goalkeeper
- la portería (Spain), el arco (Latin America), la meta – the goal (notice how they match up)
- la selección (Spain),el equipo de fútbol (Latin America) – the football team (roster)
- campo (Spain), cancha (Latin America) – pitch/field
- penalti (Mexico), tiro penal (Spain) – penalty kick
- una chilena – bicycle kick (surely this is not what they call it in Chile, right?)
More Spanish vocabulary for the football pitch
If you learn Spanish at home, turn on a football match from Spain. Spanish-speaking commentators will help you to soak up even more football words in Spanish. Here is more Spanish vocabulary for the pitch itself.
- el área grande/penal– big area (6-metre penalty zone)
- el área chico – small area (goal box)
- saque de esquina – corner kick
- saque de banda – throw-in
Spanish phrases for on the pitch
Any footballer will tell you that communication on the pitch is important. Players talk (ok shout) to each other constantly. They need to know what’s going on and find the open space to play. Here are one-word or short phrases you will hear from teammates during a match. Remember, if you hear pelota or balón on the pitch, your teammate is asking for the ball.
- ahora – now
- aquí/acá – here (pass it here)
- otro lado – switch (play to the other side)
- otra vez – again (another time)
- así – just like that, good job
- te llega – mark on/man on (literally: they are arriving to you)
- estoy sola/o – I’m alone (free, no mark)
- barrete – slide tackle
- cambio – substitution/replacement
- barrera – wall (defence during a direct kick)
- bien – well-played, well-done
Spanish pronouns for football
In fast-paced sports situations like football, teammates have to share information in short phrases or words. This is when it comes in handy to have a solid understanding of Spanish direct and indirect object pronouns. Here is some Spanish pronoun usage for football.
- pásamela – pass me the ball
- róbasela – steal the ball
- pegarle (al balón) – shoot (the ball)
- se la perdió – she missed a sitter (a scoring chance)
From football terms to things you will hear on the pitch, this vocabulary lesson got you ready to join a real league. Training and matches will put you in unique immersion situations that will help your Spanish fluency take off. Whether it’s in your head or in real life, just imagine the incredible feeling of scoring a cabezazo beautiful header and hearing that classic Spanish-speaking commentator shouting for you: ¡GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLL!
Try out your football vocabulary with a native Spanish speaking tutor. Register for a 7-day free trial with Lingoda today.