verbstem change: u to ueI play: juegosports: jugar al
"To play" in Spanish is jugar for games and sports: jugar al fútbol, jugar a las cartas. For a musical instrument, Spanish switches to tocar: toco la guitarra. A play at the theater is la obra de teatro, or just la obra.
Written by Isabella García, Language Content Manager at WordyUpdated October 4, 2026
Hear "jugar" in real movie scenes
A pickup game and a lawyer on the field. Each video starts and stops on that line.
¡Ey! ¿Ustedes también juegan aquí?
Hey! You guys play here too?
A game is already going on the basketball court when someone shows up with two balls under one arm, hoping to join, and ustedes juegan speaks to the whole group.
From Dr. Cable · Spanish audio
mientras su abogado juega al béisbol.
while their lawyer plays baseball.
At the fence, someone points out that the clients are in serious trouble while their lawyer is out on the field, and the sport comes after al: juega al béisbol.
From Cuestión de honor · Spanish audio
Jugar, tocar, poner: which play?
English uses one verb. Spanish picks one by what you're playing.
Spanish
Use it for
Example
jugar
Games and sports
Jugamos a las cartas. (We're playing cards.)
jugar al + sport
A sport, the way Spain says it
Juego al tenis. (I play tennis.)
tocar
A musical instrument
Toco el piano. (I play the piano.)
poner
Music, a song or a video
Pon esa canción. (Play that song.)
la obra de teatro
A play at the theater
una obra de Lorca (a play by Lorca)
hacer el papel de
To play a role
Hace el papel de padre. (He plays the father.)
Tip: To play with a toy, a pet or a friend, use jugar con: El niño juega con el perro.
Grammar: jugar, juego, juegas
Four points for a verb with a rare stem change.
u becomes ue
Jugar is the only Spanish verb where u turns into ue: juego, juegas, juega, juegan. Jugamos and jugáis keep the u.
Jugar a + game
Before a game or a sport, add a, and a plus el becomes al: jugar al béisbol, jugar a las cartas.
¿Jugamos?
One word is enough to suggest a game: ¿Jugamos? Ask for a rematch with ¿Jugamos otra vez?
Jugué in the past
In the yo form of the preterite, g becomes gu to keep the hard sound: jugué, I played.
Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
¿Jugamos al béisbol?
Shall we play baseball?
¿Qué tal si jugamos, sí?
How about we play, okay?
¡Ey! ¿Ustedes también juegan aquí?
Hey! You guys play here too?
¡Claro! ¿Jugamos ahora?
Sure! Shall we play now?
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗Jugo al fútbol
✓Juego al fútbol
The yo form needs ue. Jugo is a different word: juice.
✗Juego la guitarra
✓Toco la guitarra
Instruments take tocar. Jugar is only for games and sports.
✗Juego el tenis (in Spain)
✓Juego al tenis
In Spain a sport takes al in front of it: al tenis, al fútbol.
Practice: 3 quick exercises
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1 of 3 · Watch and choose
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How to remember it
Jugar sounds a bit like juggle. Picture a juggler in the park: keeping the balls in the air is a game, and in Spanish you jugar.
Jugar for games and sports, tocar for instruments. A play at the theater is una obra.
How do you say "play the guitar" in Spanish?
Tocar la guitarra. Every instrument goes with tocar: tocar el piano, tocar la batería.
How do you say "play soccer" in Spanish?
Jugar al fútbol in Spain, and often jugar fútbol in Latin America: Juego al fútbol los domingos.
How do you conjugate jugar?
In the present: juego, juegas, juega, jugamos, jugáis, juegan. Every form has ue except jugamos and jugáis.
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