playing
word · lemma: play
/ˈpɫeɪɪŋ/
PLAY-ing
/plˈeɪɪŋ/
PLAY-ing
Definition
The act of doing something for fun, such as a game, a sport, an instrument, or acting in a role.
Usage & Nuances
Used for games, sports, musical instruments, or acting roles. Common collocations: 'playing soccer', 'playing the piano', 'playing a character'. Don't use for 'playing' a movie or video — use 'watching' instead.
Spanish: jugando - tocando (instrumento) - interpretando (papel)Portuguese (BR): jogando - brincando - tocando (instrumento) - atuando (papel)Portuguese (PT): a jogar - a brincar - a tocar (instrumento) - a desempenhar (papel)Chinese (Simplified): 玩 - 演奏（乐器） - 扮演（角色）Chinese (Traditional): 玩 - 演奏（樂器） - 扮演（角色）Hindi: खेलना - (वाद्य) बजाना - (भूमिका) निभानाArabic: يلعب - يعزف (آلة موسيقية) - يؤدي (دور)Bengali: খেলা - বাজানো - অভিনয় করাRussian: игра - исполнение (роли) - игра (на инструменте)Japanese: 遊ぶ - 演奏する - 演じるVietnamese: chơiKorean: 놀기 - 연주하기 - 연기하기Turkish: oynamak - çalmak (enstrüman) - rol almakUrdu: کھیلنا - بجانا - اداکاری کرناIndonesian: bermain
Example Sentences
The children are playing in the garden.
basic
She is playing the piano.
basic
Are you playing football this weekend?
basic
I've been playing video games all night.
natural
They're always playing tricks on each other at work.
natural
He's playing the villain in this new movie.
natural