Play about Meaning in English

expression

US

ˈpɫeɪ/ /əˈbaʊt

PLAY uh-BOWT

UK

plˈeɪ/ /ɐbˈaʊt

play uh-BOWT

Definition

To behave in a playful, silly, or not serious way, often wasting time or avoiding what you should be doing.

Usage & Nuances

'Play about' is informal and common in British English; similar to 'mess around', it describes avoiding work or acting silly. Not usually used in American English, where 'play around' is more common. Used for both children and adults when not being serious.

• Spanish: jugar - juguetear - andar con tonterías
• Portuguese (BR): brincar - mexer - brincar de forma boba
• Portuguese (PT): brincar - andar a brincar - brincar sem propósito
• Chinese (Simplified): 胡闹 - 玩耍 - 不认真做某事
• Chinese (Traditional): 胡鬧 - 玩耍 - 不認真做某事
• Hindi: खेलना - इधर-उधर समय बिताना - मज़ाक करना
• Arabic: يعبث - يلعب - يتسلى
• Bengali: দুলা করা - ফাঁকিবাজি করা
• Russian: баловаться - дурачиться
• Japanese: ふざける - ふざけて遊ぶ
• Vietnamese: chơi bời - nghịch ngợm
• Korean: 장난치다 - 빈둥거리다
• Turkish: oyalanmak - şakalaşmak
• Urdu: شرارت کرنا - وقت ضائع کرنا
• Indonesian: main-main - bercanda

Example Sentences

The children like to play about in the garden.

basic

Don’t play about with my phone.

basic

We shouldn’t play about in class.

basic

Stop playing about and help me with the chores.

natural

They spent the whole afternoon just playing about instead of working.

natural

If you keep playing about, you’ll never finish your homework.

natural