Play in Different Languages
Discover 'Play' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Play
Afrikaans speel | ||
Albanian luaj | ||
Amharic ጨዋታ | ||
Arabic لعب | ||
Armenian խաղալ | ||
Assamese খেলা | ||
Aymara antaña | ||
Azerbaijani oynamaq | ||
Bambara tulon kɛ | ||
Basque jolastu | ||
Belarusian гуляць | ||
Bengali খেলুন | ||
Bhojpuri खेला | ||
Bosnian igrati | ||
Bulgarian играйте | ||
Catalan jugar | ||
Cebuano pagdula | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 玩 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 玩 | ||
Corsican ghjucà | ||
Croatian igra | ||
Czech hrát si | ||
Danish spil | ||
Dhivehi ކުޅުން | ||
Dogri खेढो | ||
Dutch speel | ||
English play | ||
Esperanto ludi | ||
Estonian mängima | ||
Ewe fe fefe | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) maglaro | ||
Finnish pelata | ||
French jouer | ||
Frisian toanielstik | ||
Galician xogar | ||
Georgian თამაში | ||
German abspielen | ||
Greek παίζω | ||
Guarani ñembosarái | ||
Gujarati રમ | ||
Haitian Creole jwe | ||
Hausa wasa | ||
Hawaiian pāʻani | ||
Hebrew לְשַׂחֵק | ||
Hindi खेल | ||
Hmong ua si | ||
Hungarian játék | ||
Icelandic leika | ||
Igbo kpọọ | ||
Ilocano agay-ayam | ||
Indonesian bermain | ||
Irish imirt | ||
Italian giocare | ||
Japanese 演奏する | ||
Javanese dolanan | ||
Kannada ಆಟವಾಡಿ | ||
Kazakh ойнау | ||
Khmer លេង | ||
Kinyarwanda gukina | ||
Konkani खेळप | ||
Korean 플레이 | ||
Krio ple | ||
Kurdish bazî | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) یاری | ||
Kyrgyz ойноо | ||
Lao ຫຼີ້ນ | ||
Latin ludere | ||
Latvian spēlēt | ||
Lingala kobeta | ||
Lithuanian žaisti | ||
Luganda okuzannya | ||
Luxembourgish spillen | ||
Macedonian игра | ||
Maithili बजाउ | ||
Malagasy milalao | ||
Malay bermain | ||
Malayalam കളിക്കുക | ||
Maltese tilgħab | ||
Maori takaro | ||
Marathi खेळा | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯁꯥꯟꯅꯕ | ||
Mizo inkhel | ||
Mongolian тоглох | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) ကစားသည် | ||
Nepali खेल्नु | ||
Norwegian spille | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) sewera | ||
Odia (Oriya) ଖେଳ | ||
Oromo taphachuu | ||
Pashto لوبه وکړه | ||
Persian بازی | ||
Polish grać | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) toque | ||
Punjabi ਖੇਡੋ | ||
Quechua pukllay | ||
Romanian joaca | ||
Russian играть в | ||
Samoan taʻalo | ||
Sanskrit क्रीडतु | ||
Scots Gaelic cluich | ||
Sepedi raloka | ||
Serbian игра | ||
Sesotho bapala | ||
Shona tamba | ||
Sindhi کيڏو | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) සෙල්ලම් කරන්න | ||
Slovak hrať | ||
Slovenian igra | ||
Somali ciyaaro | ||
Spanish tocar | ||
Sundanese ulin | ||
Swahili cheza | ||
Swedish spela | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) maglaro | ||
Tajik бозӣ кардан | ||
Tamil விளையாடு | ||
Tatar уйнау | ||
Telugu ఆడండి | ||
Thai เล่น | ||
Tigrinya ተፃወት | ||
Tsonga tlanga | ||
Turkish oyna | ||
Turkmen oýnamak | ||
Twi (Akan) bɔ | ||
Ukrainian грати | ||
Urdu کھیلیں | ||
Uyghur play | ||
Uzbek o'ynash | ||
Vietnamese chơi | ||
Welsh chwarae | ||
Xhosa dlala | ||
Yiddish שפּיל | ||
Yoruba ṣeré | ||
Zulu dlala |
Etymology & Notes
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | The word "speel" derives from the Middle Dutch word "spel", meaning "entertainment" or "game". |
| Albanian | Although the word "Luaj" in Albanian initially meant "to dance", it later came to mean "play" in the context of games and performances. |
| Amharic | ጨዋታ can also mean `sport`, `match`, or `game`. |
| Arabic | In Arabic, "لعب" can also mean "to gamble" or "to joke". |
| Armenian | The Armenian word "խաղալ" not only means "to play," but also "to gamble," "to imitate," and "to perform." |
| Azerbaijani | In Azerbaijani, "oynamaq" can also refer to "performance" or "dance" in the context of theater or music. |
| Basque | The Basque word "jolastu" can also refer to "working or making an effort", possibly dating back to when the concept of play was more closely tied to work. |
| Belarusian | The word "гуляць" in Belarusian also means "to walk" or "to stroll". |
| Bengali | The Bengali word খেলুন (play) can also refer to a type of sweet made from condensed milk and sugar |
| Bosnian | The word "igrati" can also mean "to perform" or "to entertain" in Bosnian. |
| Bulgarian | The word "играйте" also means "to play around" in Bulgarian. |
| Catalan | "Jugar" in Catalan also means "to gamble" or "to play pranks". |
| Cebuano | The word "pagdula" in Cebuano can also refer to a performance or a game, such as a sporting event. |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 玩 means "play" in Chinese, but it also denotes "to indulge in" or "to be addicted to" depending on the context. |
| Chinese (Traditional) | The character “玩” first appeared in oracle bone inscriptions, originally meaning “to hunt” or “to shoot with a bow and arrow”. |
| Corsican | The Corsican word "ghjucà" comes from the Latin word "iocare" and also means "to gamble". |
| Croatian | Igra also refers to a type of folk dance in Croatia, typically accompanied by singing, clapping, and intricate footwork. |
| Czech | The word "hrát si" can also mean "to pretend", "to fool around", or "to act up". |
| Danish | The word |
| Dutch | Speel comes from "spelen" ("to play") but also means "bacon" in some parts of the Netherlands. |
| Esperanto | The word "ludi" is derived from the Latin word *ludi* meaning "sports" or "spectacles" |
| Estonian | The verb "mängima" can also mean "to gamble" or "to flirt" in Estonian. |
| Finnish | The Finnish word 'pelata' can also refer to a type of traditional card game played in pairs. |
| French | The French word "jouer" can also mean "to gamble" or "to act". |
| Frisian | The word "toanielstik" in Frisian also refers to a type of performance or entertainment, similar to a play or performance. |
| Galician | "Xogar" also means to juggle in Galician |
| Georgian | თამაში also means "gambling", "entertainment" and "show" in Georgian and derives from the Persian "tamāšā" meaning "wonder" or "spectacle". |
| German | The word "abspielen" in German can also mean "to perform" or "to happen", derived from the root "spiel" meaning "game" or "performance." |
| Greek | The Greek verb 'παίζω' derives from words meaning 'child' or 'game' and can also mean 'gambling', 'to make fun of' or 'mock'. |
| Gujarati | The Sanskrit origin of "ਰਮ" hints at the idea of recreation and enjoyment. |
| Haitian Creole | The word 'jwe' is derived from the French word 'jouer', meaning to play, and can also refer to gambling or performance. |
| Hausa | In some Hausa varieties, `wasa` means 'sing', while in others it's specifically used for singing without instruments. |
| Hawaiian | The word "pāʻani" can also mean "toy" or "game" in Hawaiian, highlighting the close connection between play and the objects and activities associated with it in the culture. |
| Hebrew | The Hebrew word "לְשַׂחֵק" may relate to the noun "שׂחוק" (laughter) or to Aramaic "שׂחק" (to laugh). |
| Hindi | The word "खेल" also refers to an entertainment performance or a competitive activity. |
| Hmong | The Hmong word "ua si" also has the alternate meaning "to tease someone." |
| Hungarian | The origin of "játék” is uncertain as it is likely an inherited word from before the Proto-Uralic and Proto-Turkic language split. |
| Icelandic | The Icelandic word "leika" is also used in reference to games, competitions, and dancing, and is cognate with the Old English word "lác" meaning "play, dance, sport" |
| Igbo | "Kpọọ" can also mean "wrestle" or "fight" in Igbo. |
| Indonesian | "Bermain" also means "to gamble" in Indonesian. |
| Irish | In Middle Irish, "imirt" could mean "play", "perform", or "execute music". |
| Italian | The Italian word "giocare" derives from the Latin "iocare", meaning "to joke" or "to jest". |
| Japanese | 演奏する (ensousuru) can also mean "perform" or "execute (music)" |
| Javanese | ‘Dolanan’ means playing in Javanese. It refers to any game involving physical activity. |
| Kannada | The word "ಆಟವಾಡಿ" (play) is sometimes used to refer to a kind of ritual folk theatre performance in Southern Karnataka, India. |
| Kazakh | The word "ойнау" also means "to compete" in Kazakh. |
| Korean | 플레이는 '놀다'는 의미 외에도 '연극 등을 하다', '기계를 작동시키다'는 뜻이 있습니다. |
| Kurdish | In Persian and Arabic, the word "bazi" means "game" or "sport" and derives from the ancient Iranian language, Avestan, where "bazi" means "to bet" or "to gamble." |
| Kyrgyz | The word "ойноо" also means "to perform" or "to act" in Kyrgyz. |
| Latin | "Ludere" in Latin can also refer to gambling and fighting with weapons, hinting at its multifaceted nature as an engagement. |
| Latvian | While the primary meaning of "spēlēt" is "play," it also implies "perform" or "execute" in the context of music. |
| Lithuanian | The word "žaisti" also means "to gamble" in Lithuanian. |
| Luxembourgish | The word "spillen" in Luxembourgish is derived from the Old High German verb "spillan", which meant "to tell a story" or "to entertain". |
| Macedonian | The word "игра" in Macedonian can also refer to a card game or a specific set of rules for a game, such as poker or chess. |
| Malagasy | "Milalao" is related to the word for "amuse" or "make happy" |
| Malay | The word "bermain" can refer to playing with toys or games, or to engaging in a friendly competition. |
| Malayalam | The word 'കളിക്കുക' also means 'to act' or 'to make oneself look like something', showcasing its versatility beyond entertainment. |
| Maltese | "Tilgħab" can also mean "to dance" or "to gamble". |
| Maori | "Takaro" in Maori can also refer to recreational competitions, gambling, or a game of chance. |
| Marathi | In Marathi, "खेळा" can also refer to the act of performing, executing, or demonstrating something, akin to 'enactment' in English. |
| Mongolian | The Mongolian word "тоглох" also means "to perform a ritual" or "to conduct a ceremony." |
| Myanmar (Burmese) | The word 'play' in Myanmar (Burmese) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'krida', meaning 'to play, to sport' or 'to make merry'. |
| Nepali | "खेल्नु" (play) also means "to dance" in Nepali, likely due to the common cultural practice of dancing during festivals and celebrations. |
| Norwegian | The word 'spille' in Norwegian can also mean 'to perform music' or 'to bet'. |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | The word "sewera" is also used in the context of drama and performance. |
| Pashto | The Pashto verb "لوبه" (play) also means "to hunt" in some contexts. |
| Persian | In Persian, the word "بازی" (play) also means "game" and can refer to a range of activities, from board games to sports. |
| Polish | The word "grać" in Polish can also refer to "pretend" or "act". |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | In Portugal, "Toque" has a secondary meaning of being a traditional dance or song played at village feasts. |
| Punjabi | The word "ਖੇਡੋ" ("play") in Punjabi is also used to refer to a specific type of traditional Punjabi folk dance. |
| Romanian | The word "Joaca" can also mean "a toy", "a game", or "a performance". |
| Russian | In Russian, the word "играть в" also means "to engage in" or "to participate in" an activity. |
| Samoan | The word "taʻalo" can also mean "game", "sport", or "performance", and is derived from the Proto-Polynesian word "*ta(a)lo" with the same meaning. |
| Scots Gaelic | Cluich also means: sport, pastime, sport, or exercise. |
| Serbian | "Игра" also means "gambling" in some other Slavic languages. |
| Sesotho | "Bapala" also shares a root with the word "pala" which means "to mix" or "to stir", indicating a possible connection between play and the idea of combining or creating something new. |
| Shona | The word "tamba" can also refer to a type of traditional dance performed by the Shona people, often accompanied by drumming and singing. |
| Sindhi | The word "کیڏو" also means "toy" in Sindhi. |
| Slovak | The Slovak word "hrať" has Indo-European roots and can also mean "to act" or "to pretend. |
| Slovenian | The Slovenian word "igra" also has the meaning of "gambling" and comes from the Proto-Slavic word *igra, which means "motion" or "game." |
| Somali | The Somali word 'ciyaaro' can also mean 'game' or 'sport'. |
| Spanish | In flamenco, "tocar" can also refer to singing or dancing. |
| Sundanese | "Ulin" in Sundanese also means "to work", originating from the word "ulinan" meaning "a tool". |
| Swahili | The Swahili word "cheza" can also mean "to dance" or "to have fun". |
| Swedish | The Swedish word "spela" also means "to gamble". |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | "Maglaro" also means "to work" or "to do" in Tagalog, showcasing the multifaceted nature of the word. |
| Tajik | In Persian, "bozidan" means both "to play" and "to lose". The word has the same two meanings in Tajik, but it also has a derived meaning of "to have fun" and "to enjoy oneself". |
| Tamil | "விளையாடு" can also refer to making fun of or mocking someone. |
| Telugu | The Telugu word "ఆడండి" can also refer to "gambling" or "playing a game of chance" |
| Thai | Apart from meaning "play", "เล่น" can also mean "practice" or "use" in Thai. |
| Turkish | The word "Oyna" in Turkish derives from the Proto-Turkic word "*oyna- " meaning "to move, to shake, to swing" and has cognates in many other Turkic languages. |
| Ukrainian | The verb "грати" has several distinct meanings in Ukrainian, besides "to play", for example: "to dig", "to search", "to rob" |
| Urdu | کھیلیں can also mean acting, joking, or flirting, or can be used as a synonym for 'mischief'. |
| Uzbek | In Uzbek, "o'ynash" has a similar root to "o'yin," which means "game" or "entertainment." |
| Vietnamese | Chơi also means "to work" in Vietnamese, suggesting a positive and engaging approach to work. |
| Welsh | 'Chwarae' can also mean 'game' or 'sport' in Welsh. |
| Xhosa | Dlala also means to be mischievous or to engage in activities that are playful in nature. |
| Yiddish | The word "שפּיל" (play) also has the alternate meaning of "a joke". |
| Yoruba | Ṣeré in Yoruba does not only mean play; it can also mean gamble. |
| Zulu | The word "dlala" also means "to behave in a playful manner" or "to act foolishly" in Zulu. |
| English | The Latin root of 'play' is 'placāre,' meaning 'to please' or 'to appease,' so in addition to denoting recreation, the word can also mean 'to engage in a particular activity for pleasure.' |