spielen
to play (a game, sport, or with toys) · to play (a musical instrument) · to act, to perform (a role)
Spielen means 'to play' in a broad sense: games, sports, music, and acting. It is used very much like English 'play', but note that for sports and games German often uses spielen without a preposition, e.g. Fußball spielen (to play football).
What spielen means
- to play (a game, sport, or with toys) — General play activities, including children's play and games.
- to play (a musical instrument) — With musical instruments, e.g. Klavier spielen (to play the piano).
- to act, to perform (a role) — In theater, film, or pretending to be someone.
Heard in real German videos
Lines where spielen was actually spoken, from German videos watched with DeutschChat.
- Spielen wir Ball? Oh ja, gern.Shall we play ball? Oh yes, gladly.
- Er spielt mit einem Laubgebläse.He's playing with a leaf blower.
Example sentences
- Die Kinder spielen im Garten.The children are playing in the garden.
- Er spielt sehr gut Klavier.He plays the piano very well.
- Sie spielt die Hauptrolle in dem Film.She plays the lead role in the film.
- Wir spielen am Samstag gegen den FC Bayern.We play against FC Bayern on Saturday.
Grammar
| Present (ich/du/er) | spiele / spielst / spielt |
|---|---|
| Simple past | spielte |
| Perfect | hat gespielt |
| Separable | no |
| Case | accusative for direct object (e.g., ein Spiel spielen) |
Regular weak verb. Perfect tense uses haben.
Common phrases
- Fußball spielento play football
- Klavier spielento play the piano
- eine Rolle spielento play a role
- verrückt spielento act crazy
The mistake English speakers make
English speakers often say 'spielen Fußball' without the correct word order or use 'spielen' with 'machen'. The correct is 'Fußball spielen' (with the sport as a compound noun before the verb).
Don’t confuse it with
- machen — Machen means 'to do' or 'to make', not 'to play'. Use spielen for games, sports, music, and acting.
Questions learners ask
How do you say 'to play a game' in German?
Ein Spiel spielen. For specific games, you can say 'Karten spielen' (play cards), 'Schach spielen' (play chess), etc.
What is the difference between 'spielen' and 'abspielen'?
Spielen is the general verb 'to play'. Abspielen means 'to play back' a recording or media, e.g., 'eine CD abspielen'.
Is 'spielen' a regular verb?
Yes, it is regular: spielen, spielte, hat gespielt.