Before you start
Meet spielen
Read how the verb is used, then write your own 10 sentences with it.
All 7 meanings
- (intransitive) to play (engage in some activity for fun or entertainment) [with mit (+ dative) ‘with someone/something’]
- (transitive) to play, to engage in (a game, a sport, etc.)
- (transitive) to play, to perform (a piece of music, a role in theater or a movie)
- (transitive) to play, to listen to (a radio, a recording, etc.)
- (transitive) to play, to perform on (a musical instrument)
- (transitive) to act like, to behave like
Forms
How spielen changes
| Pronoun | Präsens | Präteritum |
|---|---|---|
| ich | spiele | spielte |
| du | spielst | spieltest |
| er/sie/es | spielt | spielte |
| wir | spielen | spielten |
| ihr | spielt | spieltet |
| Sie | spielen | spielten |
Partizip II gespielt · Perfekt with haben
Three examples
- 1Sie spielt heute Gitarre.She is playing the guitar today.playing an instrument
- 2Wir haben gestern Karten gespielt.We played cards yesterday.Perfekt with haben
- 3Ich weiß, dass die Kinder draußen spielen.I know that the children are playing outside.verb at the end after dass
Verb family
Separable verbs built on spielen
Add a prefix to spielen and the meaning changes.