verb

spielen

play

Etwas tun, das Spaß macht, oft mit anderen zusammen, zum Beispiel mit Spielzeug oder bei einem Sport.

Definition & meaning

Spielen is a German verb meaning “to play.” Its exact meaning depends on context:

To play a game or sport:
Die Kinder spielen draußen. — “The children are playing outside.”
To play a musical instrument:
Sie spielt Klavier. — “She plays the piano.”
To act or perform:
Er spielt in einem Film. — “He acts in a film.”
To play a role or part:
Sie spielt die Hauptrolle. — “She plays the leading role.”
To be involved or influential:
Das spielt keine Rolle. — “That doesn’t matter.” Literally, “That plays no role.”
To toy with or handle something casually:
Er spielt mit seinem Essen. — “He is playing with his food.”

Grammar & Word origin

Spielen is a regular, weak verb. Its principal forms are spielt, spielte, and hat gespielt; it forms the perfect tense with haben. It can be used with or without a direct object, depending on its meaning.

The verb comes from Old High German spilōn, meaning “to play” or “to dance.” It is related to das Spiel , meaning “game” or “play.”

Synonyms & antonyms

There is no single synonym for spielen that works in all its meanings. The closest alternative depends on the context:

musizieren means “to make music” or “to play music”; it is more specific to musical activity.
darstellen means “to portray” or “to represent”; it can replace spielen when talking about acting a role.
sich beschäftigen means “to occupy oneself” or “to engage in an activity”; unlike spielen, it does not necessarily imply fun or a game.

There is no general antonym. In the context of a competition, verlieren (“to lose”) contrasts with gewinnen (“to win”), but neither is an opposite of spielen itself.