juegas
“juegas” means “you play” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
you play, you are playing
Also: do you play?
📝 In Action
¿A qué juegas en tu tiempo libre?
A1What do you play (or what games do you play) in your free time?
Si juegas bien, podemos ganar el partido.
A2If you play well, we can win the game.
Sé que juegas muy bien al ajedrez.
A2I know that you play chess very well.
you gamble, you bet
Also: you take a risk
📝 In Action
¿Juegas mucho en el casino?
B1Do you gamble a lot at the casino?
Juegas con fuego si sigues mintiendo.
B2You are playing with fire (taking a big risk) if you keep lying.
Me pregunto cuánto dinero juegas cada semana.
B1I wonder how much money you bet every week.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: juegas
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'juegas' in its figurative sense (meaning 'to risk or gamble')?
📚 More Resources
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin verb *jocare*, which meant 'to joke' or 'to jest.' Over time, its meaning expanded in Spanish to include the idea of playing games and having fun, much like English uses 'play'.
First recorded: Old Spanish (around 10th-11th century)
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
If I want to ask someone, 'Are you playing right now?' should I use 'juegas'?
Yes! In Spanish, the simple present tense ('tú juegas') is often used to mean both 'you play' (habitually) and 'you are playing' (right now). So, '¿Juegas ahora?' is perfectly natural.
Is 'juegas' formal or informal?
'Juegas' uses the 'tú' form, which is the informal way to address one person (like a friend, family member, or child). If you need to be formal or address an elder, you would use 'usted juega'.