Inklingo
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jugado

/hoo-GAH-doh/

played

A soccer ball sitting still on a bright green field next to a portion of a white goalpost, indicating the game has been completed.

As a past participle, jugado means "played," referring to an action that has been completed, such as having played a sport.

jugado(Past Participle)

A1regular ar

played

?

as part of a compound tense (e.g., 'have played')

📝 In Action

Hemos jugado a las cartas toda la tarde.

A1

We have played cards all afternoon.

Ella ya había jugado ese videojuego antes.

A2

She had already played that video game before.

💡 Grammar Points

Forming Perfect Tenses

This word is the building block for actions completed in the past. You must always use a form of the verb 'haber' (to have) right before 'jugado' to make sense: 'yo he jugado', 'tú has jugado', etc.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using 'Ser' or 'Estar'

Mistake: "Los niños son jugado."

Correction: The participle 'jugado' is almost always used with 'haber' to form tenses, never 'ser' or 'estar' in this context. Correction: 'Los niños han jugado'.

⭐ Usage Tips

Always Invariable

When used with 'haber' to form a perfect tense, 'jugado' never changes its ending, regardless of who is doing the action (he, she, we, they). It stays 'jugado'.

A deck of playing cards lightly scattered across a wooden table next to an empty glass, illustrating that the activity of playing is finished.

Used as an adjective, jugado describes an activity, such as a card game, that has already "played" out or taken place.

jugado(Adjective)

mB1

played

?

describing an activity that has taken place

Also:

experienced

?

informal/regional, referring to a person

,

risky

?

describing a situation

📝 In Action

El partido jugado ayer fue el mejor de la temporada.

B1

The game played yesterday was the best of the season.

No te preocupes por él, es un hombre muy jugado y sabe lo que hace.

B2

Don't worry about him, he's a very experienced/street-smart man and knows what he's doing.

Fue una jugada muy jugada, pudimos perderlo todo.

C1

It was a very risky move; we could have lost everything.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • inexperto (inexperienced)

Common Collocations

  • partido jugado – played match
  • ser muy jugado – to be very street-smart

💡 Grammar Points

Adjective Agreement

When 'jugado' acts as an adjective, it must change its ending to match the noun it describes: 'el partido jugado' (masculine singular), 'las cartas jugadas' (feminine plural).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Mixing Adjective and Participle

Mistake: "La mesa está jugado."

Correction: If you are using it as an adjective with 'estar' or 'ser', it must agree in gender and number. Correction: 'La mesa está jugada' (feminine singular).

⭐ Usage Tips

Regional Nuance

The meaning 'experienced' or 'street-smart' is very common in some parts of Latin America and Spain, often implying someone who has seen and done a lot, sometimes involving danger or risk.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: jugado

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence uses 'jugado' as part of a compound verb tense?

📚 More Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

How is 'jugado' different from 'jugando'?

'Jugado' is the 'past participle' (the '-ed' form in English, like 'played'), used for completed actions. 'Jugando' is the 'gerund' (the '-ing' form, like 'playing'), used for actions that are currently happening or ongoing.

Can I use 'jugado' with 'ser' or 'estar'?

Yes, but only when it functions as an adjective (meaning 'played' or 'experienced'), not when it's forming a perfect tense. Example: 'El juego está jugado' (The game is played/over).