Inklingo

How to Say "game" in Spanish

English → Spanish

juego

khweh-goˈxweɣo

NounA1General
Use 'juego' for general recreational activities, sports in general, or a specific instance of playing a game like chess or a video game.
Two smiling children sitting across from each other at a small table, focused on playing a colorful board game.

Examples

Me encanta jugar videojuegos con mis amigos.

I love playing video games with my friends.

El fútbol es mi juego favorito.

Soccer is my favorite game.

Compramos un juego de mesa para la fiesta.

We bought a board game for the party.

Los niños están en el parque de juegos.

The children are at the playground (park of games).

partido

par-TEE-dohpaɾˈti.ðo

NounA1General
Use 'partido' specifically when referring to a sports match or game, like a soccer or basketball game.
Two stylized figures kicking a soccer ball on a green field, representing a game.

Examples

El próximo partido de tenis será emocionante.

The next tennis match will be exciting.

¿A qué hora es el partido de fútbol?

What time is the soccer game?

Vimos un partido de tenis increíble ayer.

We watched an incredible tennis match yesterday.

El resultado del partido fue inesperado.

The result of the match was unexpected.

caza

KAH-sahˈkaθa

NounB1General
Use 'caza' when referring to the act of hunting animals, or the animals that are hunted collectively.
A person in camouflage attire kneeling in a lush green forest, pointing at clear animal tracks on the dirt path, illustrating the activity of hunting.

Examples

La caza furtiva amenaza a muchas especies.

Poaching threatens many species.

La caza de ballenas está prohibida internacionalmente.

Whaling (the hunting of whales) is internationally prohibited.

Se levantaron al amanecer para ir de caza.

They got up at dawn to go hunting.

La caza menor es parte de la dieta del zorro.

Small game (small hunted animals) is part of the fox's diet.

Always Feminine

Even though 'caza' ends in 'a', remember it always uses feminine articles: 'la caza', 'una caza'.

pasatiempo

pa-sah-tee-ehm-pohpasaˈtjempo

NounB1General
Use 'pasatiempo' for a pastime, hobby, or a game of skill like a crossword puzzle or Sudoku.
A wooden jigsaw puzzle with several pieces connected and one piece being placed into a gap.

Examples

Hacer crucigramas es mi pasatiempo favorito.

Doing crosswords is my favorite pastime.

Compré una revista de pasatiempos para el viaje.

I bought a puzzle magazine for the trip.

Este pasatiempo de lógica es casi imposible de resolver.

This logic puzzle is almost impossible to solve.

En la última página del periódico siempre hay un pasatiempo.

There is always a puzzle on the last page of the newspaper.

Plural Use

When referring to the 'puzzle section' of a newspaper or a magazine full of games, we usually use the plural: 'los pasatiempos'.

Puzzle vs. Rompecabezas

Mistake: “Estoy haciendo un pasatiempo de mil piezas.”

Correction: Estoy haciendo un rompecabezas de mil piezas. Use 'rompecabezas' for jigsaw puzzles and 'pasatiempo' for word or logic games like crosswords.

Juego vs. Partido

Learners often confuse 'juego' and 'partido'. Remember, 'partido' is almost exclusively used for a specific sports match (like a soccer game), while 'juego' is broader and can refer to the activity of playing in general or non-sport games.

Related Translations

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