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German
Etymology
Inherited from Middle High German spil(e)n, from Old High German spilōn, from Proto-West Germanic *spilōn.
Pronunciation
Verb
spielen (weak, third-person singular present spielt, past tense spielte, past participle gespielt, auxiliary haben)
- (intransitive, often with mit (with)) to play (engage in some activity for fun or entertainment)
Die Kinder spielen draußen.- The children are playing outside.
Die Katze spielt mit einer Schnur.- The cat is playing with a string.
- 1846, edited by G. Phillips and G. Görres, Historisch-politische Blätter für das katholische Deutschland, 17th volume, München, page 809:
Entschieden zu verwerfen war dabei nur die unwürdige Verkappung, welche mit der wahren Herzensmeinung Versteckens spielen, den platten, gedankenlosen Unglauben immer noch in den Mantel einer gewissen Christlichkeit hüllen, die oben bezeichnete lustige Lebensphilosophie, die keine ascetischen Gesichter sehen kann, immer noch für halbweg und gewissermaßen katholisch ausgeben wollte.- (please add an English translation of this quotation)
- (transitive) to play, to engage in (a game, a sport, etc.)
- Karten spielen ― to play cards
- (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
- den Narren spielen ― to play the fool
- (intransitive) to take place, to be set (in a particular time or place; of fiction)
Das Spiel spielt in einer postapokalyptischen Zukunft.- The game is set in a post-apocalyptic future.
Conjugation
Conjugation of
spielen (
weak, auxiliary
haben)
1Rare except in very formal contexts; alternative in würde normally preferred.
Composed forms of
spielen (
weak, auxiliary
haben)
Derived terms
Related terms
Further reading
- “spielen” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
- “spielen” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
- “spielen” in Duden online
- “spielen” in OpenThesaurus.de