Locuciones verbales
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| play for [sth] vtr phrasal insep | (sports: represent) | jugar para vi + prep |
| | | representar a vtr + prep |
| | David Beckham played for his country. |
| | David Beckham juega para su país. |
| play for [sth] vtr phrasal insep | (compete for prize) | jugar por vi + prep |
| | | competir por vi + prep |
| | The top three teams in the league are all playing for the title. |
| play [sb/sth] off [sb/sth] vtr phrasal sep | (set against: [sth] else) | enfrentar⇒ vtr |
| | | enfrentar a alguien con loc verb |
| | The capricious girl played off one suitor against the other. |
| | La caprichosa chica enfrentó a sus dos pretendientes. |
| | | poner en contra loc verb |
| | La caprichosa chica puso en contra a sus dos pretendientes. |
| play off vi phrasal | (sport: resolve a tied score) | desempatar⇒ vtr |
| | The two teams will play off for the division title. |
| | Los dos equipos desempatarán el domingo en la final del campeonato. |
| play on vi phrasal | (continue to make music) | seguir tocando loc verb |
| | | continuar tocando loc verb |
| | The orchestra is said to have played on as the Titanic was sinking. |
| | Dicen que la orquesta siguió tocando mientras el Titanic se hundía. |
| play on [sth] vtr phrasal insep | (exploit) | aprovecharse de algo loc verb |
| | Many confidence tricksters play on the sympathy of their victims. |
| | Muchos estafadores se aprovechan de la simpatía de sus víctimas. |
| | | sacar provecho a algo loc verb |
| | Muchos estafadores sacan provecho a la simpatía de sus víctimas. |
| play [sth] out vtr phrasal sep | (enact) | interpretar⇒ vtr |
| | | representar⇒ vtr |
| | The director made the actors play the scene out again with a slightly different emphasis. |
| | El director hizo que los actores interpretaran la escena nuevamente con un énfasis un poco diferente. |
| play out vi phrasal | (proceed to the end) | desarrollarse⇒ v prnl |
| | | evolucionar⇒, avanzar⇒ vi |
| | Nobody knows how this little drama will play out. |
| | Nadie sabe cómo se desarrollará este pequeño drama. |
| play up vi phrasal | UK, informal (child: misbehave) | portarse mal v prnl + adv |
| | The children got bored on the long journey and started playing up. |
| | Los niños se aburrían con el viaje largo y empezaron a portarse mal. |
| play up vi phrasal | informal (appliance: malfunction) | andar mal vi + adv |
| | | funcionar mal vi + adv |
| | The washing machine suddenly started playing up. |
| | La lavadora empezó a andar mal de repente. |
play [sth] up,
play up [sth] vtr phrasal sep | US, informal (draw attention to [sth]) | resaltar⇒ vi |
| | She always used heavy eyeliner to play up her blue eyes. |
| | Siempre se maquilla mucho para resaltar sus ojos azules. |
| play upon [sth] vtr phrasal insep | (exploit, take advantage of) | aprovecharse de v prnl + prep |
| | ⓘEsta oración no es una traducción de la original. Ya lo sabes, Carla siempre se aprovecha de sus novios: esta vez le pidió a Jordi que la llevara de vacaciones a Córcega. |
| play with [sth] vtr phrasal insep | (tamper or fiddle with) | juguetear con vi + prep |
| | | toquetear⇒ vtr |
| | | manosear⇒ vtr |
| | Beth was playing with one of her earrings nervously. |
| | Beth jugueteaba nerviosamente con uno de sus aretes. |
Compound Forms:
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| play [sb] false vtr + adv | (betray) | traicionar a vtr + prep |
| play fast and loose with [sth] v expr | slang (do [sth] recklessly) | tomar a la ligera loc verb |
| play fast and loose with [sth] v expr | slang (do [sth] deceitfully) | tomarse a alguien a la ligera loc verb |
play favorites (US),
play favourites (UK) v expr | (show partiality) | tener favoritismo loc verb |
| | My boss plays favorites; his buddies get the plum assignments, and the rest of us get the menial work. |
| | ⓘEsta oración no es una traducción de la original. No es bueno que los padres tengan favoritismo por alguno de sus hijos. |
| play fetch vtr + n | informal (dog: retrieve a thrown ball) | jugar a lanzar la pelota loc verb |
| | | jugar a buscar y traer loc verb |
| | Try playing fetch with your dog every morning. |
| | Trata de jugar a lanzarle la pelota a tu perro todas las mañanas. |
| play footsie vtr + n | (flirt by touching feet) | coquetear tocándose los pies loc verb |
play footsie with [sb],
play footsies with [sb] v expr | (flirt by touching feet) | coquetear tocándole los pies a loc verb |
play footsie with [sb],
play footsies with [sb] v expr | informal (collude with) | confabularse con v prnl + prep |
| play for time v expr | (delay [sth]) (coloquial) | ganar tiempo loc verb |
| play games vtr + npl | informal, figurative (be inconsistent) (informal, figurado) | jugar⇒ vi |
| | (informal) | andar con vueltas loc verb |
| | I wish Derek would stop playing games and make a clear decision about what he intends to do. |
| | Ojalá Derek dejara de jugar y tomara un decisión sobre sus intenciones. |
| play games vtr + npl | (do sports, activities) | jugar⇒ vi |
| | The children spent the afternoon playing games. |
| | Los chicos pasaron la tarde jugando. |
| play God v expr | figurative (make life-and-death decisions) | jugar a ser Dios loc verb |
| | Ivan opposes euthanasia because he believes that nobody has the right to play God. |
| play gooseberry vtr + n | UK, figurative, informal (be unwanted extra person) (ES: coloquial) | hacer de carabina, ir de sujetavelas loc verb |
| | (MX: coloquial) | hacer mal tercio loc verb |
| | (CO: coloquial) | ir de violinista loc verb |
| | (AmL: coloquial) | ir de chaperón, ir de chaperona loc verb |
| | Lisa did not want to play gooseberry on another couple's date. |
| play hard to get v expr | (act aloof toward potential mate) (coloquial) | hacerse el difícil loc verb |
| | (AR, coloquial) | histeriquear⇒ vi |
| | David really wants Zoe to be his girlfriend, but she's always playing hard to get with him. |
| play hardball v expr | (be ruthless) | ser despiadado loc verb |
| play havoc with [sth] v expr | (bring chaos to) | arruinar⇒ vtr |
| | The train strike is playing havoc with my travel plans. |
| | El paro de trenes está arruinando mis planes de viaje. |
| | | dar al traste con loc verb |
| | El paro de trenes está dando el traste con mis planes de viaje. |
| | | echar a perder loc verb |
| | El paro de trenes está echando a perder mis planes de viaje. |
| | | hacer desastres con loc verb |
| | El paro de trenes está haciendo desastres con mis planes de viaje. |
| | (AR, CL, coloquial) | embarrar⇒ vtr |
| | El paro de trenes está embarrando mis planes de viaje. |
| play hell with [sth/sb] v expr | figurative (bring injury, harm to) (persona) | hacerle la vida un infierno a loc verb |
| | (objeto) | hacer pelota loc verb |
| play hob with [sth] v expr | US, informal (do mischief to) | afectar⇒ vtr |
play hooky,
play hookey v expr | mainly US, informal (play truant, be absent from school) | faltar a clase loc verb |
| | (ES: coloquial) | hacer novillos, hacer pellas loc verb |
| | (AR, UY: coloquial) | ratearse⇒ v prnl |
| | (AR, UY: coloquial) | hacerse la rata, hacerse la rabona loc verb |
| | I regret having played hooky in high school. |
| | Me arrepiento de haber faltado a clase en el bachillerato. |
| | (CO: coloquial) | capar clase loc verb |
| | (CL: coloquial) | capear clases, hacer la cimarra, correrse de clases, hacer la chancha loc verb |
| | (PR: coloquial) | hacer la campana, cortar clase loc verb |
| | (BO: coloquial) | irse de pinta loc verb |
| play house vtr + n | US (children: pretend to be family) | jugar a la casita loc verb |
| | | jugar a mamá y papá, jugar a papá y mamá loc verb |
| | The children were playing house in the yard. |
| play into [sb]'s hands v expr | (unknowingly do what [sb] wanted) (coloquial) | caer en el juego de loc verb |
| | | entrar en el juego de loc verb |
play into the hands of [sb],
play into [sb]'s hands v expr | (give [sb] an advantage) | ayudar a, favorecer a vtr + prep |
| | | darle ventaja a loc verb + prep |
| play it by ear v expr | figurative (improvise) | ver qué pasa loc verb |
| | | improvisar⇒ vi |
| | What will we do tomorrow? Let's play it by ear. |
| | | improvisar⇒ vtr |
| | No sé cómo lo voy a hacer, ya inventaré algo sobre la marcha. |
| play it by the numbers v expr | figurative, informal (do [sth] conventionally, by the rules) | hacer algo según las reglas loc verb |
play it close to the chest,
play it close to your chest v expr | figurative (avoid taking risks) | no correr riesgos loc verb |
| play jazz v expr | (make jazz music) | tocar jazz loc verb |
| | | hacer jazz loc verb |
| play mat n | (floor covering) | alfombra de juego, alfombra de juegos loc nom f |
| play music v expr | (make music, play an instrument) (música) | tocar⇒ vtr |
| | Shane struggles to read musical notation but has a talent for playing music by ear. |
| | | hacer música loc verb |
| play music v expr | (listen to recorded music) | escuchar música loc verb |
| | I like to play music while I'm cooking the dinner. |
| play nice v expr | US (children: play without fighting) | portarse bien v prnl + adv |
| | | no pelear loc verb |
| play nice v expr | mainly US, figurative (adults: not behave unkindly) | jugar limpio loc verb |
| play-off n | (series of games in championship) | eliminatoria nf |
| | | ronda clasificatoria nf + adj |
| | | liguilla nf |
| | The Lakers didn't make it to the play-offs this year. |
| | Los Lakers no llegaron a la eliminatoria este año. |
| play on the beat v expr | (music) | tocar en ritmo loc verb |
play on the heartstrings,
play on your heartstrings v expr | figurative (sentiment, emotion) (figurado) | tocar la fibra sensible expr |
| | When my toddler begs "Please, Mummy!" it plays on my heartstrings. |
| play on words n | (pun) | juego de palabras loc nom m |
| | It wasn't serious, just a play on words. |
| | ⓘEsta oración no es una traducción de la original. Lamentablemente hay muchos juegos de palabras que se perderán en la traducción. |
| play politics v expr | (engage in political intrigue) | hacer política loc verb |
| play politics v expr | (be opportunistic and manipulative) | hacer política loc verb |
| play possum v expr | (pretend to be dead) | hacerse el muerto, hacerse la muerta loc verb |
| play Russian roulette with [sth] v expr | figurative (take a foolish risk) | jugar a la ruleta rusa loc verb |
| | Driving while intoxicated is playing Russian roulette with other people's lives. |
| | Conducir borracho es jugar a la ruleta rusa con la vida de otras personas. |
play safe,
play it safe v expr | informal (avoid taking risks) | ir sobre seguro, caminar sobre seguro loc verb |
| | The gymnast considered attempting the flip, but decided to play it safe and stick with the routine she knew well. |
| | La gimnasta se planteó hacer un mortal, pero decidió ir sobre seguro y seguir con la coreografía que se sabía. |
play school,
play schools v expr | (children: pretend to teach) | jugar a la escuela, jugar a la escuelita loc verb |
| play script n | (words in a play) | guion nm |
play second fiddle,
play second fiddle to [sb] v expr | figurative (be considered less important) | ir de segundón, ir de segundona loc verb |
| | She always played second fiddle to her talented older sister. |
| | Siempre va de segundona de su talentosa hermana mayor. |
| | | estar a la sombra loc verb |
| | Siempre ha estado a la sombra de su talentosa hermana mayor. |
| play sports vtr + npl | (participate in physical games) | hacer deporte loc verb |
| | Ryan plays sports five times a week to keep in shape. |
| play tag v expr | (children: chase one another) (ES) | jugar al pilla pilla, jugar a pillar loc verb |
| | (AR, BO, UY) | jugar a la mancha loc verb |
| | (MX) | jugar a las traes loc verb |
| | (CO, PE) | jugar pega loc verb |
| | Ben fell and grazed his knee while he and his friends were playing tag. |
| | (CR) | jugar la anda loc verb |
| play the devil with [sth] v expr | informal (ruin, spoil) | arruinar⇒ vtr |
| | | destruir⇒ vtr |
| play the drums v expr | (music: be a drummer) | tocar la batería loc verb |
| | Francisco plays the drums for the group Watchmen. |
| | Francisco toca la batería en el grupo "Centinelas". |
| | | ser el baterista, ser la baterista loc verb |
| | Francisco es el baterista del grupo "Centinelas". |
| | | ser el batería, ser la batería loc verb |
| | Francisco es el batería del grupo "Centinelas". |
| play the field v expr | figurative, informal (have many relationships) (AR: coloquial) | jugar a varias puntas vi + loc adv |
| | (AmC, CO: coloquial) | ser perro v cop + adj |
| | Simon has gained a reputation for playing the field. |
| | Simon se ganó una reputación de jugar a varias puntas. |
| | Simon tiene fama de ser perro. |
| play the fool v expr | (behave in a silly way) | hacerse el tonto loc verb |
| | Bob enjoyed playing the fool in front of his grandchildren. |
| | A Bob le gusta hacerse el tonto con sus nietos. |
| play the game v expr | figurative (co-operate, conform) | conocer las reglas del juego expr |
| | No wonder he's a success, he really knows how to play the game. |
| | Para tener éxito en la política, es necesario conocer las reglas del juego. |
play the hand you are dealt,
play the hand that you are dealt,
play the hand you're dealt v expr | figurative (work with what you have) | arreglárselas con lo que hay loc verb |
| play the part of [sb] v expr | (act the role of) (formal) | representar el papel de loc verb + prep |
| | | hacer el papel de, hacer la parte de loc verb + prep |
| | | interpretar a vtr + prep |
| | | hacer de vi + prep |
| | Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman starred in "Casablanca", and Dooley Wilson played the part of Sam. |
| | Humphrey Bogart e Ingrid Bergman coprotagonizaron Casablanca, y Dooley Wilson representó el papel de Sam. |
| | Humphrey Bogart e Ingrid Bergman coprotagonizaron Casablanca, y Dooley Wilson hizo de Sam. |
| play the role v expr | (act the part) | desempeñar el papel loc verb |
| | Podría decirse que, en los anfibios, la piel desempeña el papel de los pulmones de los mamíferos, aunque solo parcialmente. |
| | | hacer el papel vtr |
| | Es usual que en un interrogatorio un policía haga el papel del malo. |
| | | jugar el papel vtr |
| | En la escena, el policía juega el papel de cómplice del robo. |
| play the violin v expr | (music: be a violinist) | tocar el violín loc verb |
| | He plays the violin in the orchestra. |
| | Toca el violín en la orquesta. |
play the waiting game,
play a waiting game v expr | informal (delay [sth] to gain advantage) | dejar pasar tiempo loc verb |
| play therapy | (psychotherapy) (psicoterapia) | terapia de juego loc nom f |
| play to the gallery v expr | (show off) | alardear⇒ vi |
| | | presumir⇒ vi |
| play tricks on [sb] v expr | informal (deceive) | jugar con vi + prep |
| | | engañar a vtr + prep |
| play truant v expr | (be absent from school without permission) | faltar a clase loc verb |
| | (ES: coloquial) | hacer novillos, hacer pellas loc verb |
| | (AR, UY: coloquial) | hacerse la rata, hacerse la rabona loc verb |
| | (CO: coloquial) | capar clase loc verb |
| | The boy received a detention for playing truant. |
| | (CL: coloquial) | capear clases, hacer la cimarra, correrse de clases, hacer la chancha loc verb |
| | (PR: coloquial) | hacer la campana, cortar clase loc verb |
| | (BO: coloquial) | irse de pinta loc verb |
| play with [sth] vi + prep | (child: amuse self with) | jugar con vi + prep |
| | Lucy was playing with her favourite doll. |
| | Lucy estaba jugando con su muñeca preferida. |
play with a full deck,
have a full deck v expr | informal, figurative (be mentally competent) | estar en su sano juicio loc verb |
| | | estar cuerdo loc verb |
| Note: Usually in the negative |
| | I'm not sure that guy's playing with a full deck. |
| | No estoy seguro de que ese tipo esté en su sano juicio. |
| play with fire v expr | figurative (risk danger) (figurado) | jugar con fuego loc verb |
| | | ponerse en riesgo v prnl + loc adv |
| | | arriesgarse⇒ v prnl |
| | Computer users are playing with fire if they don't keep their anti-virus software up to date. |
| | Driving at such high speeds is playing with fire. |
| | Los usuarios de computadora juegan con fuego si no mantienen actualizado su antivirus. // Conducir tan rápido es jugar con fuego. |
| play with yourself v expr | (masturbate) | tocarse⇒ v prnl |
| | (coloquial) | hacerse una paja loc verb |
| | | masturbarse⇒ v prnl |
| play your cards v expr | informal, figurative (behave strategically) (figurado) | jugar bien sus cartas loc verb |
| | If he plays his cards right, he could get to go to New York. |
| | Si juega bien sus cartas, podría terminar en Nueva York. |
play your cards close to the chest,
play your cards close to your chest v expr | figurative (avoid taking risks) | no tomar riesgos loc verb |
| play your cards right v expr | figurative (act sensibly, cleverly) | jugar bien las cartas expr |
| play your part v expr | mainly UK (contribute, participate) (coloquial) | hacer su parte vtr |
| | Each of us needs to play our part to make the world a better place. |
| | Cada uno debe hacer su parte para hacer de éste un lugar mejor. |
| play your trump card v expr | figurative (make use of an advantage) | jugar su mejor carta loc verb |
| play-acting n | (histrionics, affectation) (figurado, coloquial) | teatro nm |
| | | drama nm |
| | | actuación nf |
| play-acting n | (pretending, playing roles) | teatro nm |
| | | actuación nf |