spielen
Translation
to play, to act, to perform
Examples
Die Kinder spielten im Garten.
The children were playing in the garden.
Wir spielten gestern Fußball.
We played football yesterday.
Sie spielten Karten bis spät in die Nacht.
They played cards late into the night.
Grammar Patterns
((sth.)) to play (sth.) We played football.
((with sb./sth.)) to play (with sb./sth.) The children played with the ball.
((for sth.)) to play (for sth.) They played for money.
Similar Words
Synonyms: sich vergnügen, zocken; Antonyms: arbeiten
Etymology
From Old High German 'spilon', meaning to dance or enjoy oneself.
Memory Tips
'spielten' is the past tense. Remember that verbs ending in '-ten' are often the plural past tense form.