Probably one of the most common mistakes made by our English or German-speaking students is using these verbs incorrectly. Yo juego la guitarra is one of the most frequently corrected sentences when the subject of hobbies or leisure activities comes up in a Spanish course. It’s OK, it’s time to learn and finally fix this problem. If you don’t want to confuse these verbs anymore, this post is perfect for you.
Why are these verbs so confusing for so many people? The answer is very simple, there is only one verb in English (play) and in German (spielen) to express what in Spanish we need 3 different verbs for: JUGAR, TOCAR and INTERPRETAR.
We use the verb JUGAR with sports or games. Have a look at the uses of this highly used verb.
JUGAR + a + deporte / actividad / juego
‘to play a sport or a game’
TOCAR + el/la/los/las + instrumento musical
Tania toca el piano y la trompeta, pero yo solo toco las maracas.
TOCAR
No puedes tocar mi ordenador sin mi permiso.
TOCAR
Creo que no hay nadie en casa. He tocado el timbre y no abren.
Para entrar en esa boutique tienes que tocar a la puerta.
INTERPRETAR + a un personaje / un papel
En mi nueva serie interpreto a una agente secreta.
After all this theory it’s time for you to check your knowledge of these important but tricky verbs.
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