The English verb "play" means "to engage in, to perform" in English. It is a regular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "play" across all 5 tenses. New to English verbs? Start with the English verb guide.
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How to Conjugate "play" in the Present Tense
Simple Present Actions happening now or regularly| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| I | I | play |
| you | you (singular) | play |
| he/she/it | he/she/it | plays |
| we | we | play |
| you | you (plural) | play |
| they | they | play |
He plays games with his brother.
Ele joga jogos com seu irmão.
How to Conjugate "play" in the Past Tense
Simple Past Actions that happened in the past| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| I | I | played |
| you | you (singular) | played |
| he/she/it | he/she/it | played |
| we | we | played |
| you | you (plural) | played |
| they | they | played |
She played a game on her phone.
Ella jugó un juego en su teléfono.
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Simple Future Actions that will happen| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| I | I | will play |
| you | you (singular) | will play |
| he/she/it | he/she/it | will play |
| we | we | will play |
| you | you (plural) | will play |
| they | they | will play |
He will play a game on his phone.
Él jugará un juego en su teléfono.
How to Conjugate "play" in the Present (-ing) Tense
Present Continuous Actions happening right now| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| I | I | am playing |
| you | you (singular) | are playing |
| he/she/it | he/she/it | is playing |
| we | we | are playing |
| you | you (plural) | are playing |
| they | they | are playing |
He is playing soccer outside today.
Él está jugando fútbol afuera hoy.
How to Conjugate "play" in the Have done Tense
Present Perfect Actions completed with present relevance| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| I | I | have played |
| you | you (singular) | have played |
| he/she/it | he/she/it | has played |
| we | we | have played |
| you | you (plural) | have played |
| they | they | have played |
He has played the guitar often.
Él ha tocado la guitarra a menudo.
Frequently Asked Questions About "play"
Is "play" regular or irregular in English?
"Play" is a regular English verb that follows standard conjugation patterns for its verb group.
What does "play" mean in English?
The English verb "play" means "to engage in, to perform" in English.
How do you conjugate "play" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Simple Present): I → play, you → play, he/she/it → plays, we → play, you → play, they → play.
How many tenses does "play" have in English?
"Play" is conjugated across 5 tenses in English: Present, Past, Future, Present (-ing), Have done.
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