play

/pleɪ/ (bre, ipa) · /pleɪ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈplā/ (ame, mw)

play — 動詞

  • playpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • playshe / she / it
  • playedpast simple
  • playing-ing form

1. to spend time having fun rather than working — typical of children doing things

1.動詞不及物A1
釋義

玩耍

做為娛樂的活動，尤指小孩

to spend time having fun rather than working — typical of children doing things like running around, building with toys, or making up imaginary stories.

例句

Maya and her cousins played in the back garden all afternoon.

Maya 和她的表兄弟姐妹整個下午都在後院玩耍。

intransitive: subject + play + place phrase

The puppy loves to play with a small rubber ball.

這隻小狗喜歡玩一顆小橡膠球。

collocation: play with + toy

同義詞
  • have fun

    more general; works for adults too

  • frolic

    literary; suggests lively, joyful movement

  • mess about

    informal British; light, time-wasting fun

反義詞
  • work

    the standard contrast: serious effort vs. enjoyment

  • study

    specifically school-context contrast

文法句型

play with + toy/person

play in/at + place

用法筆記

Subject is usually a child, animal, or group of children. Distinguish from sense 2 (verb/2): this sense covers free, unstructured fun, while sense 2 needs a named game or sport.

常見錯誤

❌The children play the park.
✅The children play in the park.
💡needs a preposition (in/at/on) before the place.

2. to join in a sport, game, or other activity that has rules — for example, taking

2.動詞及物 / 不及物A1
釋義

玩；參加比賽

參與某種有規則的運動或遊戲

to join in a sport, game, or other activity that has rules — for example, taking part in a football match or sitting down to a board game with friends.

例句

Sofia plays tennis every Saturday morning at the community courts.

Sofia 每週六早上都在社區球場打網球。

transitive: play + sport (no article)

My grandfather still plays chess with his old school friend.

我祖父還是會跟他的老同學下西洋棋。

collocation: play + board game

同義詞
反義詞
  • watch

    watching the game vs. being in it

  • spectate

    formal counterpart of 'watch'

文法句型

play + game/sport

play in + tournament/team

用法筆記

When the object is a named sport (tennis, football, chess), no article is used: 'play tennis', not 'play the tennis'. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense always names a specific game or sport.

常見錯誤

❌I want to play the football after school.
✅I want to play football after school.
💡drop 'the' before sport names.
❌She plays in tennis on weekends.
✅She plays tennis on weekends.
💡direct object, no preposition for sports.

3. to face another person or team as your opponent in a sports match or game — the

3.動詞及物B1
釋義

對戰；交手

在比賽中與某人或某隊對抗

to face another person or team as your opponent in a sports match or game — the person or team you are trying to beat becomes the direct object.

例句

Liverpool play Manchester United at Anfield this Sunday.

利物浦本週日在 Anfield 球場對戰曼聯。

transitive: play + opposing team

I'll play you at table tennis after lunch if you dare.

如果你敢，午餐後我跟你比一場桌球。

pattern: play + person + at + game

同義詞
  • face

    common in sports journalism: 'France face Brazil'

  • compete against

    more formal; broader than sport

  • take on

    informal; suggests challenge

反義詞

文法句型

play + person/team

play + person + at + game

用法筆記

The direct object names the OPPONENT, not the game itself — that is the key difference from sense 2. Add 'at + game' if you need to mention what is being played: 'I played her at chess.'

常見錯誤

❌We played against the other school yesterday.' (in formal sports reports — 'against' is fine in speech but redundant.)
✅We played the other school yesterday.
💡'play' already implies opposition.
❌I played chess him.
✅I played him at chess.
💡opponent is direct object; game follows 'at'.

4. during a game, to strike a ball — by foot, racket, bat, or club — sending it in

4.動詞及物B1
釋義

擊球；踢球

在比賽中擊出或踢出球

during a game, to strike a ball — by foot, racket, bat, or club — sending it in a chosen direction or in a particular style.

例句

Federer played the backhand cleanly down the line.

Federer 把反拍乾淨地擊向邊線。

play + shot + adverbial direction

The young striker played the ball softly past the goalkeeper.

那位年輕的前鋒輕輕把球踢過守門員。

play + ball + adverb of manner

同義詞
  • hit

    neutral; works for racket and bat sports

  • strike

    more formal; common in football and golf

  • kick

    foot only; football specific

文法句型

play + ball/shot + adverbial

play + a shot

用法筆記

Almost always followed by an adverb or prepositional phrase describing direction or manner ('down the line', 'softly', 'past the keeper'). Common in tennis, golf, football, and cricket commentary.

常見錯誤

❌He played the ball.' (alone — feels incomplete)
✅He played the ball into the corner.
💡typically needs direction or manner.

5. during a round of cards, to take one card out of your hand and lay it face up so

5.動詞及物
釋義

出牌

在牌局中打出手中的一張牌

during a round of cards, to take one card out of your hand and lay it face up so that it counts as your move.

例句

Lina played the queen of hearts and smiled at her brother.

Lina 出了紅心 Q，對她弟弟微笑。

transitive: play + specific card

If you play that ace now, you'll have nothing left for the next round.

如果你現在就出那張 A，下一輪就沒得用了。

同義詞
  • lay down

    more visual; emphasises placing on the table

  • throw down

    informal; suggests a confident move

反義詞
  • hold

    keep the card in your hand instead

文法句型

play + card name

play + a card

用法筆記

The object is the specific card or card type ('the ace', 'a low club'). Frequently triggers strategic discussion in tutorials about card games. Distinguish from sense 4: ball sports vs. card games.

常見錯誤

❌I played with the king of spades.' (sounds like physical play with the card.)
✅I played the king of spades.
💡direct object, no 'with'.

6. to act on stage, in a film, or on television — either appearing in a production

6.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

飾演；演出

在戲劇或影片中扮演角色

to act on stage, in a film, or on television — either appearing in a production at all, or taking on a particular character such as Hamlet or a detective.

例句

Lina will play Juliet in the school's spring production.

Lina 將在學校春季公演中飾演茱麗葉。

transitive: play + character name

Daniel Kaluuya plays a young detective in the new BBC drama.

Daniel Kaluuya 在 BBC 新影集中飾演一名年輕警探。

play + a + role description

同義詞
  • act

    general performing-arts verb; can be intransitive

  • portray

    formal; stresses interpretation of a character

  • perform

    broader; covers music and dance too

  • star as

    implies a leading role

反義詞
  • direct

    guides actors rather than performing

文法句型

play + role/character

play + in + film/play

用法筆記

When transitive, the object is the character ('play Hamlet') or a role description ('play a young doctor'). When intransitive, usually followed by 'in + production/venue'. Distinguish from sense 7 (verb/7) — that sense is about pretending in everyday life, not on a stage.

常見錯誤

❌She plays as Hamlet in the new production.
✅She plays Hamlet in the new production.
💡no 'as' before the character name.
❌He played in the role of the doctor.
✅He played the role of the doctor.
💡drop 'in' when 'role' is the object.

7. to act as if you are a certain kind of person, or to copy a feeling you do not r

7.動詞及物B2
釋義

裝作；扮演

故意表現出某種樣子或角色

to act as if you are a certain kind of person, or to copy a feeling you do not really have, often so that other people will treat you a certain way.

例句

Marcus played the innocent when his mother asked who broke the vase.

媽媽問是誰打破花瓶時，Marcus 裝出一臉無辜的樣子。

play + the + adjective (pretend role)

Stop playing the victim every time someone gives you honest feedback.

別每次有人給你誠實的回饋，就一直裝可憐。

play + the + noun (assumed role)

同義詞
  • pretend

    more general; can take a that-clause or to-infinitive

  • act

    often paired with an adjective ('act tough'); very close in meaning

  • feign

    formal; usually with abstract nouns like illness or surprise

反義詞

文法句型

play + the + noun (role label)

play + adjective

用法筆記

Object is usually 'the + role noun' (the victim, the fool, the hero) or a bare adjective (dumb, cool, innocent). Implies the behaviour is staged rather than genuine — distinguishing it from sense 6, which is about acting on stage or screen.

常見錯誤

❌He played to be the boss.
✅He played the boss.
💡no infinitive after 'play' in this sense; use 'play + the + noun'.
❌She played as innocent.
✅She played innocent.
💡no 'as' before the adjective.

8. to fool someone, either as a joke or to get something you want from them without

8.動詞及物B2
釋義

耍；騙

用花招欺騙別人或佔人便宜

to fool someone, either as a joke or to get something you want from them without them realising.

例句

The con artist played the elderly couple for almost ten thousand dollars.

那個騙徒從那對老夫婦身上騙走了將近一萬美元。

play + somebody + for + amount (cheat out of)

Carlos realised his date had been playing him the whole evening.

Carlos 才發現自己整晚都被約會對象耍著玩。

play + somebody (deceive)

同義詞
  • trick

    neutral; doesn't always carry the bitter feeling 'play' has

  • deceive

    more formal; broader, not necessarily for personal gain

  • con

    informal; specifically for money or property

反義詞

文法句型

play + somebody

play + somebody + for + noun

用法筆記

Frequently passive ('I got played'). Often followed by 'for + amount' or 'for + a fool' to specify the result. Stronger and more informal than 'trick' — often implies the speaker feels foolish for falling for it.

常見錯誤

❌He played to me by lying about his job.
✅He played me by lying about his job.
💡no preposition between 'play' and the person.
❌They played him a fool.
✅They played him for a fool.
💡must include 'for' before the result.

9. to be one of the things that causes a result, especially when used in phrases li

9.動詞不及物B2
釋義

起作用；影響

對某結果產生影響或助力

to be one of the things that causes a result, especially when used in phrases like 'play a role' or 'play a part' to say how big the effect is.

例句

Luck played a huge part in Maya winning her first marathon.

Maya 第一次跑贏馬拉松，運氣起了很大的作用。

play a + adjective + part + in + noun

Social media played a key role in spreading the protest across the country.

社群媒體在這場抗議擴散到全國的過程中扮演了關鍵角色。

play a + adjective + role + in + noun

同義詞
  • contribute

    more neutral and analytical; usually 'contribute to'

  • factor in

    more clinical; common in analysis writing

  • influence

    broader; doesn't carry the role/part frame

文法句型

play + a + adjective + role/part + in + noun

something plays into/against somebody

用法筆記

Almost always appears in fixed frames: 'play a role/part in', 'play to/against someone's advantage', 'play into something'. Subject is usually an abstract cause (luck, timing, fear) or a factor — not a person acting deliberately.

常見錯誤

❌Money played to win the election.
✅Money played a big part in winning the election.
💡needs the 'play a [adj] part/role in' frame.
❌The weather played the team to lose.
✅The weather played against the team.
💡for negative effect, use 'play against'.

10. to make music by using a musical instrument such as a piano, guitar, or drums; o

10.動詞及物 / 不及物A2
釋義

演奏；彈

用樂器演出音樂

to make music by using a musical instrument such as a piano, guitar, or drums; or to perform a song or piece on one.

例句

Sofia plays the violin every morning before breakfast.

Sofia 每天早餐前都會拉小提琴。

play + the + instrument

Can you play 'Happy Birthday' on the keyboard for grandma?

你可以用電子琴彈一首〈生日快樂歌〉給奶奶聽嗎？

play + song + on + instrument

同義詞
  • perform

    more formal; for concerts and recitals

  • strum

    specific to guitars and similar string instruments

文法句型

play + instrument

play + piece

play + somebody + a song

用法筆記

British English usually keeps 'the' before the instrument (play the piano); American casual speech often drops it (play piano). Distinguish from sense 11: this sense is about a person making the music with their hands, whereas sense 11 is about a machine playing back recorded sound.

常見錯誤

❌She plays at the piano well.
✅She plays the piano well.
💡no 'at' before the instrument when meaning 'is skilled at'.
❌He plays a guitar in a band.
✅He plays guitar in a band.' (or 'plays the guitar')
💡'a' is rare unless specifying a particular instrument.

11. to make a recording, song, video, or radio give out its sound or pictures; or, o

11.動詞及物 / 不及物A2
釋義

播放

讓機器發出聲音或影像

to make a recording, song, video, or radio give out its sound or pictures; or, of the recording itself, to be heard or seen.

例句

Tomas played his favourite podcast while he washed the dishes.

Tomas 一邊洗碗，一邊播放他最喜歡的 podcast。

play + recording (start playback)

A jazz song was playing softly in the corner café.

咖啡廳角落輕輕播放著一首爵士歌曲。

song + was playing (be heard)

同義詞
  • stream

    specifically online playback

  • broadcast

    for wide transmission to many people; more formal

反義詞

文法句型

play + recording

music/song + plays

用法筆記

Works both ways: a person plays a track (transitive) and the track plays (intransitive). Distinguish from sense 10: this sense is about a device or recording producing the sound; sense 10 is about a person making music live on an instrument.

常見錯誤

❌The song was playing on by itself.
✅The song was playing by itself.
💡no 'on' after 'playing' in this sense.
❌I played the radio loud.
✅I played the radio loudly.' or 'I had the radio on loud.
💡adverb form, or use a different frame.

12. to send a steady flow of water, light, or similar across a surface, or to be sen

12.動詞及物 / 不及物
釋義

噴灑；照射

持續噴出水流或光束至某處

to send a steady flow of water, light, or similar across a surface, or to be sent that way — often used about fountains, hoses, and beams.

例句

Coloured fountains played across the palace gardens every evening at eight.

每天晚上八點，皇宮花園都會有彩色噴泉噴灑而出。

fountain + plays + across + place

The firefighters played their hoses over the burning roof for two hours.

消防員把水柱對著燃燒中的屋頂噴了兩個小時。

play + hose + over + surface

同義詞
  • spray

    everyday word for water; more specific

  • shine

    for light only

  • direct

    more general; doesn't imply a continuous stream

文法句型

play + over/onto/across + noun

play + something + on/over + noun

用法筆記

Subject or object is something that produces a continuous stream — water, light, a beam — never a single object thrown. Slightly literary or technical; in everyday speech people would more often say 'spray' for water or 'shine' for light.

常見錯誤

❌The fountain played the garden.
✅The fountain played over the garden.
💡needs a preposition (over, across, onto).
❌He played the water on the fire.
✅He played the hose on the fire.
💡the object is the device, not the substance.

13. (used about light, a smile, or a similar visible thing) to keep appearing for a

13.動詞不及物C1
釋義

閃動；掠過

光線、笑容等短暫地閃現或移動

(used about light, a smile, or a similar visible thing) to keep appearing for a moment and then disappearing, often shifting across a surface in a soft, dancing way.

例句

Sunlight played on the surface of the lake as the wind moved the water.

陽光在湖面上閃動，風吹起了水紋。

play on/across [surface] for soft moving light

A small smile played around Lina's lips when she heard the joke.

Lina 聽到那個笑話時，嘴角浮現了一抹淡淡的微笑。

play around/about [face/lips] for fleeting expressions

同義詞
  • flicker

    stronger sense of unsteady on-off motion

  • dance

    more lively and rhythmic; often of light or flames

  • shimmer

    softer, more continuous glow than 'play'

文法句型

play + adverb/preposition (about/across/over/on)

用法筆記

Almost always followed by a preposition of location (on, over, across, around, about). Subject is something visual and fleeting — light, shadow, a smile, an expression — never a solid moving object.

常見錯誤

❌A car played across the road.
✅A car moved across the road.
💡this sense only works for light, smiles, or other fleeting visual things, not solid objects.
❌Sunlight played the lake.
✅Sunlight played on the lake.
💡a preposition of location is required.

14. to put money on something — a horse race, a stock, or a business deal — in the h

14.動詞及物C1
釋義

下注；投機

把錢押在賭注或市場上希望賺更多

to put money on something — a horse race, a stock, or a business deal — in the hope that the result will let you take back more money than you put in.

例句

Mr. Chen played the stock market for thirty years and lost his savings twice.

Chen 先生玩了三十年股票，兩度賠光積蓄。

play + [the market] for speculating on financial outcomes

Her grandfather used to play fifty pounds on a horse every Saturday afternoon.

她的祖父以前每個星期六下午都會在馬上下注五十英鎊。

play + [amount of money] + on [a race]

同義詞
  • bet

    more general; covers any kind of wager, formal or casual

  • gamble

    stronger emphasis on risk and possible loss

  • wager

    more formal; common in horse racing or sports betting

  • speculate

    specifically of stocks, property, or markets

文法句型

play + [amount of money]

play + [the markets/stocks]

用法筆記

Object is either an amount of money (play £50) or a market/instrument being speculated on (play the stocks, play the futures). Distinguish from sense 5 (card play): 'play' a card means choosing one to put down, not betting money.

常見錯誤

❌He played gambling last night.
✅He gambled last night.' / 'He played fifty dollars on the game.
💡'play' in this sense needs a money amount or a market as its object.
❌She plays for the lottery every week.
✅She plays the lottery every week.
💡no preposition before the market or game name.

15. to fill a particular role on a sports team during a match — or, when used about

15.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

擔任；派上場

在球隊裡擔任某位置或派某人上場

to fill a particular role on a sports team during a match — or, when used about a coach, to choose someone to fill that role.

例句

Marcus plays goalkeeper for the school football team every Saturday morning.

Marcus 每週六早上在學校足球隊擔任守門員。

play + [position] for the player's own role

The coach played Lina at centre forward in last night's cup final.

教練在昨晚的盃賽決賽派 Lina 打中鋒。

play + [person] + at [position] for selecting a player

同義詞
  • field

    of a coach or team only; means putting players on the pitch

  • start

    American football and basketball usage; play from the beginning

  • feature

    more journalistic; the team or coach uses a player in a match

反義詞
  • bench

    to keep a player off the pitch on purpose

  • drop

    to remove a player from the team for a match

文法句型

play + [position]

play + [person] + at/in [position]

play + [person] + as [position]

用法筆記

Two patterns sit under one sense. Intransitive: the player is the subject ('she plays in goal'). Transitive: a coach is the subject and the player is the object ('the coach played her at centre forward'). Common prepositions are 'at' and 'in' before the position name.

常見錯誤

❌He plays as the goalkeeper.
✅He plays goalkeeper.' / 'He plays in goal.
💡no 'as' is needed when the player is the subject of this sense.
❌The coach played him goalkeeper.
✅The coach played him at goalkeeper.' / 'The coach played him in goal.
💡selection always uses 'at' or 'in' before the position.

play — 名詞