Jugador

Jugador is a masculine noun in Spanish meaning a person who plays a game or sport, or who participates in an activity. The feminine form is jugadora, and the plural forms are jugadores (mixed or masculine) and jugadoras (feminine). In everyday use it covers a wide range of contexts, from sports and board games to video games, where it refers to the person controlling or engaging in play. In gambling contexts, un jugador can also mean a bettor or gambler.

Etymology and related forms: The word derives from the verb jugar, “to play,” plus the agent noun suffix -dor, yielding “one who plays.” The related adjective is jocoso in other contexts, but jugar-based forms are used for people who play.

Usage notes: In sports, ”jugador” is often qualified by the sport (jugador de fútbol, jugador de baloncesto), but it remains a common general term for a participant in a game. In video games, the term is standard for both players and avatars, with common phrases such as “jugador 1” and “jugador 2.” The gendered form allows explicit reference to female players as jugadora.

Cultural references: In literature and film, “El jugador” is the Spanish title of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novella The Gambler, a usage that has influenced Spanish-language adaptations and works sharing the gambling theme.