Spela

Spela is a Swedish verb meaning to play. It covers engaging in games or sports, performing a musical instrument, acting in a theatrical production, or taking part in recreational activities. Common usages include spela fotboll (to play football), spela piano (to play the piano), or spela teater (to act in theater).

In grammar, spela is conjugated as a regular verb in the present tense: jag spelar, du spelar, han/hon spelar, vi spelar, ni spelar, de spelar. The simple past is spelade (jag spelade, du spelade, etc.). The supine form is spelat, used with perfect tenses like har spelat. The imperative is spela. Present participle is spelande, and the past participle is spelad, used in passive constructions or perfect forms (låten är spelad).

Spela is often contrasted with leka, another Swedish verb meaning to play. Spela typically refers to deliberate performance, competition, or playing a musical instrument, while leka emphasizes spontaneous or childlike play.

Etymology and related forms: spela traces to Old Norse spila and is cognate with Danish spille and German spielen, all linked to the idea of performing or engaging in a game. The noun form spel means a game or play.

See also: spel (game), spelare (player), musikaliskt spel (musical performance).