afspeelt

Afspeelt is not a standalone dictionary headword in standard Dutch, but a form related to the verb afspelen. In normal spelling, the present tense of a separable verb is written with the prefix at the end of the clause, for example speeld af or speelt af (as in “de video speelt af”). The infinitive is afspelen, and the past participle is afgespeeld.

The verb afspelen has two primary meanings. First, it means to play back a recording or audio-visual content, for instance on a media player. Second, it can mean to perform or enact something, such as a scene or event being carried out or depicted. In addition, the pronominal form zich afspelen means “to take place” or “to unfold,” as in the phrase “de gebeurtenissen spelen zich af.”

Usage notes emphasize the separable nature of the prefix af- with spelen. The common present-tense form for a subject in standard Dutch is two words: het/zij/je speelt af. The form afspeelt would typically be considered nonstandard or incorrect in contemporary writing. The past tense is formed as speelde af, and the perfect with hebben yields afgespeeld (for playback) or heeft afgespeeld in mouthful constructions.

Examples:

- De scène speelt zich af in een dorp. (The scene unfolds in a village.)

- De video speelt af wanneer u op de afspeelknop drukt. (The video plays back when you press the play button.)

Related terms include afspelen (playback), afspeellijst (playlist), afspeelknop (play button), en afspeler (player).