jueguen

Jueguen is a Spanish verb form used with the verb jugar, meaning “to play.” It corresponds to the third person plural present subjunctive and to the affirmative informal command form (imperative) for ustedes. In practical terms, jueguen is used to express a wish, doubt, or hypothetical action about “they” or to give a group of people an instruction to play.

Conjugation and usage. In the present subjunctive, the forms are yo juegue, tú juegues, él juegue, nosotros juguemos, vosotros juguéis, ellos/ellas jueguen. The form jueguen appears in the third person plural present subjunctive (ellos/ustedes) and is also used as the affirmative imperative when addressing ustedes, as in "Jueguen cuando estén listos." The stem undergoes a regular present-subjunctive irregularity, shifting from jueg- to juegu- in some forms before the endings.

Examples. Subjunctive: Espero que ellos jueguen con cuidado. Espero que ustedes jueguen mañana. Imperative: Jueguen ahora mismo, por favor. Jueguen en equipo para practicar.

Etymology and morphology. Jueguen derives from the verb jugar, which goes through a stem change (e → ie in many present forms; the present subjunctive uses the juegu- stem). The form jueguen reflects standard subjunctive endings for ustedes/ellos.

See also. Jugar, conjugation, Spanish verb mood. Note that jueguen is context-dependent and appears in both subjunctive constructions and as a formal command to a group.