spilað

Spilað is the past participle of the Icelandic verb spila, meaning to play. It is used in two main grammatical functions: to form perfect tenses with the auxiliary hafa (have/has played) and to form passive constructions with the auxiliary vera (be/was played). The participle is inflected for gender and number in passive sentences, so different subject genders and numbers have corresponding forms.

In perfect tenses, spilað appears after hafa to indicate completed action. For example, ég hef spilað tennis or ég hef spilað tónlist, meaning I have played tennis or I have performed music. This use does not require a separate passive meaning; it is the standard past participle in active contexts. In passive constructions, spilað (with appropriate gender and number endings) forms part of a verb phrase with vera. For example, leikurinn var spilaður (the game was played) uses a masculine singular form; other subjects will require the corresponding passive form.

Commonly, spilað also appears in fixed expressions and in descriptions of music or games that have been played. Its meaning remains closely tied to the act of playing, whether describing completed playing or the result of a session.

Etymology and related forms: spilað derives from the Icelandic verb spila, which has cognates in other Scandinavian languages. The past participle spilað is one of several participial forms used in Icelandic to express tense and voice, alongside other forms such as spilaður and spiluð that agree with the subject’s gender and number in passive constructions.

See also: spila, spilaður, spiluð, Icelandic verb forms.