Unfolding the 'Jugar' Conjugation Chart in Spanish

In the Spanish language, ‘jugar’ is a common verb that translates as ‘to play.’ Whether you’re talking about sports, games, or play in a broader sense, ‘jugar’ is the verb you’ll use. ‘Jugar’ is unique as it is an ‘u’ to ‘ue’ stem-changing verb, making its conjugation slightly irregular. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the ‘jugar’ conjugation chart, providing an in-depth overview across multiple tenses and moods.

• Jugar in the Present Tense
• Jugar in the Preterite Tense
• Jugar in the Imperfect Tense
• Jugar in the Future Tense
• Jugar in the Conditional Tense
• Jugar in the Subjunctive Mood
• Common Phrases with Jugar

Jugar in the Present Tense

In the present tense, ‘jugar’ undergoes a stem change from ‘u’ to ‘ue’. Here’s the conjugation:

Person	Spanish
I play	Yo juego
You (informal) play	Tú juegas
He/She/It plays/You (formal) play	Él/Ella/Usted juega
We play	Nosotros/Nosotras jugamos
You (plural, informal) play	Vosotros/Vosotras jugáis
They play/You (plural, formal) play	Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes juegan

Notice that the ‘u’ to ‘ue’ change occurs in all forms except ‘nosotros/nosotras’ and ‘vosotros/vosotras.’

Jugar in the Preterite Tense

The preterite tense of ‘jugar’ follows the regular conjugation pattern for ‘-ar’ verbs:

Person	Spanish
I played	Yo jugué
You (informal) played	Tú jugaste
He/She/It played/You (formal) played	Él/Ella/Usted jugó
We played	Nosotros/Nosotras jugamos
You (plural, informal) played	Vosotros/Vosotras jugasteis
They played/You (plural, formal) played	Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes jugaron

Jugar in the Imperfect Tense

The imperfect tense of ‘jugar’ also follows the regular conjugation pattern for ‘-ar’ verbs:

Person	Spanish
I was playing/used to play	Yo jugaba
You (informal) were playing/used to play	Tú jugabas
He/She/It was playing/used to play/You (formal) were playing/used to play	Él/Ella/Usted jugaba
We were playing/used to play	Nosotros/Nosotras jugábamos
You (plural, informal) were playing/used to play	Vosotros/Vosotras jugabais
They were playing/used to play/You (plural, formal) were playing/used to play	Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes jugaban

Jugar in the Future Tense

In the future tense, ‘jugar’ follows the standard future tense conjugation pattern:

Person	Spanish
I will play	Yo jugaré
You (informal) will play	Tú jugarás
He/She/It will play/You (formal) will play	Él/Ella/Usted jugará
We will play	Nosotros/Nosotras jugaremos
You (plural, informal) will play	Vosotros/Vosotras jugaréis
They will play/You (plural, formal) will play	Ellos/E

llas/Ustedes jugarán

Jugar in the Conditional Tense

The conditional tense of ‘jugar’ follows the regular conditional tense conjugation pattern:

Person	Spanish
I would play	Yo jugaría
You (informal) would play	Tú jugarías
He/She/It would play/You (formal) would play	Él/Ella/Usted jugaría
We would play	Nosotros/Nosotras jugaríamos
You (plural, informal) would play	Vosotros/Vosotras jugaríais
They would play/You (plural, formal) would play	Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes jugarían

Jugar in the Subjunctive Mood

In the present subjunctive mood, ‘jugar’ continues to have a stem change from ‘u’ to ‘ue’. Here’s how it’s conjugated:

Person	Spanish
I play	Yo juegue
You (informal) play	Tú juegues
He/She/It play/You (formal) play	Él/Ella/Usted juegue
We play	Nosotros/Nosotras juguemos
You (plural, informal) play	Vosotros/Vosotras juguéis
They play/You (plural, formal) play	Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes jueguen

Note again that the stem change does not occur in the ‘nosotros/nosotras’ and ‘vosotros/vosotras’ forms.

Common Phrases with Jugar

1. ¿Quieres jugar al fútbol?: Do you want to play soccer?
2. Ayer jugamos a las cartas: Yesterday we played cards.
3. Jugará en el equipo nacional el próximo año: He/She will play in the national team next year.

In conclusion, ‘jugar’ is an essential verb in Spanish that follows a stem-changing pattern. Understanding and mastering its conjugation will enhance your Spanish fluency significantly. Happy learning!