Verb · stem change, u to ue
jugar
to play a game or sport
The thing that catches people out
The only verb where u becomes ue: juego, juegas. Games and sport take jugar, often with a: juego al fútbol. Playing an instrument is tocar.
Present
What happens, and what is happening now.
| yo | juego | |
| tú | juegas | |
| él, ella, usted | juega | |
| nosotros | jugamos | |
| ellos, ustedes | juegan | |
| vosotros, Spain only | jugáis |
Preterite, the finished past
Something that happened and is over: yesterday, last year, once.
| yo | jugué | |
| tú | jugaste | |
| él, ella, usted | jugó | |
| nosotros | jugamos | |
| ellos, ustedes | jugaron | |
| vosotros, Spain only | jugasteis |
Imperfect, the background past
What used to happen, or was going on when something else happened.
| yo | jugaba | |
| tú | jugabas | |
| él, ella, usted | jugaba | |
| nosotros | jugábamos | |
| ellos, ustedes | jugaban | |
| vosotros, Spain only | jugabais |
Future
Will do. In conversation, ir a plus the verb is more common: voy a comer.
| yo | jugaré | |
| tú | jugarás | |
| él, ella, usted | jugará | |
| nosotros | jugaremos | |
| ellos, ustedes | jugarán | |
| vosotros, Spain only | jugaréis |
Present perfect
Have done. Used far more in Spain, where it covers today; most of Latin America uses the preterite there.
| yo | he jugado | |
| tú | has jugado | |
| él, ella, usted | ha jugado | |
| nosotros | hemos jugado | |
| ellos, ustedes | han jugado | |
| vosotros, Spain only | habéis jugado |
Other forms
The -ing form, the form that follows he, has and ha, and how to tell someone to do it.
| -ing form | jugando | |
| participle | jugado | |
| command, to tú | juega | |
| command, to usted | juegue |
In a sentence
juego al fútbol los sábados
I play football on Saturdays
¿quieres jugar?
do you want to play?