How do you say game in Spanish?

Game in Spanish can be juego, partido, or partida depending on context. Juego is the general word for game (board games, video games, the concept of play). Partido is a sports match. Partida is a round or session of a game like chess, cards, or an online match.

When do I use partido vs. juego?

Use partido for organized sports matches: el partido de fútbol, el partido de tenis. Use juego for games in general, board games, and video games: un juego de mesa, un videojuego. A simple test: if you'd watch it in a stadium, it's a partido; if you'd play it at a table or on a screen, it's a juego.

What does partida mean in Spanish?

Partida means a single round or session of a game—una partida de ajedrez (a game of chess), una partida de cartas (a hand of cards), una partida de Fortnite (a match in Fortnite). It focuses on the individual playthrough rather than the game as a product or concept.

Spanish vocabulary · Beginner

Game in Spanish: Juego, Partido, or Partida?

Written by Sofia Ramirez, Lead Spanish Curriculum Editor · Reviewed May 2026

Juego · noun · HWEH-goh

Game in Spanish is juego when you mean a game in general—a board game, video game, or the concept of play. A sports match is a partido. A single round or session of a game (a game of chess, a game of cards) is a partida. English uses one word; Spanish uses three, and picking the right one makes your speech sound native.

Juego: HWEH-goh—the j sounds like a breathy English h, stress on the first syllable. Partido: pahr-TEE-doh. Partida: pahr-TEE-dah.

¿Quieres jugar un juego de mesa esta noche?

Do you want to play a board game tonight?

Game in Spanish: Quick Reference

Below are the most common Spanish words for game, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.

Spanish	English	Pronunciation	Region / Register
juego	game	HWEH-goh	Default, widely understood
partido	game		a sports match or game
partida	game		a round or session of a game (chess, cards, video games)

How Native Speakers Use Juego

Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.

Video games

Mi hermano se compró un juego nuevo para la consola.

My brother bought a new game for the console.

Juego is the default for video games, board games, and games in the abstract.

A soccer match

El partido de fútbol empieza a las nueve.

The soccer game starts at nine.

For any organized sports match—fútbol, baloncesto, tenis—the word is partido, never juego.

A round of chess

Echamos una partida de ajedrez después de cenar.

We played a game of chess after dinner.

Partida means one round or session—a game of chess, a hand of poker, a match in a video game.

The Olympic Games

Los Juegos Olímpicos se celebran cada cuatro años.

The Olympic Games are held every four years.

For major multi-sport events, Spanish uses the plural Juegos.

Avoid These Mistakes When Using Juego

Calling a sports match a juego

Incorrect: ¿Viste el juego de fútbol ayer?

Correct: ¿Viste el partido de fútbol ayer?

In Spanish, an organized sports match is always a partido. Using juego for a soccer game sounds unnatural—juego is for games in general, toys, and play, not competitive sports matches.

Confusing partida with partido

Incorrect: Fuimos al estadio a ver la partida. (sounds like a chess round, not a match)

Correct: Fuimos al estadio a ver el partido.

Partido is a live sports match you watch or attend. Partida is a single round you play yourself—a game of cards, a chess match, a video game session. The difference is spectator sport vs. personal play session.

Lock in Game Vocabulary with the Parrot Method

Why word lists alone don't stick

Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.

See Juego used by native speakers

Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using juego in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear ¿Quieres jugar un juego de mesa esta noche? while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.

Save, review, repeat, stay consistent

Tap any word to save it. Parrot's spaced-repetition system surfaces it right before you'd forget, no manual flashcard creation. The watch, parrot back, save, review cycle turns recognition into fluency at 2.7x the speed of traditional study.

Common Questions About Game in Spanish

How do you say game in Spanish?: Game in Spanish can be juego, partido, or partida depending on context. Juego is the general word for game (board games, video games, the concept of play). Partido is a sports match. Partida is a round or session of a game like chess, cards, or an online match.
When do I use partido vs. juego?: Use partido for organized sports matches: el partido de fútbol, el partido de tenis. Use juego for games in general, board games, and video games: un juego de mesa, un videojuego. A simple test: if you'd watch it in a stadium, it's a partido; if you'd play it at a table or on a screen, it's a juego.
What does partida mean in Spanish?: Partida means a single round or session of a game—una partida de ajedrez (a game of chess), una partida de cartas (a hand of cards), una partida de Fortnite (a match in Fortnite). It focuses on the individual playthrough rather than the game as a product or concept.