Definition
To play (a game, sport, or instrument); also used when an actor performs a role.
Example
Les enfants jouent dans le jardin après l'école.
Show translation
The children play in the garden after school.
Etymology
From Latin *jocāre*, meaning "to joke" or "to jest," derived from *jocus* ("joke, game"). Over time, the meaning broadened in Vulgar Latin and Old French from light-hearted joking to play and performance in general.
Cultural note
*Jouer* is remarkably versatile in French. You *jouer à* a sport or game (*jouer au foot*, *jouer aux cartes*), but *jouer de* a musical instrument (*jouer de la guitare*, *jouer du piano*). Mixing up these prepositions is a classic learner mistake. In the theatre world, *jouer* carries the full weight of "to perform" — an actor doesn't just "play" a role, they *embody* it.