The verb to play · Conjugation
Past Simple of play
The answer: played
A2
A finished action at a definite time in the past.
Quick answer
The Past Simple of the verb to play is played.
Example: I played football yesterday.
Full conjugation in the Past Simple
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| I | played |
| You | played |
| He / She / It | played |
| We | played |
| You (pl.) | played |
| They | played |
Common mistakes to avoid
1. I played the tennis ❌
With a sport, no the: play tennis, play football. I played tennis yesterday.
2. Play the + instrument
Play the guitar, play the piano: in British English, the article is the rule. In American English, you also hear play piano.
Practice quiz
Going further
The English contest tests the Past Simple of play in real sentences
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Frequently asked questions
What is the past tense of play?+
Played (regular, with -ed): I played football yesterday.
Is it play tennis or play the tennis?+
Say play tennis: play + sport, with no article. But play + the + instrument: play the guitar. For instruments, the is necessary.
What does player mean?+
A player = (1) a person who plays a sport or a game: a football player; (2) a machine that plays music or videos: a music player; (3) informal: a person who plays with other people's feelings.
What does play a role mean?+
Play a role = to act a character in a play or a film, or (figurative) to be important in something. She plays an important role in the team.
What is a playground?+
A playground is an outdoor area where children play, at school or in a park.
Related pages: play Past Simple
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/verbs/play/past-simple
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.
Keep learning
More forms of the verb to play are coming soon.