# play (a musical instrument)



## elroy

Arabic has a specific verb, عزف, for “play” as in “play a musical instrument.”  It is not used in any other context but music.  As far as I know, לנגן works the same way in Hebrew. (@amikama, can you confirm?)

Do any other languages have such a verb?

German, Dutch, and French use “play,” like English (spielen, spelen, jouer).
Spanish uses “touch” (tocar).
Palestinian Arabic uses, in addition to the above verb, “beat” (دقّ).

What about other languages?

**********

Summary of responses: 

Dedicated verb: Arabic, Hebrew, Lithuanian, Serbian, Croatian 

“play”: German, Dutch, French, Hungarian, Greek

“touch”: Spanish 

“beat”: Palestinian Arabic

“sound”: Italian


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## Yendred

The verbal form makes the distinction though:

English:
_Play *the* piano / Play football_

French:
_Jouer *du* piano / Jouer *au* football_


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## elroy

"play piano" is possible in English, and not all languages have distinctions like the ones you've given (which I don't think involve changes to the "verbal form," by the way)*, but regardless, I'm not talking about whether or not there's ambiguity.  I'm just curious if any languages other than Arabic and Hebrew have a verb that is specifically and exclusively used for this meaning. 

*In German, for example, it's "Klavier spielen" and "Fußball spielen."


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## Olaszinhok

Yendred said:


> English:
> _Play *the* piano / Play football_
> 
> French:
> _Jouer *du* piano / Jouer *au* football_


Is to play guitarre/piano (without the article) American English?
*Italian:*
suonare *il* piano /giocare *a* calcio.


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## elroy

Olaszinhok said:


> Is to play *guitar*/piano (without the article) American English?


No, it's used in both American and British English, but the usage doesn't overlap 100%.  There are several threads about this in the English Only forum. 

Ah, yes, Italian uses yet another verb: "to sound"!


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## AndrasBP

elroy said:


> Do any other languages have such a verb?


Lithuanian: *groti *

Serbian/Croatian: *svirati*

Hungarian uses the verb "játszik" for both activities (like "jouer" or "spielen").


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## apmoy70

The Greek verb is *«παίζω»* [ˈpe̞z̠o̞] the ɡeneric verb used for _playinɡ_ a ɡame, toy < Classical verb *«παίζω» paízō* --> _to behave like a child, play_, a denominative from the 3rd declension masc. or fem. noun *«παῖς» paîs* (nom. sing.), *«παιδός» paidós* (gen. sing.) --> _(masc.) child, boy, son, slave, servant, (fem. rarer) girl, daughter_ (PIE *peh₂-u- _few, little_ cf. Skt. पुत्र (putrá), _son_, Lat. paucus, Proto-Germanic *fawaz > Eng. few). E.g:
-*«Παίζω κιθάρα»* [ˈpe̞z̠o̞ciˈθaɾa] --> _to play (the) ɡuitar_.
-*«Παίζω πιάνο»* [ˈpe̞z̠o̞ˈpçano̞] --> _to play (the) piano_.
-*«Παίζω μουσικό όργανο»* [ˈpe̞zo̞mus̠iˈko̞.ˈo̞rɣano̞] --> _to play (a) musical instrument_.


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## amikama

elroy said:


> As far as I know, לנגן works the same way in Hebrew. (@amikama, can you confirm?)


Yes, that's true


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## Awwal12

Russian uses "play" (igrát') as well, although with a different government model; lit. "play Hamlet" vs. "play into chess" vs. "play on violin".


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## Welsh_Sion

*Cymraeg/Welsh

chwarae (vn)* 'playing' - most musical instruments but see exceptions
*canu (vn) *'singing' - the harp, the piano, the fiddle, the bell, the crowd, the lute
*seinio (vn) *'sounding' - the horn, the trumpet, the bell, the bugle
*taro (vn) *'hitting' - the drum


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## Demiurg

elroy said:


> German, Dutch, and French use “play,” like English (spielen, spelen, jouer).
> Spanish uses “touch” (tocar).
> Palestinian Arabic uses, in addition to the above verb, “beat” (دقّ).


"schlagen" (_to beat_) is also sometimes used in German:  die Trommel schlagen (_the drum_), die Laute schlagen (_the lute_).


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## Yendred

Welsh_Sion said:


> *Cymraeg/Welsh
> 
> chwarae (vn)* 'playing' - most musical instruments but see exceptions
> *canu (vn) *'singing' - the harp, the piano, the fiddle, the bell, the crowd, the lute
> *seinio (vn) *'sounding' - the horn, the trumpet, the bell, the bugle
> *taro (vn) *'hitting' - the drum


That does not leave much for non-exceptions.
Maybe the triangle


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## Terio

In French, _*toucher* _is also possible : _toucher du piano, toucher de la guitare_, but far less common than *jouer. *


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## atcheque

Terio said:


> In French, _*toucher* _is also possible : _toucher du piano, toucher de la guitare_, but far less common than *jouer. *


I won't give it the same value. It's not only informal, but more basic than really play.


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## Penyafort

Catalan also uses *tocar */tu'ka/ 'to touch', as in Spanish. (Not a calque, though. It was already so in medieval chronicles). 

Sometimes one can also see the causative *fer sonar* /fesu'na/ 'to make sound'.



elroy said:


> “touch”: Spanish


In Spanish, another 'touch' can be used as an alternative for certain instruments, one coming from Latin _tangere_: *tañer* /ta'ɲeɾ/. Its use is mainly restricted though for stringed and percussion instruments, specially bells.


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## Yendred

Penyafort said:


> In Spanish, another 'touch' can be used as an alternative for certain instruments, one coming from Latin _tangere_: *tañer* /ta'ɲeɾ/. Its use is mainly restricted though for stringed and percussion instruments, specially bells.


In French indeed, the equivalent verb _sonner_ is also used in specific and/or idiomatic cases:
_sonner les cloches 
sonner le gong
sonner le clairon_


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## AquisM

Cantonese and Mandarin both group instruments into general categories based on how the instrument is played and use a different verb for each category.
(Simplified Chinese in brackets)

彈 (弹) lit. _to pluck_ - plucked (string) instruments and keyboard instruments, e.g., piano, harp, guitar (examples of traditional Chinese instruments in this category: pipa, guqin, guzheng, yangqin)
拉 lit. _to pull_ - bowed instruments, e.g., the violin family (Chinese instruments: erhu and related instruments)
吹 lit. _to blow_ - wind instruments, e.g., flute, trumpet, harmonica (Chinese instruments: dizi, xiao, sheng, suona)
打/敲 lit. _to hit_, _to strike_ - percussion instruments, e.g., drums, cymbals, bells (Chinese instruments: various types of drums, gongs and bells, muyu, paiban)
There isn't really a generic verb that can be used with all instruments. 演奏 (to perform) can technically do this, but it sounds rather formal. The verb 玩 (to play) can be used informally to mean _to_ _play_ _an instrument_, but usually it has the nuance of dabbling in the instrument without formal training.

If you want to ask someone if they play an instrument or what kind of instrument they play, Cantonese and Mandarin both conveniently have a verb that means _to know how to do something _(識 (识) and 會 (会) respectively), so you don't have to worry about which of the above four verbs to use.


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## סייבר־שד

Welsh_Sion said:


> *Cymraeg/Welsh
> 
> chwarae (vn)* 'playing' - most musical instruments but see exceptions
> *canu (vn) *'singing' - the harp, the piano, the fiddle, the bell, the crowd, the lute
> *seinio (vn) *'sounding' - the horn, the trumpet, the bell, the bugle
> *taro (vn) *'hitting' - the drum


I didn't know the last two!  Cheers!

As for _canu_, it was thanks to Gareth King's _"Modern Welsh Dictionary" (2007 ed.) _that I found out about it. I was listening for the first time to _Dacw 'Nghariad _(which has been a definite favorite for me, ever since ) and upon hearing the word _chwarae_, and being the language fiend I so proudly am , I just had to look it up, and there I came across the following usage note:

_"_*! chwarae*_ is also used for playing musical instruments, except for _*canu'r   ̊delyn* play the harp_, and other stringed instruments where both _*canu *_and _*chwarae *_are used..."_


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## apmoy70

apmoy70 said:


> The Greek verb is *«παίζω»* [ˈpe̞z̠o̞] the ɡeneric verb used for _playinɡ_ a ɡame, toy < Classical verb *«παίζω» paízō* --> _to behave like a child, play_, a denominative from the 3rd declension masc. or fem. noun *«παῖς» paîs* (nom. sing.), *«παιδός» paidós* (gen. sing.) --> _(masc.) child, boy, son, slave, servant, (fem. rarer) girl, daughter_ (PIE *peh₂-u- _few, little_ cf. Skt. पुत्र (putrá), _son_, Lat. paucus, Proto-Germanic *fawaz > Eng. few). E.g:
> -*«Παίζω κιθάρα»* [ˈpe̞z̠o̞ciˈθaɾa] --> _to play (the) ɡuitar_.
> -*«Παίζω πιάνο»* [ˈpe̞z̠o̞ˈpçano̞] --> _to play (the) piano_.
> -*«Παίζω μουσικό όργανο»* [ˈpe̞zo̞mus̠iˈko̞.ˈo̞rɣano̞] --> _to play (a) musical instrument_.


Apologies for quoting myself, just wanted to add the verbs the ancient Greeks used for playing a musical instrument:

-For playing string instruments (*«κίθαρις» kítʰărĭs* or *«κιθάρᾱ» kĭtʰắrā* (fem.) --> _ɡuitar_, *«λύρᾱ» lúrā* --> _lyre_, *«βάρβιτος» bắrbĭtŏs* (fem.) --> _a type of lyre_, *«φόρμιγξ» pʰórmĭnks* (fem.) --> _phorminx, a type of lyre_ etc.) they used the verbs *«ψάλλω» psắllō* and *«νύσσω» nússō* which described different playing techniques; the former means _to pluck, twitch a string with the fingers, instead of with the plectrum_ (of unknown etymoloɡy) and the latter is _to thrust, prick_ (of possible IE oriɡin and coɡnate with the Latin nūtāre, German niedlich, Enɡ. need). Shortly thouɡh, in the vernacular, the denominative verb *«κιθαρίζω» kĭtʰărízō* --> _to play the ɡuitar_ prevailed as the ɡeneric verb for _playinɡ any strinɡ instrument_.

-For playing wind instruments (*«αὐλός» aulós* (masc.) --> _flute_, *«ἔλυμος» élŭmŏs* (masc.) --> _a kind of Phrygian pipe made of boxwood_, *«σῦριγξ» sûrĭnks* (fem.) --> _Pan pipe_, *«σάλπιγξ» sắlpinks* (fem.) --> _trumpet_ etc.) they used specific verbs: *«αὐλέω/αὐλῶ» auléō* (uncontracted)/*aulô* (contracted) --> _to play the flute_, *«σαλπίζω» sălpízō* --> _to blow the trumpet_ *«συρίζω» sŭrízō* --> _to blow the syrinx_ etc.

-For playing percussions (mostly *«τύμπανον» túmpănŏn* also *«τύπανον» túpănŏn* --> _kettledrum, hand drum) _they used the generic verb *«κρούω» kroúō* --> _to strike, stamp, knock_ (PIE *krou(s)- _to push, bump, strike, break_ cf. Lith. krušti, _to smash, crash_, Rus. крошить, _to chop_).


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## Włoskipolak 72

Polish

The main verb is ;

grać  = play

grać na skrzypcach = play the violin

grać na fortepianie =  play the piano

There are some synonyms ;

rzępolić = rip

brzdąkać = pluck


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## Armas

Finnish: *soittaa*, causative of _soida_ "to sound; ring". Used for music and some kinds of sound.

_Soittaa pianoa_ "to play piano"
_Soittaa ovikelloa_ "to ring the doorbell"
_Soittaa puhelimella_ "to call on the phone"

The word for musical instrument is _soitin_ < _soittaa_ + -_in_ (suffix for forming instrumental nouns)


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## Nanon

Terio said:


> In French, _*toucher* _is also possible : _toucher du piano, toucher de la guitare_, but far less common than *jouer. *


I would like to add that _toucher _(governing a direct complement without preposition) was in use until the XVIII century: _toucher la viole, toucher le clavecin._..


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## Encolpius

Well, Hungarian might be extremely unique. Because we have 1 specific verb verbs for each activity.  
gitározik - play the guitar
zongorázik - play the piano
nagybőgőzik - play the contrabass
citerázik - play the zither
harmonikázik - play the accordion
hegedül - play the violin
etc.


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## סייבר־שד

Encolpius said:


> Well, Hungarian might be extremely unique. Because we have 1 specific verb verbs for each activity.
> gitározik - play the guitar
> zongorázik - play the piano
> nagybőgőzik - play the contrabass
> citerázik - play the zither
> harmonikázik - play the accordion
> hegedül - play the violin
> etc.


Figures the violin would be even more unique than the others in Hungarian.


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## Encolpius

Yes.  
But now I recall: *dobol - play the drum*, maybe there are more, but I am not a musician.


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## Nanon

Well, you can _drum _or _fiddle _in English, too. Are there any more English verbs in this group?


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## elroy

Nanon said:


> Are there any more English verbs in this group?


pipe, flute, trumpet, harp, bugle


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## Nanon

Definitely. Thank you, @elroy. I need more coffee  .


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## Encolpius

I am wondering which English nouns (music instruments) have not a verb, to piano? to guitar, no? But who knows in English.


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## elroy

Encolpius said:


> I am wondering which English nouns (music instruments) have not a verb, to piano? to guitar, no? But who knows in English.


Most of them do NOT.  The ones above are exceptions.  I mean, in English almost any noun can be used as a verb in an ad-hoc, innovative way, so you can be creative and use "piano" and "guitar" as verbs ("I'm gonna spend my evening guitaring away"), but these aren't established uses you'll find in dictionaries.


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## AutumnOwl

In Swedish we use _'spela'_ (play) for musical instruments, some sports (ice hockey, ball sports), act, and '_spelar ingen roll_' (that doesn't matter).

There is/was '_traktera ett instrument_' (treat/use an instrument), it was in use from the 18th century to the beginning of the 20th century, I don't think anyone today would use it other than as a joke.
There is 'm_usicera_' (to play music, usually with other), '_slå på trumman_' (hit the drum), '_blåsa_' (blow).


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## Armas

Encolpius said:


> Well, Hungarian might be extremely unique. Because we have 1 specific verb verbs for each activity.
> etc.


No general term then? How would you ask "Do you play any instrument?" or say "I can play many different instruments"?


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## Encolpius

AndrasBP has answered the question...


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## Yendred

Encolpius said:


> nagybőgőzik - play the contrabass


How odd! Our former French President, Nicolas Sarkozy's full name was Sarközy de *Nagy-Bocsa* (his family was from Hungary).
Do you think it is etymologically linked?


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## Encolpius

No, it means something different. Bőgő means double-bass, Bocsa is just a surname from a village name, maybe.


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## Yendred

And what about _Nagy_?


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## Encolpius

Nagy means big, large...


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## Yendred

Thank you! Now I understand his name better


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## Zareza

In Romanian it is used the same verb 

*a cânta */kɨnˈta/ (< Lat. _cantare_)= to emit *vocally* or *instrumentally* a series of sounds that follow one another (or overlap) in musical structures

a cânta cu vocea = to sing _with the voice_
a cânta la un instrument = to play an instrument

Ce instrument studiază?   -   What musical instrument is he studying?
Cântă la tobe (pl.).  -  He _sings_ the drum (sg.).


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