play at

jouer, se produire

Interpréter de la musique ou participer à un jeu dans un lieu précis.

En anglais simple : To perform music or take part in a game at a particular place.

• We play at school.
• The band played at a small club.
• Will your team play at home on Saturday?

Comment l'utiliser : play at + place (The band will play at the town hall.)

Expressions courantes : play at home, play at school, play at festivals

jouer à

Faire semblant d’exercer un métier ou de tenir un rôle dans un jeu.

En anglais simple : To pretend to have a particular job or role as part of a game.

• The children play at pirates.
• We played at being astronauts.
• She likes playing at being a teacher.

Comment l'utiliser : play at being someone (The children played at being shopkeepers.); play at something (We used to play at doctors.)

Synonymes : make believe, pretend

Expressions courantes : play at pirates, play at doctors, play at teaching

à quoi jouer

S’emploie pour demander avec colère pourquoi quelqu’un se comporte mal ou fait une bêtise.

En anglais simple : Used in an angry question to ask why someone is behaving badly or doing something foolish.

• What are you playing at?
• What on earth was he playing at, driving so fast?
• She demanded to know what we were playing at.

Comment l'utiliser : What are you playing at? (You nearly hit that cyclist! What are you playing at?); What do you think you are playing at? (What do you think you are playing at, leaving the door unlocked?)

Expressions courantes : what you play at, what they play at

jouer à, faire semblant de

Faire quelque chose sans le prendre au sérieux ni vraiment s’investir.

En anglais simple : To do something without taking it seriously or making a real effort.

• He only plays at farming.
• She accused them of playing at business.
• Are you studying properly or just playing at being a student?

Comment l'utiliser : play at doing something (He plays at running a business but rarely works.); play at something (They are just playing at politics.)

Synonymes : dabble in, toy with

Expressions courantes : play at politics, play at business, play at farming