How to play tag in Spanish - Spanish Playground

A game of tag is an excellent opportunity to use Spanish with your child. The game has different names in different Spanish-speaking countries. In Mexico, it is called la traes which translates roughly as “you have it.” In Spain, it is called pilla-pilla or tú la llevas. In Argentina, tag is la mancha and in Peru las chapadas. Of course there are many variations of tag, but below are phrases used to play basic tag in Mexico and Spain. In both countries, the game uses forms of a very common verb – traer or llevar – meaning to bring or carry with you. Tag is perfect for language learning because the action reinforces the verb forms – when a child says yo la traigo, o yo la llevo (I’m it) she uses the yo (I) form of the verb and the action centers on her running after the other children. When she tags someone and says tú la traes or tú la llevas, using the tú (you) form of the verb, the action reinforces the change of person from yo (I) to tú (you). In Mexico: Vamos a jugar a la traes. – Let’s play tag. ¿Quieres jugar a la traes? – Do you want to play tag? ¿Quién la trae? – Who is it? (Literally – Who is carrying it? /Who has it?) Yo la traigo. – I’m it.  (Literally- I am carrying it./ I have it.) ¡Tú la traes! – You’re it. (Literally-You are carrying it./You have it.) Sofia la trae. – Sophia is it. (Literally-Sophia is carrying it./Sophia has it.) La base – safe (the place you can not be tagged) Me salvo/ A salvo – I’m safe. In Spain: Vamos a jugar al pilla-pilla. – Let’s play tag. Vamos a jugar a tú la llevas. ¿Quieres jugar al pilla-pilla? – Do you want to play tag? ¿Quieres jugar a tú la llevas? ¿Quién la lleva? – Who is it? (Literally – Who is carrying it? /Who has it?) Yo la llevo. – I’m it.  (Literally- I am carrying it./I have it.) ¡Tú la llevas! – You’re it. (Literally-You are carrying it./You have it.) Sofía la lleva. – Sophia is it.  (Literally-Sophia is carrying it./ Sophia has it.) La casa -safe (the place you can not be tagged) Me salvo/ A salvo – I’m safe. You can see how these phrases are used in this video. It is a segment of Barrio Sésamo, the version of Sesame Street shown in Spain.  The characters are Epi and Blas. (In Mexico, they are Enrique and Beto.)  At one point the two characters are talking at the same time, but I have included the most important lines in the transcript that follows. There is also a translation. E: Hola Blas.   (Hi Blas) B: Hola Epi.  (Hi Epi) E: Blas, ¿quieres jugar conmigo?  (Blas, do you want to play with me?) B: Pues no, estoy leyendo.   ( No, I’m reading.) E: No te vas a pasar leyendo toda la tarde, verdad Blas?   (You’re not going to spend the whole afternoon reading, right Blas?) B: Sí. (Yes) E: Pero vamos a ver. Leer tanto no es bueno. Leer es estupendo. Leer es muy divertido. Pero también tienes que hacer ejercicio, digo yo ¿no?   (But let’s see. Reading so much isn’t good.  Reading is great. Reading is fun. But you have to exercise, I think, right?) B: Sí, lo sé. Pero el ejercicio después. Ahora quiero leer, ¿de acuerdo? ( Yes, I know. But exercise later. Now I want to read, ok?) E: De acuerdo. De acuerdo. Pero en fin Blas, oye Blas, tú la llevas.  Blas la lleva. (Ok, ok. But really Blas, listen Blas, you’re it.  Blas is it.) B: ¿Qué? (What?) E: Que tú la llevas. (You’re it) B: ¿Cómo que yo la llevo? (What do you mean I’m it?) E: Pues ese es el juego. Yo te doy un golpecito y hasta que tú la des a otra persona, pues tú la llevas. (Well, that is the game. I tag you and until you tag someone else, you’re it.) B: No, no. Yo no juego. Estoy leyendo Epi. Y déjame. Déjame. ( No, no. I’m not playing. I’m reading Epi. Leave me alone. Leave me alone.) E: Bueno, Blas la lleva. ( Well, Blas is it) B: Epi, te aseguro que no la llevo. ¿Qué voy a llevar? No la llevo. (Epi, I can assure you that I’m not it. What could I be? I’m not it.) E: Sí, tú la llevas. Tú la llevas.  (Yes, you are it. You are it.) B: No. E: Tú la llevas.  Blas la lleva.  Blas la lleva.  Blas la lleva.  Blas la lleva. Blas la lleva. Blas la lleva. Tú la llevas. (You are it. Blas is it. Blas is it. …You are it.) B: ¿Qué voy a llevar Epi?  (What could I be Epi?) E: Tú la llevas. Blas la lleva. Blas la lleva. No puedes cogerme. (You are it. Blas is it. Blas is it. You can’t catch me.) B: Te digo que no. ( I’m telling you no.) E: Blas sí, tú la llevas. No me cogerás. Me has cogido Blas.  (Blas yes, you are it. You won’t catch me.  You caught me Blas.) B: Te he cogido. Ahora la llevas tú. La llevas tú. La llevas tú. ( I caught you. Now you’re it. You are it. You are it.) E: Sí, ahora la llevo yo. (Yes, now I’m it.) B: Me quiero sentar en mi sillón y voy a leer mi libro. (I want to sit in my chair and I’m going to read my book.) E: ¿No te has divertido Blas? ¿No te has divertido? ( Didn’t you have fun Blas? Didn’t you have fun?) B: Sí, mucho, mucho. (Yes, a lot, a lot.) E: Me alegro mucho. Me alegro. ( I’m glad. I’m glad.) B: Déjame leer. (Let me read. Leave me alone.) E: Ha sido estupendo tanto ejercicio. (So much exercise was great.) B: Sí estupendo, estupendo. ( Yes, great, great.) E: Ah, me alegro. Porque ahora la llevas otra vez. (I’m glad. Because now you’re it again.)

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