プレイ

noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', intransitive verb

playing a sport; sports play; game

Sports usage; プレー is especially common when talking about an athlete's action, style of play, or the course of a game.

• 彼かれの守しゅ備びのプレーは見み事ごとだった。

  His defensive play was excellent.

• チームは最さい後ごまでフェアにプレーした。

  The team played fairly until the end.

noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', intransitive verb

playing a musical instrument; musical performance

Used in music contexts, especially with instruments and styles such as ギター・プレイ; 演奏 is the more standard general word for musical performance.

• 彼かれのギター・プレイは力ちから強づよい。

  His guitar playing is powerful.

noun

theatrical play

Refers to a play as a theatrical work or performance; in ordinary modern Japanese, 劇 or 芝居 is usually clearer.

• 演えん劇げきの文ぶん脈みゃくでの「プレー」は、劇げきや芝しば居いを指さすことがある。

  In a theatrical context, プレー can refer to a play or drama.

noun

play ball; starting a match

Sports abbreviation related to プレーボール, used for the call or announcement that play begins or resumes; this is a specialized sports use, not the general sense of 'good play.'

See also: プレーボール

• 主しゅ審しんが「プレー」とコールし、試し合あいが始はじまった。

  The umpire called 'play,' and the game began.