"De spelar."

Translation: They play.

[JacobLoMenzo]

Difference between leker and spelar?

[Zmrzlina]

Spela is what you do with games, musical instruments or sports, leka is what children do when they play around.

[jxxmxxj]

Is "spela" also what an actor does with a role?

[devalanteriel]

Yes. :)

[jxxmxxj]

Ohhhh — of course! That's why it's "skådeSPELAre"! :)

[devalanteriel]

Correct! skåda means to behold, but it's not really in modern use any longer.

[jxxmxxj]

Thanks!

[johananwahlang]

what about the notion of playing as in manipulating or deceiving?

[devalanteriel]

That works too. :)

[ZelvaCZ]

I wonder if spel/spela has something to do with Finnish peli/pelata. Sounds reasonable, considering that Finnish often removes a consonant at the beginning of the foreign word if there are two.

[devalanteriel]

According to wiktionary, they're related, but the page also points out that whoever added the information didn't put in any sources. So... possibly, I guess. :)

[JustSeiyin]

is there a difference between spelar and leker?

[devalanteriel]

Yes, please see the top comment chain. It had been deleted apparently, but I undeleted it so that it can be read. :)