How to say "Play" in Japanese

When translating "play" into Japanese, you must choose carefully between あそぶ and とぼける. In Japanese, あそぶ (あそぶ (asobu)) is typically associated with "to play, to have fun, to hang out" (Syllabus Level: N5) and represents Often used for children playing, or adults having leisure time/hanging out. Can also mean to visit somewhere for pleasure.. On the other hand, とぼける (とぼける (tobokeru)) maps to "to play dumb, to feign ignorance, to act innocent" (Syllabus Level: N2) and represents Implies deliberately pretending not to know or understand something, often to avoid responsibility or consequences, sometimes mischievously.. A literal translation of "play" can often sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers if mixed up!