How do you use "Play hooky" in a sentence?

Let's play hooky tomorrow and go to the amusement park. I played hooky from work and spent the whole day at the beach. My mom caught me playing hooky and I was grounded for a week.

Play hooky

Q: What does "Play hooky" mean?

To skip school or work without a legitimate excuse. Playing hooky is the classic American term for truancy — sneaking away from school or work to have fun instead. It has a playful, mischievous quality that 'cutting class' or 'calling in sick' doesn't capture. It implies you're doing something enjoyable instead of fulfilling your responsibilities.

American Slang Term American ★★★★☆ Common informal

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Meaning: To skip school or work without a legitimate excuse.

没有正当理由翘课或旷工。逃学，装病请假。

Faltar a clase o al trabajo sin una excusa legítima. Hacer novillos.

正当な理由なく学校や仕事をサボること。

정당한 이유 없이 학교나 직장을 빠지는 것.

Playing hooky is the classic American term for truancy — sneaking away from school or work to have fun instead. It has a playful, mischievous quality that 'cutting class' or 'calling in sick' doesn't capture. It implies you're doing something enjoyable instead of fulfilling your responsibilities.

Play hooky是美国经典的逃学用语——偷偷溜出学校或单位去玩。它有一种'cutting class'或'calling in sick'所没有的顽皮和恶作剧的感觉。它暗示你在逃避责任的同时在做一些有趣的事情。

«Play hooky» es el término clásico estadounidense para el absentismo escolar: escaparse del colegio o del trabajo para divertirse. Tiene un matiz juguetón y travieso que expresiones como «cutting class» o «calling in sick» no capturan. Implica que estás haciendo algo agradable en lugar de cumplir con tus responsabilidades.

「play hooky」はズル休みや無断欠席を表すアメリカの定番表現。学校や仕事からこっそり抜け出して代わりに楽しいことをする。「cutting class（授業をサボる）」や「calling in sick（病欠の電話をする）」にはない、いたずらっぽく茶目っ気のあるニュアンスがある。責任を果たす代わりに楽しいことをしているという含みがある。

Play hooky는 무단결석을 뜻하는 전형적인 미국식 표현이다 — 학교나 직장에서 몰래 빠져나와 대신 재미있는 일을 하는 것이다. 'cutting class'나 'calling in sick'에는 없는 장난스럽고 짓궂은 느낌이 있다. 책임을 피하고 대신 즐거운 일을 한다는 뉘앙스가 담겨 있다.

Examples

Let's play hooky tomorrow and go to the amusement park.
我们明天翘课去游乐园吧。
Hagamos novillos mañana y vayamos al parque de atracciones.
明日サボって遊園地に行こうよ。
내일 땡땡이 치고 놀이공원에 가자.
I played hooky from work and spent the whole day at the beach.
我翘了一天班，在海滩上待了整整一天。
Me salté el trabajo y pasé todo el día en la playa.
仕事をサボって一日中ビーチで過ごしたんだ。
회사를 빼먹고 하루 종일 해변에서 보냈어.
My mom caught me playing hooky and I was grounded for a week.
我妈发现我逃学了，结果我被禁足了一个星期。
Mi madre me pilló haciendo novillos y me castigó sin salir una semana.
ズル休みしているのがお母さんにバレて、外出禁止になった。
꾀병 부린 게 엄마한테 들켜서 일주일 동안 외출 금지당했어.

Pronunciation

Usage Guide

Context: school, work, mischief

Tone: playful, mischievous

✓ Do Say

Let's play hooky and catch a movie.
我们翘班去看场电影吧。
Hagamos novillos y vayamos al cine.
サボって映画を見に行こうよ。
땡땡이 치고 영화 보러 가자.
I haven't played hooky in years.
我好多年没逃过学了。
Hace años que no hago novillos.
もう何年もサボってないなぁ。
몇 년 동안 땡땡이를 친 적이 없어.

✗ Don't Say

Don't use in professional settings — 'I played hooky' to your boss is a bad look
不要在职业场合使用——对老板说'我翘班了'可不是什么好印象
No lo uses en entornos profesionales: decirle «hice novillos» a tu jefe queda fatal
職場では使わないこと――上司に「サボりました」と言うのは印象が悪い
직장에서는 사용하지 말 것 — 상사에게 '땡땡이 쳤어요'라고 말하면 인상이 안 좋음

Origin & History

American English from the mid-19th century. Possibly from the Dutch 'hoekje spelen' (to play hide-and-seek) or 'hook it' (to escape). Became a fixture of American youth culture.

Cultural Context

Era: Mid-19th century

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal