"play with their telephones"

Hola Terry O.

Thanks for your thoughtful question!

At first glance, it does seem like “play with their telephones” should translate as juegan con sus teléfonos. However, in Spanish, that’s not always the most natural way to express this idea, especially when the context already makes ownership clear.

In Spanish, when referring to personal items such as body parts, clothing, or common possessions (like phones), speakers often use the definite article (el, la, los, las) instead of the possessive adjective (mi, tu, su, sus). This is because ownership is usually understood from the context. For example, instead of saying “se lava sus manos” (he washes his hands), Spanish uses “se lava las manos” (he washes the hands), since it’s obvious whose hands they are.

In the same way, saying “juegan con los teléfonos” (they play with the phones) is understood as referring to their own phones, assuming that’s clear from the situation. Using “sus” in this case isn’t grammatically incorrect, but it can sound a bit redundant or overly formal unless you’re specifically trying to emphasize ownership or make a contrast, like “juegan con sus teléfonos, no con los de otros niños” (they’re playing with their phones, not with other kids’).

So, in most natural-sounding Spanish, especially at an A1–A2 level, “juegan con los teléfonos” would be the more idiomatic choice.

Hope this helps clarify things! And yes, good eye, teléfonos should indeed have the accent mark.

Un saludo

Silvia