In English, the phrase for playing cards is "to play cards." This phrase likely originated from the practice of using physical cards as a means of playing a game.

Here are some examples of this phrase in use:

"Do you want to play cards?" (你想玩牌吗？)

"I love playing cards with my friends on Friday nights." (我喜欢周五晚上和朋友们玩牌。)

"Let's play a game of cards to pass the time." (让我们玩一个牌游戏来打发时间。)