Key takeaways
- Each sport in Chinese uses a specific verb: 踢 (tī: kick) for football, 打 (dǎ: hit/play) for racket and ball sports, 游 (yóu: swim) for swimming. Using the wrong verb is the most common sports vocabulary error.
- Table tennis, badminton, and tai chi are far more central to everyday Chinese life and conversation than they are in most other cultures.
- 运动 (yùndòng: sport/exercise) is the everyday term; 体育 (tǐyù: physical education) is the formal term used in schools, news, and institutions.
- The vocabulary for watching sports (加油 jiā yóu: come on; 赢了 yíng le: won; 输了 shū le: lost) is essential for following any game conversation in Chinese.
The match is on, your Chinese-speaking friends are commentating in real time, and you want to follow along and join in. Sports vocabulary in Chinese is genuinely fun to learn because it comes up so often in casual conversation.
italki connects you with Chinese tutors who can help you practice sports-related conversations, from discussing weekend plans to debating league tables, so the vocabulary sticks in context rather than on a flashcard.
This guide covers the most important Chinese sports vocabulary: sport names, the verbs that go with each sport, sports facility vocabulary, watching-sports phrases, and example sentences for real conversations.
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Core sports vocabulary
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 运动 | yùndòng | sport / exercise (general) |
| 体育 | tǐyù | physical education / sports (formal) |
| 比赛 | bǐsài | competition / match / game |
| 球 | qiú | ball |
| 队 | duì | team |
| 运动员 | yùndòng yuán | athlete / sportsperson |
| 教练 | jiàoliàn | coach / trainer |
| 裁判 | cáipàn | referee / judge |
| 冠军 | guànjūn | champion |
| 奖牌 | jiǎngpái | medal |
| 金牌 | jīnpái | gold medal |
| 银牌 | yínpái | silver medal |
| 铜牌 | tóngpái | bronze medal |
| 纪录 | jìlù | record |
| 成绩 | chéngjì | score / result / performance |
Work with a Chinese language tutor to practice using this vocabulary in real sports-related conversations, from planning a weekend game to discussing a match result.
The sport verbs: 踢, 打, 游, and more
One of the trickiest parts of Chinese sports vocabulary is that each type of sport uses a different verb. In English, play works for almost all sports. In Chinese, you need to match the verb to the sport.
| Verb | Pinyin | Meaning | Used for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 打 | dǎ | to hit / to play | Ball sports held in the hand: basketball, tennis, table tennis, volleyball, badminton, baseball, golf |
| 踢 | tī | to kick | Football (soccer) |
| 游 | yóu | to swim | Swimming |
| 跑 | pǎo | to run | Running, jogging |
| 骑 | qí | to ride | Cycling, horse riding |
| 练 | liàn | to practise / to train | Martial arts, tai chi |
| 玩 | wán | to play (casual) | Informal activities, casual games |
| 看 | kàn | to watch | Watching any sport |
Examples:
- 踢足球 (tī zúqiú): play football
- 打篮球 (dǎ lánqiú): play basketball
- 打羽毛球 (dǎ yǔmáoqiú): play badminton
- 游泳 (yóuyǒng): swim
- 骑自行车 (qí zìxíngchē): ride a bicycle
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Popular sports in china
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 足球 | zúqiú | football / soccer | Hugely popular to watch; Chinese Super League is followed widely |
| 篮球 | lánqiú | basketball | NBA is extremely popular in China; 姚明 (Yáo Míng) is an iconic figure |
| 乒乓球 | pīngpāngqiú | table tennis | China’s most successful Olympic sport; essentially the national sport |
| 羽毛球 | yǔmáoqiú | badminton | Extremely popular at all levels; parks and gyms are full of players |
| 游泳 | yóuyǒng | swimming | Popular leisure activity; significant Olympic success |
| 排球 | páiqiú | volleyball | Strong national team history, especially women’s volleyball |
| 网球 | wǎngqiú | tennis | 郑钦文 (Zhèng Qīnwén) has greatly raised tennis’s profile in China |
| 体操 | tǐcāo | gymnastics | Strong Olympic tradition |
| 举重 | jǔzhòng | weightlifting | Multiple Olympic champions |
| 武术 | wǔshù | martial arts / wushu | Broad category; includes many styles |
| 太极拳 | tàijíquán | tai chi | Practised widely in parks every morning; health and meditation focused |
| 广场舞 | guǎngchǎng wǔ | square dancing | Not technically a sport but part of daily Chinese public exercise culture |
| 跑步 | pǎobù | running / jogging | City running events and marathons have exploded in popularity |
| 高尔夫球 | gāoěrfūqiú | golf | Growing popularity, especially among business professionals |
| 棒球 | bàngqiú | baseball | Limited popularity but growing |
| 冰雪运动 | bīng xuě yùndòng | winter sports | Boosted significantly by the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics |
广场舞 (guǎngchǎng wǔ: square dancing) is worth knowing because it appears in casual conversation constantly and any learner who has visited a Chinese park in the morning will have encountered it. Groups of mostly older women gather in public squares and parks to do choreographed group dances to music. It is a fixture of Chinese public life and a source of lighthearted cultural conversation.
Sports facility vocabulary
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 体育馆 | tǐyùguǎn | sports hall / gymnasium |
| 游泳池 | yóuyǒng chí | swimming pool |
| 足球场 | zúqiú chǎng | football pitch |
| 篮球场 | lánqiú chǎng | basketball court |
| 网球场 | wǎngqiú chǎng | tennis court |
| 跑道 | pǎodào | running track |
| 健身房 | jiànshēnfáng | gym / fitness centre |
| 操场 | cāochǎng | sports ground / playground |
| 体育场 | tǐyùchǎng | stadium |
| 看台 | kàntái | spectator stand / bleachers |
| 更衣室 | gēngyī shì | changing room / locker room |
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Watching sports: fan phrases and commentary
These are the phrases you need to follow and join any Chinese sports conversation during a live game.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| 加油！ | jiā yóu! | Come on! / Go! / You can do it! | Universal cheer for your team |
| 进球了！ | jìn qiú le! | Goal! | Football |
| 投篮！ | tóu lán! | Shoot! | Basketball |
| 赢了！ | yíng le! | (They/We) won! | Victory |
| 输了。 | shū le. | (They/We) lost. | Defeat |
| 平局 | píngjú | draw / tie | Result |
| 上半场 / 下半场 | shàng bàn chǎng / xià bàn chǎng | first half / second half | Football, basketball |
| 加时赛 | jiā shí sài | extra time / overtime | After a draw |
| 点球 | diǎn qiú | penalty kick | Football |
| 红牌 / 黄牌 | hóng pái / huáng pái | red card / yellow card | Football |
| 越位 | yuèwèi | offside | Football |
| 犯规 | fànguī | foul | Any sport |
| 直播 | zhíbō | live broadcast | Watching a live match |
| 转播 | zhuǎnbō | relay broadcast | |
| 解说员 | jiěshuō yuán | sports commentator |
加油 (jiā yóu) literally means add oil: it is the all-purpose encouragement phrase in Chinese sport and life. You will hear it at every sporting event, from parents cheering children in school sports days to stadium crowds at international matches.
Sports in conversation: example sentences
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 你喜欢什么运动？ | Nǐ xǐhuān shénme yùndòng? | What sports do you like? |
| 我最喜欢打篮球。 | Wǒ zuì xǐhuān dǎ lánqiú. | I love playing basketball most. |
| 你平时运动吗？ | Nǐ píngshí yùndòng ma? | Do you usually exercise? |
| 我每天早上跑步。 | Wǒ měitiān zǎoshang pǎobù. | I run every morning. |
| 你看足球吗？ | Nǐ kàn zúqiú ma? | Do you watch football? |
| 昨天的比赛你看了吗？ | Zuótiān de bǐsài nǐ kànle ma? | Did you watch yesterday’s match? |
| 中国队赢了！ | Zhōngguó duì yíng le! | The Chinese team won! |
| 你会打乒乓球吗？ | Nǐ huì dǎ pīngpāngqiú ma? | Can you play table tennis? |
| 我想学游泳。 | Wǒ xiǎng xué yóuyǒng. | I want to learn to swim. |
| 我们周末去踢足球吧。 | Wǒmen zhōumò qù tī zúqiú ba. | Let’s go play football this weekend. |
| 他是职业运动员。 | Tā shì zhíyè yùndòng yuán. | He is a professional athlete. |
| 这届奥运会你最期待哪个项目？ | Zhè jiè Àoyùnhuì nǐ zuì qīdài nǎge xiàngmù? | Which event are you most looking forward to in this Olympics? |
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Related chinese vocabulary practice
- Chinese numbers help when you want to talk about scores, rankings, dates, and competition results.
- How to tell time in Chinese is useful for saying when a match starts, when practice ends, or what time you usually exercise.
- Days of the week in Chinese pairs naturally with sports vocabulary when you plan weekend games, training sessions, or live matches.
Get more out of chinese sports vocabulary
The best way to fix sports vocabulary in your memory is to use it immediately in conversation. Describe a sport you play, talk about a team you support, or discuss the last match you watched: in Chinese, with a teacher who can correct your verb choices and give you the phrases that feel most natural.
italki’s 30,000+ expert tutors are trusted by over 10 million learners worldwide. A Chinese teacher can run sports-themed conversation practice with you from your very first lesson: it is vocabulary that comes up naturally, sticks quickly, and gives you real topics to discuss in Chinese right away. Book a trial lesson and use today’s vocabulary in a real conversation this week.
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FAQ
Why do Chinese people use 打 for so many different sports?
打 (dǎ) originally means to hit or to strike. It extended to mean to play for sports that involve striking a ball with a racket, hand, or bat. Basketball, tennis, table tennis, volleyball, and badminton all involve a hitting/striking action, so 打 applies. Sports where the foot is the primary contact (football) use 踢 (kick), and sports with no ball-striking (running, swimming) use their own verbs.
What is the most popular sport in China?
By participation numbers at grassroots level, table tennis (乒乓球) and badminton (羽毛球) are arguably the most widely played. By viewership and media coverage, football (足球) and basketball (篮球) dominate. Table tennis is China’s most decorated Olympic sport by medals and is often called the national sport.
How do you say I like watching sports but not playing them in Chinese?
我喜欢看体育比赛，但不喜欢自己运动。(Wǒ xǐhuān kàn tǐyù bǐsài, dàn bù xǐhuān zìjǐ yùndòng.): I like watching sports competitions but do not like exercising myself.
What does 加油 literally mean and when can I use it?
加油 (jiā yóu) literally means add fuel / add oil. As an expression, it means keep going, you can do it, or come on! It is used for sports, for friends taking exams, for anyone working hard toward a goal. It is probably the most universally useful encouragement phrase in Chinese and can be used in almost any context where you want to cheer someone on.
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