Spanish about Sports – Vocabulary and Phrases

Are you going to practice a sport with your Spanish-speaking friends? Do you have to write a text in Spanish about sports? You’ve come to the right place!

In this post, we will first learn some phrases about sports. Then we have several vocabulary lists.

Notice that, when we talk about playing a sport using the verb “jugar”, we need the preposition “a” preceding the sport. And because most sports are masculine nouns, in that case “a + el” becomes “al”.

Examples:

Yo juego al fútbol.
I play soccer.

Tú juegas al baloncesto.
You play basketball.


Phrases

Juego al tenis todas las semanas.
I play tennis every week.

¿Quieres jugar al tenis conmigo?
Do you want to play tennis with me?

Nadar es muy bueno para la salud.
Swimming is very good for your health.

¿Quién ganó el partido?
Who won the match?

El Real Madrid ganó el partido contra el Barcelona, y ahora va primero en la liga.
Real Madrid won the match against Barcelona, and now leads the league.

Yo soy seguidor del Atlético.
I am an Atlético fan.

El partido terminó 3 a 2.
The match ended 3 -2.

¿Qué deportes practicas habitualmente?
What sports do you play regularly?

Practico bádminton y tenis de mesa.
I practice badminton and table tennis.

Vocabulary: Sports and Athletes

Sports

el deportesport
el fútbolsoccer
el fútbol americanoAmerican football
el baloncestobasket
el béisbolbaseball
el tenistennis
el tenis de mesaping pong
el esquíski
el atletismotrack and field
el boxeoboxing
el ciclismocycling
el golfgolf
el hockey (sobre hielo)(ice) hockey

Athletes

In most sports, the words for the people that practice them fall into one of these 2 categories:

  • Ending in “-ista” for both male and female (“el futbolista, la futbolista”)

Other examples:

deportistasportsman/woman
futbolistasoccer player, football player
baloncestistabasket player
beisbolistabaseball player
tenistatennis player
ciclistacyclist
golfistagolfer


  • Ending in “-or” for male and “-ora” for female:
el esquiador
la esquiadora
skier
el boxeador
la boxeadora
boxer


There are a few exceptions that don’t fall into those 2 categories. For example, “atleta” is athlete for both male and female (“el atleta, la atleta”)

Other Vocabulary

Actions

hacer deporteto do sport
jugar al tenisto play tennis
ir al gimnasioto go to the gym
hacer ejercicioto exercise
correrto rum
nadarto swimm
competirto compete

Places and things we use

el estadiostadium
el campo de fútbolsoccer field
la pista de baloncestobasketball court
la pista de tenistennis court
la piscinaswimming pool
el balónball (for football, basket…)
la pelota / la bolaball (for tennis, ping pong, golf…)
la raquetaracket
la bicicletabicycle
la canastabasket
el batebat

Competitions

el partidomatch
la carrerarace
el equipoteam
el resultadothe score
la competicióncompetition
el torneotournament
la ligaleague
la finalfinal
las semifinalessemifinals
el campeónchampion
el trofeotrophy
la copacup
Scroll to Top