Sport in Chinese Vocabulary & Phrases for Common Activities

Expanding your ability to talk about sport in Chinese opens the door to more natural conversations, classroom discussions, and even journal writing. Whether you're casually chatting or expressing your interests in writing, this guide offers the most relevant Chinese sports words, example dialogues, and short essays to help cover a wide range of everyday use cases with semantic precision, completeness, and trustworthiness.

Sport in Chinese Vocabulary & Phrases for Everyday Conversations
Sport in Chinese Vocabulary & Phrases for Everyday Conversations

I. Sport in Chinese Vocabulary by Category

Learning core sports Chinese vocabulary helps you describe activities, gear, and places. In this section, you'll find categorized vocabulary designed for practical usage.

1. General Vocabulary Related to Sports

These foundational terms of sport in Chinese are used broadly in conversation, media, and education to talk about fitness, competition, and athletic activities:

No.

Sport in Chinese

Pinyin

English Meaning

1

男子单打

nánzǐ dāndǎ

Men’s singles (badminton/tennis)

2

女子单打

nǚzǐ dāndǎ

Women’s singles

3

中线

zhōngxiàn

Center line (e.g., basketball)

4

前场

qián chǎng

Front court / front field

5

后场

hòu chǎng

Back court / back field

6

中场

zhōng chǎng

Midfield (soccer)

7

底线

dǐxiàn

Baseline / end line (soccer, basketball, badminton)

8

边线

biānxiàn

Sideline

9

开球

kāi qiú

Kick-off / service (starting the game)

10

大力扣杀

dàlì kòu shā

Powerful spike / smash (volleyball)

11

持球

chí qiú

Holding the ball

12

出界

chūjiè

Out of bounds

13

男子双打

nánzǐ shuāngdǎ

Men’s doubles

14

女子双打

nǚzǐ shuāngdǎ

Women’s doubles

15

马术

mǎshù

Equestrianism / horseback riding

16

击剑场

jíjiàn chǎng

Fencing area / fencing arena

17

运动会

yùndònghuì

Sports meet / sports games

18

决赛

juésài

Finals

19

半决赛

bànjuésài

Semi-finals

20

复赛

fùsài

Qualifier or second round

21

预赛

yùsài

Preliminary round

22

夺冠

duóguàn

To win the championship

23

健儿

jiàn'ér

A strong athlete / excellent sports performer

24

选手

xuǎnshǒu

Contestant / athlete / player

25

锦标

jǐnbiāo

Title / trophy

26

得分

défēn

Score / to score points

27

亚军

yàjūn

Runner-up / second place

28

夺魁

duókuí

Win first prize / be champion

29

回合

huíhé

Round (in a match)

30

裁判

cáipàn

Referee / judge

31

拳击台

quánjī tái

Boxing ring

These words support your ability to ask about or describe any sporting activity clearly and confidently.

2. Vocabulary for Specific Sport in Chinese

To speak about a particular sport in Chinese, it's important to understand the exact term and pinyin pronunciation. The following are common examples:

No.

Sport in Chinese

Pinyin

English Meaning

Ice and Snow Sports

1

滑冰

huá bīng

Ice skating

2

滑雪

huá xuě

Skiing

3

冰球

bīngqiú

Ice hockey

4

冰壶

bīng hú

Curling

Athletics (Track & Field)

5

竞走

jìng zǒu

Race walking

6

跳高

tiàogāo

High jump

7

撑杆跳高

chēnggāntiàogāo

Pole vault

8

跳远

tiàoyuǎn

Long jump

9

投掷 / 标枪

tóuzhì / biāoqiāng

Throw / Javelin

10

跑步

pǎobù

Running

11

举重

jǔ zhòng

Weightlifting

12

短跑

duǎnpǎo

Sprint

13

长跑

chángpǎo

Long-distance run

14

铁饼

tiěbǐng

Discus throw

Water Sport in Chinese

15

游泳

yóuyǒng

Swimming

16

自由泳

zìyóuyǒng

Freestyle

17

蝶泳

diéyǒng

Butterfly stroke

18

蛙泳

wāyǒng

Breaststroke

19

仰泳

yǎngyǒng

Backstroke

20

水球

shuǐqiú

Water polo

21

跳水

tiàoshuǐ

Diving

22

赛艇

sàitǐng

Rowing

23

潜水

qiánshuǐ

Diving / Scuba

Target Sport in Chinese

24

射箭

shèjiàn

Archery

25

射击

shè jī

Shooting

26

放弩

fàng nǔ

Crossbow

27

飞镖

fēibiāo

Darts

Racket Sport in Chinese

28

羽毛球

yǔmáoqiú

Badminton

29

乒乓球

pīngpāngqiú

Table tennis

30

网球

wǎngqiú

Tennis

Team Sport in Chinese

31

棒球

bàngqiú

Baseball

32

篮球

lánqiú

Basketball

33

足球

zúqiú

Football (Soccer)

34

手球

shǒuqiú

Handball

35

曲棍球

qūgùnqiú

Field hockey

36

垒球

lěiqiú

Softball

37

(重复) 乒乓球

pīngpāngqiú

(See #29)

38

排球

páiqiú

Volleyball

Cycling Sport in Chinese

39

自行车

zìxíngchē

Bicycle / Cycling

40

自行车马球

zìxíngchē mǎqiú

Bicycle polo

41

小轮车赛车

xiǎolúnchē sàichē

BMX racing

42

越野自行车

yuèyě zìxíngchē

Cyclocross

43

山地自行车

shāndì zìxíngchē

Mountain biking

44

山地独轮车

shāndì dúlúnchē

Mountain unicycling

45

公路自行车赛

gōnglù zìxíngchē sài

Road bike racing

46

场地自行车

chǎngdì zìxíngchē

Track cycling

Martial Arts & Combat Sports

47

击剑

jíjiàn

Fencing

48

柔道

róudào

Judo

49

跆拳道

táiquándào

Taekwondo

50

拳击

quánjí

Boxing

51

武术

wǔshù

Wushu (Chinese martial arts)

52

空手道

kōngshǒudào

Karate

53

合气道

héqìdào

Aikido

54

沃维南

wòwéinán

Vovinam

55

太极拳

tàijíquán

Tai Chi

Gymnastics & Acrobatics

56

体操

tǐcāo

Gymnastics

57

鞍马

ānmǎ

Pommel horse

58

吊环

diàohuán

Rings

59

双杠

shuānggàng

Parallel bars

60

单杠

dāngàng

Horizontal bar

61

艺术体操

yìshù tǐcāo

Rhythmic gymnastics

Mind Sport in Chinese

63

国际象棋

guójì xiàngqí

International chess

64

象棋

xiàngqí

Chinese chess

65

黑白棋

hēibáiqí

Othello / Reversi

66

围棋

wéiqí

Go (Weiqi)

Adventure & Extreme Sports

67

滑板

huábǎn

Skateboarding

68

帕廷

pà tíng

Roller skating (inline)

69

越野摩托车

yuèyě mótuō chē

Motocross

70

爬山

páshān

Mountain climbing

E-Sports Titles

71

反恐精英

fǎnkǒng jīngyīng

Counter-Strike

72

星际争霸

xīngjì zhēngbà

StarCraft

73

魔兽争霸III

móshòu zhēngbà sān

Warcraft III

74

交叉火力

jiāochā huǒlì

CrossFire

75

英雄联盟

yīngxióng liánméng

League of Legends

76

和平精英

hépíng jīngyīng

Game For Peace (PUBG CN)

77

移动传奇

yídòng chuánqí

Mobile Legends

Other Sport in Chinese

78

摔跤

shuāijiāo

Wrestling

79

保龄球

bǎolíngqiú

Bowling

80

跳马

tiàomǎ

Vault (Gymnastics)

Having these terms at your fingertips allows you to talk about your hobbies or favorite athletes using precise, semantically accurate language.

3. Vocabulary for Sports Equipment

To describe your training routines or prepare for a game, knowing equipment vocabulary is crucial. This includes both general and sport-specific gear:

No.

Sport in Chinese

Pinyin

English Meaning

1

羽毛球

yǔmáoqiú

Badminton

2

羽毛球拍

yǔmáoqiú pāi

Badminton racket

3

羽毛球网

yǔmáoqiú wǎng

Badminton net

4

羽毛球场

yǔmáoqiú chǎng

Badminton court

5

轻剑

qīng jiàn

Foil (light sword)

6

重剑

zhòng jiàn

Épée (heavy sword)

7

花剑

huā jiàn

Sabre (curved blade)

8

护面罩

hù miànzhào

Fencing mask

9

击剑手套

jíjiàn shǒutào

Fencing glove

10

剑刃

jiàn rèn

Blade / Sword edge

11

护头套

hù tóutào

Head guard

12

护齿

hù chǐ

Mouthguard

13

游泳镜

yóuyǒng jìng

Swim goggles

14

游泳帽

yóuyǒng mào

Swim cap

15

足球

zúqiú

Soccer ball

16

手球

shǒuqiú

Handball

17

曲棍球

qūgùnqiú

Hockey ball

18

推举重物

tuījǔ zhòng wù

Barbell for push lifts

19

橄榄球

gǎnlǎnqiú

Rugby ball / American football

20

球门横木

qiúmén héngmù

Goal post crossbar

21

护肩

hù jiān

Shoulder pads

22

护膝

hùxī

Knee pads

23

曲棍球棒

qūgùnqiú bàng

Hockey stick

24

冰鞋

bīngxié

Ice skates

25

跑刀

pǎo dāo

Skate blade

26

雪撬

xuě qiào

Snowboard / Sledge

27

滑雪装

huáxuě zhuāng

Ski suit

28

单杠

dāngàng

Horizontal bar

29

双杠

shuānggàng

Parallel bars

30

平衡木

pínghéngmù

Balance beam

This list ensures you're ready to describe what you're using in any practice or game situation.

4. Vocabulary for Sports Venues and Competition Locations

Describing where an activity happens helps complete your communication about sports. These are some of the most essential terms:

No.

Sport in Chinese

Pinyin

English Meaning

1

运动场

yùn dòng chǎng

Sports field / stadium

2

足球场

zúqiú chǎng

Soccer field

3

羽毛球场

yǔmáoqiú chǎng

Badminton court

4

网球场

wǎngqiú chǎng

Tennis court

5

体育馆

tǐyùguǎn

Indoor gymnasium / sports hall

6

体育宫

tǐyù gōng

Sports palace / stadium complex

7

游泳池

yóuyǒngchí

Swimming pool

8

滑冰场

huábīng chǎng

Ice rink

9

拳击台 (not 戒指)

quánjī tái

Boxing ring

10

高尔夫球场

gāo’ěrfū qiúchǎng

Golf course

11

赛马场

sàimǎ chǎng

Horse racing track

Whether you're giving directions or reflecting on a recent game, these terms give your Chinese more structure and detail.

II. Example Dialogues: Talking About Sports in Chinese

Practical dialogue makes sport in Chinese language more realistic and relatable. The following is a common conversation between two people discussing sports.

No.

Chinese Sentence

Pinyin

English Translation

1

你最喜欢什么运动?

Nǐ zuì xǐhuān shénme yùndòng?

What sport do you like the most?

2

我喜欢踢足球。

Wǒ xǐhuān tī zúqiú.

I like playing soccer.

3

我最爱的运动是艺术体操。

Wǒ zuì ài de yùndòng shì yìshù tǐcāo.

My favorite sport is rhythmic gymnastics.

4

我爸爸是个十足的足球爱好者。

Wǒ bàba shìge shízú de zúqiú àihào zhě.

My dad is a total football enthusiast.

5

我相信多做运动对身体很好。

Wǒ xiāngxìn duō zuò yùndòng duì shēntǐ hěn hǎo.

I believe doing more exercise is good for your health.

6

打篮球是家喻户晓的运动。

Dǎ lánqiú shì jiā yù hù xiǎo de yùndòng.

Basketball is a widely known sport.

7

游泳不仅可以锻炼身体,还能减肥呢。

Yóuyǒng bùjǐn kěyǐ duànliàn shēntǐ, hái néng jiǎnféi ne.

Swimming not only strengthens the body but also helps with weight loss.

8

我有空的时候经常和朋友打羽毛球。

Wǒ yǒu kòng de shíhou jīngcháng hé péngyǒu dǎ yǔmáoqiú.

I often play badminton with my friends when I’m free.

9

周末时,我跟男朋友去公园跑步。

Zhōumò shí, wǒ gēn nán péngyǒu qù gōngyuán pǎobù.

On weekends, I go jogging in the park with my boyfriend.

10

除了学游泳,小月还经常练习排球。

Chúle xué yóuyǒng, Xiǎo Yuè hái jīngcháng liànxí páiqiú.

Besides learning to swim, Xiaoyue also often practices volleyball.

This sample dialogue helps build your confidence in casual exchanges and gives structure to your speaking practice using sports in Chinese pinyin for reference.

III. Sample Essays: Talking About Your Favorite Sport in Chinese

To write an impressive short essay about your favorite sport in Chinese, you need to build a solid base of essential sports-related vocabulary and combine it with key Chinese sentence structures.

To support your learning, we’ve included two sample essays below. You can use them as references for writing your own version more confidently. Let’s look at how each example communicates personal enthusiasm through clear language and natural expression.

1. Sample Essay: My Hobby of Playing Badminton

  • Chinese Text: 我最喜欢的运动是羽毛球。我喜欢玩它,因为我相信多玩羽毛球对身体很好。我每天晚上都打羽毛球。我总是和我的朋友一起玩, 偶尔跟男朋友玩。我的男朋友擅长羽毛球。但我对这项运动不太在行,所以当我们打羽毛球时,他会在我两侧击球。他让我跑来跑去,我觉得很累。有时我必须跳高才能把球打到另一边。虽然打羽毛球让我很累,但我仍然坚持练习,因为我会比以前更健康。不管怎样,我相信羽毛球是最好的运动。

  • Pinyin: Wǒ zuì xǐhuān de yùndòng shì yǔmáoqiú. Wǒ xǐhuān wán tā, yīnwèi wǒ xiāngxìn duō wán yǔmáoqiú duì shēntǐ hěn hǎo. Wǒ měitiān wǎnshàng dōu dǎ yǔmáoqiú. Wǒ zǒng shì hé wǒ de péngyou yīqǐ wán, ǒu'ěr gēn nán péngyou wán. Wǒ de nán péngyou shàncháng yǔmáoqiú. Dàn wǒ duì zhè xiàng yùndòng bù tài zài háng, suǒyǐ dāng wǒmen dǎ yǔmáoqiú shí, tā huì zài wǒ liǎng cè jí qiú. Tā ràng wǒ pǎo lái pǎo qù, wǒ juéde hěn lèi. Yǒushí wǒ bìxū tiàogāo cái néng bǎ qiú dǎ dào lìng yībiān. Suīrán dǎ yǔmáoqiú ràng wǒ hěn lèi, dàn wǒ reng rán jiānchí liànxí, yīnwèi wǒ huì bǐ yǐqián gèng jiànkāng. Bùguǎn zěnyàng, wǒ xiāngxìn yǔmáoqiú shì zuì hǎo de yùndòng.

  • English Translation: The sport I love the most is badminton. I like playing it because I believe playing badminton often is very good for your health. I play it every evening. I always play with my friends, and sometimes with my boyfriend. My boyfriend is good at badminton. But I’m not very skilled at this sport, so when we play, he hits the shuttlecock to both sides, making me run back and forth. I feel exhausted. Sometimes I even have to jump high just to return the shot. Although playing badminton makes me tired, I still keep practicing because it helps me become healthier than before. No matter what, I believe badminton is the best sport.

2. Sample Essay: My Hobby of Swimming

  • Chinese Text: 我最喜欢的运动是游泳。我爱游泳有几个原因。首先,对我来说,在水里玩会带来很大的快乐。它也有助于减轻压力,游半小时后我感到精神振奋和放松。其次,游泳不仅可以锻炼身体,还能减肥呢。最后,游泳是一项伟大的运动,也是一项重要的生存技能,因为在不知道如何游泳的情况下,如果发生洪水,有可能遇到危险。总之,游泳总是我的首先爱好因为它不仅健康有趣,而且是一项救命的技能。

  • Pinyin: Wǒ zuì xǐhuān de yùndòng shì yóuyǒng. Wǒ ài yóuyǒng yǒu jǐ gè yuányīn. Shǒuxiān, duì wǒ lái shuō, zài shuǐ lǐ wán huì dài lái hěn dà de kuàilè. Tā yěyǒu zhù yú jiǎnqīng yālì, yóu bàn xiǎoshí hòu wǒ gǎndào jīngshén zhènfèn hé fàngsōng. Qícì, yóuyǒng bùjǐn kěyǐ duànliàn shēntǐ, hái néng jiǎnféi ne. Zuìhòu, yóuyǒng shì yī xiàng wěidà de yùndòng, yěshì yī xiàng zhòngyào de shēngcún jìnéng, yīnwèi zài bù zhīdào rúhé yóuyǒng de qíngkuàng xià, rúguǒ fāshēng hóngshuǐ, yǒu kěnéng yù dào wéixiǎn. Zǒngzhī, yóuyǒng zǒng shì wǒ de shǒuxiān àihào yīnwèi tā bùjǐn jiànkāng yǒuqù, érqiě shì yī xiàng jiùmìng de jìnéng.

  • English Translation: My favorite sport is swimming. I love swimming for several reasons. Firstly, being in the water brings me a great sense of joy. It also helps reduce stress, and after just 30 minutes of swimming, I feel refreshed and relaxed. Secondly, swimming not only improves physical fitness but also helps with weight loss. Lastly, swimming is not only a great sport but an essential life skill. If someone can't swim during a flood, they might end up in danger. In summary, swimming has always been my top hobby because it's not only healthy and fun but also a potentially life-saving ability. 

IV. Final Thoughts

Mastering sport in Chinese allows you to talk more openly about your hobbies, engage with locals more naturally, and build fluency through everyday topics. By reviewing vocabulary, reading dialogues, and trying essay writing yourself, you're reinforcing everything from accuracy to natural flow.

Whether you’re just starting out or preparing for Chinese proficiency exams, regular exposure to Chinese sports words and structured practice with topics like sports in Chinese pinyin will steadily boost your confidence.




Chloe
Product Content Admin

Hi I'm Chloe, and I am currently serving as an Product Content Administrator at Prep Education. With over five years of experience in independent online IELTS study and exam preparation, I am confident in my ability to support learners in achieving their highest possible scores.

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