Sports and games are a fun way to stay active and enjoy time with others. In English, there are many words to describe different kinds of sports, the equipment you use, and the places where you play. This guide will help you learn the most common vocabulary for talking about sports and games.
Common Sports
This section covers the names of popular sports you might play or watch. These are the basic words you need to talk about different kinds of athletic activities.
The most common sports in English include football (soccer), basketball, tennis, and more. These words are usually used as singular nouns (e.g., "I play tennis") and do not need a plural form when talking about the sport in general.
| English Singular | English Example | Spanish Singular | Spanish Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| football (soccer) | I love playing football. | fútbol | Me encanta jugar al fútbol. |
| basketball | Basketball is very popular. | baloncesto | El baloncesto es muy popular. |
| tennis | She plays tennis every weekend. | tenis | Ella juega tenis cada fin de semana. |
| baseball | Baseball is an American sport. | béisbol | El béisbol es un deporte americano. |
| volleyball | We played volleyball at the beach. | voleibol | Jugamos voleibol en la playa. |
| golf | He goes out for golf. | golf | Él va a jugar al golf. |
| swimming | Swimming is good exercise. | natación | La natación es un buen ejercicio. |
| cycling | She enjoys cycling in the countryside. | ciclismo | Ella disfruta del ciclismo en el campo. |
| gymnastics | Gymnastics requires strength and flexibility. | gimnasia | La gimnasia requiere fuerza y flexibilidad. |
| running | Running helps me relax. | correr | Correr me ayuda a relajarme. |
Equipment
This section includes words for the things you need to play sports and games. Knowing these will help you talk about what you use on the field or in the gym.
Most of these words are singular nouns. When talking about more than one item, add an -s (e.g., "two balls"). Some equipment names are uncountable (e.g., "equipment," "gear") and do not have a plural form.
| English Singular | English Example | Spanish Singular | Spanish Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| ball | Pass me the ball. | balón / pelota | Pásame el balón. |
| racket | I need a new tennis racket. | raqueta | Necesito una nueva raqueta de tenis. |
| bat | He swung the bat hard. | bate | Él bateó con fuerza el bate. |
| glove | She wears a glove in baseball. | guante | Ella usa un guante en béisbol. |
| net | The net is torn. | red | La red está rota. |
| helmet | Always wear a helmet when cycling. | casco | Siempre usa casco al andar en bicicleta. |
| shoes | I bought new running shoes. | zapatos / zapatillas | Compré nuevas zapatillas para correr. |
| jersey | His jersey is number 10. | camiseta | Su camiseta es el número 10. |
| shorts | I wear shorts in the summer. | pantalones cortos | Uso pantalones cortos en verano. |
| goggles | She puts on swimming goggles. | gafas de natación | Ella se pone gafas de natación. |
Places
Here are some common places where sports and games happen. These words help you describe where you are playing or watching.
Most of these nouns are countable, so you can use a/an for one (e.g., "a stadium") or add -s for more than one.
| English Singular | English Example | Spanish Singular | Spanish Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| stadium | The game is in the stadium. | estadio | El partido es en el estadio. |
| court | They play on the tennis court. | cancha | Juegan en la cancha de tenis. |
| field | The soccer field is large. | campo | El campo de fútbol es grande. |
| gym | I work out in the gym. | gimnasio | Entreno en el gimnasio. |
| track | She runs on the track. | pista | Ella corre en la pista. |
| pool | The pool is for swimming. | piscina | La piscina es para nadar. |
| arena | The basketball arena is full. | arena | La arena de baloncesto está llena. |
| ring | They fought in the boxing ring. | ring | Pelearon en el ring de boxeo. |
| course | He plays golf on the course. | campo | Él juega al golf en el campo. |
| playground | Kids play in the playground. | parque infantil | Los niños juegan en el parque infantil. |
The boxing match took place in the ___.
ring
'Ring' is the enclosed space where boxing matches occur.
Types of Games
This section covers common types of games you might play, either indoors or outdoors. These include board games, card games, and some simple sports.
Most of these nouns are countable and can be pluralized by adding -s (e.g., "two games").
| English Singular | English Example | Spanish Singular | Spanish Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| game | We played a game of chess. | juego | Jugamos un juego de ajedrez. |
| match | The soccer match was exciting. | partido | El partido de fútbol fue emocionante. |
| tournament | The tournament lasts two weeks. | torneo | El torneo dura dos semanas. |
| card game | Card games are fun with friends. | juego de cartas | Los juegos de cartas son divertidos con amigos. |
| board game | We love playing board games. | juego de mesa | Nos encanta jugar juegos de mesa. |
| puzzle | She solved a difficult puzzle. | rompecabezas | Ella resolvió un rompecabezas difícil. |
| video game | He spends hours on video games. | videojuego | Él pasa horas con videojuegos. |
| quiz | The class did a sports quiz. | concurso | La clase hizo un concurso de deportes. |
| competition | They won the competition. | competición | Ganaron la competición. |
| race | The race was very close. | carrera | La carrera estuvo muy reñida. |
Common Verbs
Here are some common verbs used when talking about sports and games. These words help you describe actions and tell stories about playing or watching.
All example sentences are in the present simple tense, which is used for habits and general truths.
| English Verb | English Example | Spanish Verb | Spanish Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| play | I play football on Saturdays. | jugar | Juego al fútbol los sábados. |
| watch | We watch basketball on TV. | ver | Vemos baloncesto en la tele. |
| win | They always win their matches. | ganar | Siempre ganan sus partidos. |
| lose | I lose sometimes. | perder | A veces pierdo. |
| score | She scores two goals. | marcar | Ella marca dos goles. |
| compete | Athletes compete globally. | competir | Los atletas compiten a nivel mundial. |
| train | He trains every morning. | entrenar | Él entrena todas las mañanas. |
| improve | I want to improve my skills. | mejorar | Quiero mejorar mis habilidades. |
| serve | She serves the ball. | sacar | Ella saca la pelota. |
| pass | Pass the ball to me! | pasar | ¡Pasa la pelota a mí! |
They ___ their matches most of the time. (They / to win)
win
'They' takes the base verb form 'win' in the present simple.
She ___ two goals every game. (She / to score)
scores
For the subject 'She,' add -s to the verb: 'scores'.
Common Phrases
These are some useful expressions you can use when talking about sports and games. They will help you join conversations and sound more natural.
| English Phrase | English Example | Spanish Phrase | Spanish Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| good game! | Good game! You played well. | ¡buen juego! | ¡Buen juego! Jugaste bien. |
| keep your eye on the ball | Keep your eye on the ball! | ¡mantén los ojos en la pelota! | ¡Mantén los ojos en la pelota! |
| out of bounds | The ball went out of bounds. | fuera de límites | La pelota salió fuera de límites. |
| on the scoreboard | Two points on the scoreboard. | en el marcador | Dos puntos en el marcador. |
| time out | Let’s take a time out. | tiempo fuera | Tomemos un tiempo fuera. |
| hit the target | He hit the target perfectly. | acertar el objetivo | Él acertó el objetivo perfectamente. |
| break a record | She broke a record today. | romper un récord | Ella rompió un récord hoy. |
| foul play | The referee called foul play. | falta | El árbitro señaló falta. |
| training session | Yesterday’s training session was tough. | sesión de entrenamiento | La sesión de entrenamiento de ayer fue dura. |
| championship game | The championship game is tomorrow. | partido de campeonato | El partido de campeonato es mañana. |
Now you have a complete guide to the most useful English vocabulary for sports and games. Keep practicing, and you’ll be able to talk about your favorite activities with confidence!
Flashcards (1 of 60)
- English Singular: football (soccer)
- English Example: I love playing football.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
