Sports involve a wide range of actions, from running and jumping to throwing and kicking. This page covers common French verbs and phrases used to describe these actions, helping you talk about sports more accurately.
Basic Sport Actions
These are general verbs used to describe common movements in many sports.
- courir — to run
- sauter — to jump
- lancer — to throw
- attraper — to catch
- frapper — to hit
- nager — to swim
- marcher — to walk
- glisser — to slide
- grimper — to climb
- tourner — to turn
He ___ the ball far.
lance
"Il lance la balle loin" means He throws the ball far. "Lancer" means to throw.
Ball Game Actions
These verbs are used specifically for actions involving balls in sports like soccer, basketball, and tennis.
- dribbler — to dribble
- passer — to pass
- tirer — to shoot
- frapper — to strike/hit
- bloquer — to block
- servir — to serve (tennis, volleyball)
- rebondir — to bounce
- renvoyer — to return (a ball)
- contrôler — to control (a ball)
- marquer — to score
Equipment-Related Actions
These verbs describe actions involving sports equipment like rackets, bats, or skis.
- manier — to handle/manage
- frapper — to hit/strike
- tenir — to hold
- équiper — to equip
- porter — to wear/carry
- ajuster — to adjust
- enfiler — to put on (gloves, etc.)
- chausser — to put on (shoes, skis)
- viser — to aim
- balancer — to swing
Training & Preparation Actions
These verbs are useful for talking about warming up, training, and getting ready for sports.
- s’échauffer — to warm up
- s’étirer — to stretch
- s’entraîner — to train/practice
- se reposer — to rest
- se concentrer — to concentrate
- motiver — to motivate
- récupérer — to recover
- répéter — to repeat
- fixer — to focus (one’s eyes)
- augmenter — to increase
Stretch before running.
Étirez-vous avant de courir.
"S’étirer" means to stretch. The sentence is a command to stretch before running.
Outcome & Reaction Actions
Use these verbs to describe the results of actions or how athletes react during sports.
- gagner — to win
- perdre — to lose
- égaliser — to tie/equalize
- célébrer — to celebrate
- encaisser — to take (a hit/goal)
- réagir — to react
- applaudir — to applaud
- se blesser — to get injured
- abandonner — to give up/forfeit
- résister — to resist
Movements & Positions
These verbs describe specific body movements or positions common in sports.
- plier — to bend
- étendre — to stretch out
- tourner — to turn
- s’accroupir — to squat/crouch
- se pencher — to lean
- s’allonger — to lie down
- se relever — to get up
- se déplacer — to move around
- sauter — to jump
- lever — to lift
Lift your arms higher.
Lève les bras plus haut.
"Lever" means to lift or raise. The sentence instructs to lift the arms higher.
| French Verb | English Meaning | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| courir | to run | Il aime courir tous les matins. | He likes to run every morning. |
| sauter | to jump | Elle peut sauter très haut. | She can jump very high. |
| lancer | to throw | Il lance la balle loin. | He throws the ball far. |
| attraper | to catch | Attrape le ballon ! | Catch the ball! |
| frapper | to hit | Il frappe fort au tennis. | He hits hard in tennis. |
| nager | to swim | Nous nageons dans la piscine. | We swim in the pool. |
| dribbler | to dribble | Il dribble entre les défenseurs. | He dribbles between defenders. |
| passer | to pass | Passe-moi le ballon. | Pass me the ball. |
| tirer | to shoot | Elle tire au but. | She shoots at the goal. |
| servir | to serve | Il sert au tennis. | He serves in tennis. |
| s’échauffer | to warm up | Il s’échauffe avant le match. | He warms up before the match. |
| s’étirer | to stretch | Étirez-vous avant de courir. | Stretch before running. |
| s’entraîner | to train | Elle s’entraîne tous les jours. | She trains every day. |
| gagner | to win | Ils veulent gagner le match. | They want to win the match. |
| perdre | to lose | Nous ne voulons pas perdre. | We don’t want to lose. |
| célébrer | to celebrate | Ils célèbrent leur victoire. | They celebrate their victory. |
| se blesser | to get injured | Il s’est blessé au genou. | He injured his knee. |
| plier | to bend | Plie les genoux pour sauter. | Bend your knees to jump. |
| tourner | to turn | Tourne à droite après le virage. | Turn right after the bend. |
| sauter | to jump | Sauter est essentiel en basket. | Jumping is essential in basketball. |
This list covers many of the basic sport action verbs in French, helping you describe movements and actions across a variety of sports.
Flashcards (1 of 20)
- English Meaning: to run
- English Example: He likes to run every morning.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
