Sports vocabulary in Spanish, including common terms for equipment, activities, and locations used across various sports.
Understanding sports vocabulary in Spanish is essential for talking about games, activities, and equipment. This guide covers key terms across different areas of sports, helping you build a well-rounded vocabulary.
Equipment
Sports equipment vocabulary includes items used in a wide range of activities, from balls and bats to protective gear and footwear.
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| el balón | los balones | ball | balls | El balón está en la cancha. | The ball is on the court. |
| la raqueta | las raquetas | racket | rackets | Tengo una raqueta nueva. | I have a new racket. |
| el casco | los cascos | helmet | helmets | Debes usar un casco para ciclismo. | You should wear a helmet for cycling. |
| los guantes | — | gloves | — | Uso guantes para levantar pesas. | I use gloves for weightlifting. |
| la red | las redes | net | nets | La red está demasiado baja. | The net is too low. |
| el bate | los bates | bat | bats | ¿Dónde está el bate de béisbol? | Where is the baseball bat? |
| las zapatillas | — | sneakers | — | Compré zapatillas para correr. | I bought sneakers for running. |
| la pelota | las pelotas | ball | balls (small) | La pelota de tenis es amarilla. | The tennis ball is yellow. |
| la camiseta | las camisetas | jersey/shirt | jerseys/shirts | Llevo la camiseta del equipo local. | I’m wearing the local team’s jersey. |
| las gafas | — | goggles | — | Uso gafas para nadar. | I use goggles for swimming. |
Tengo una ___ nueva.
What is 'racket' in Spanish?
raqueta
The word for 'racket' is 'raqueta'. The other options mean 'net', 'ball', and 'shirt'.
Compré ___ para correr.
How do you say 'sneakers' in Spanish?
zapatillas
'Zapatillas' means 'sneakers' in Spanish. The other options mean 'gloves', 'bats', and 'balls'.
Sports
This section introduces the names of popular sports, helping you talk about your favorite games and activities.
| Singular | Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| el fútbol | — | soccer | — | Juego al fútbol los sábados. | I play soccer on Saturdays. |
| el baloncesto | — | basketball | — | El baloncesto es muy popular en EE.UU. | Basketball is very popular in the U.S. |
| el tenis | — | tennis | — | Voy a jugar al tenis mañana. | I’m going to play tennis tomorrow. |
| el béisbol | — | baseball | — | Mi hermano juega al béisbol. | My brother plays baseball. |
| la natación | — | swimming | — | La natación es un buen ejercicio. | Swimming is a good workout. |
| el ciclismo | — | cycling | — | Practico ciclismo todos los días. | I cycle every day. |
| el voleibol | — | volleyball | — | Juegan al voleibol en la playa. | They play volleyball on the beach. |
| el tenis de mesa | — | table tennis | — | Me gusta el tenis de mesa. | I like table tennis. |
| el atletismo | — | athletics/track and field | — | El atletismo incluye muchas disciplinas. | Athletics includes many disciplines. |
| el esquí | — | skiing | — | El esquí es popular en invierno. | Skiing is popular in winter. |
Actions
These are common verbs and action phrases used in sports contexts, from playing and training to scoring and winning.
| Action | English | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| jugar | to play | Juego al fútbol con mis amigos. | I play soccer with my friends. |
| entrenar | to train | Entreno en el gimnasio por la mañana. | I train at the gym in the morning. |
| correr | to run | Corro cinco kilómetros cada día. | I run five kilometers every day. |
| lanzar | to throw | El jugador lanzó el balón muy lejos. | The player threw the ball very far. |
| ganar | to win | Nuestro equipo ganó el partido. | Our team won the game. |
| perder | to lose | Perdimos por un punto. | We lost by one point. |
| saltar | to jump | El atleta saltó muy alto. | The athlete jumped very high. |
| marcar | to score | Marqué un gol en el último minuto. | I scored a goal in the last minute. |
| nadar | to swim | Nado veinte largas en la piscina. | I swim twenty laps in the pool. |
| patear | to kick | Pateó el balón con fuerza. | He kicked the ball hard. |
Places
Learn the names of common places and locations where sports are played, from gyms and fields to pools and courts.
| Singular | Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| el gimnasio | los gimnasios | gym | gyms | Voy al gimnasio después del trabajo. | I go to the gym after work. |
| la cancha | las canchas | court/field | courts/fields | La cancha de tenis está ocupada. | The tennis court is busy. |
| la piscina | las piscinas | pool | pools | Nadamos en la piscina cubierta. | We swim in the indoor pool. |
| el estadio | los estadios | stadium | stadiums | El estadio estaba lleno de fans. | The stadium was full of fans. |
| la pista | las pistas | track | tracks | Corro en la pista de atletismo. | I run on the track. |
| el campo | los campos | field | fields | El campo de fútbol está mojado. | The soccer field is wet. |
| el ring | los rings | ring | rings | La pelea fue en el ring central. | The fight was in the main ring. |
| la playa | — | beach | — | Jugamos voleibol en la playa. | We play volleyball on the beach. |
| el vestuario | los vestuarios | locker room | locker rooms | Deja tus cosas en el vestuario. | Leave your things in the locker room. |
| el pabellón | los pabellones | sports hall | sports halls | El partido es en el pabellón local. | The match is in the local sports hall. |
Additional Vocabulary
Here are some extra terms that appear frequently in sports contexts, including roles, results, and general concepts.
| Singular | Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| el árbitro | los árbitros | referee | referees | El árbitro expulsó al jugador. | The referee sent off the player. |
| el equipo | los equipos | team | teams | Nuestro equipo es muy competitivo. | Our team is very competitive. |
| el entrenador | los entrenadores | coach | coaches | El entrenador dio una charla motivacional. | The coach gave a motivational talk. |
| el partido | los partidos | match/game | matches/games | El partido comienza a las ocho. | The game starts at eight. |
| la victoria | las victorias | victory | victories | Celebraron la victoria con alegría. | They celebrated the victory joyfully. |
| la derrota | las derrotas | defeat | defeats | La derrota fue muy inesperada. | The defeat was very unexpected. |
| el récord | los récords | record | records | Rompió el récord mundial. | He broke the world record. |
| el calentamiento | los calentamientos | warm-up | warm-ups | El calentamiento es fundamental antes de entrenar. | Warm-up is essential before training. |
| la competición | las competiciones | competition | competitions | Hay una competición este fin de semana. | There is a competition this weekend. |
| la lesión | las lesiones | injury | injuries | Sufrió una lesión en la rodilla. | He suffered a knee injury. |
This guide covers a comprehensive set of Spanish sports vocabulary to help you talk confidently about games, equipment, actions, places, and more.
Flashcards (1 of 50)
- English Singular: ball
- English Plural: balls
- English Example: The ball is on the court.
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
