Sports and recreation are popular topics in everyday conversation, and learning the vocabulary in Spanish will help you talk about your hobbies, make plans, and understand instructions.
- Includes vocabulary for common sports, exercise activities, and leisure pastimes.
- Covers equipment, locations, and useful verbs for talking about sports.
- Provides example sentences and tips for natural conversation.
You can also visit the full word list in the Spanish Sports & Recreation category for more vocabulary and examples.
Sports
Sports are organized activities that usually involve competition and rules. Here are some of the most common sports in Spanish, along with the definite article you would typically use (el for masculine, la for feminine, and las for plural).
| Spanish | English | Singular Example | Plural Example | Singular Example (English) | Plural Example (English) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| el fútbol | soccer/football | El fútbol es muy popular. | Los fútboles son interesantes. | Soccer is very popular. | The soccer games are interesting. |
| el baloncesto | basketball | Juego al baloncesto. | Juego a los baloncestos. | I play basketball. | I play the basketball games. |
| el tenis | tennis | El tenis es divertido. | Los tenises son emocionantes. | Tennis is fun. | The tennis matches are exciting. |
| el béisbol | baseball | Me gusta el béisbol. | Los béisboles comienzan hoy. | I like baseball. | The baseball games start today. |
| la natación | swimming | La natación es saludable. | Las nataciones son agotadoras. | Swimming is healthy. | The swimming sessions are tiring. |
| el voleibol | volleyball | Juego al voleibol. | Juego a los voleibols. | I play volleyball. | I play the volleyball games. |
| el ciclismo | cycling | El ciclismo está de moda. | Los ciclismos son largos. | Cycling is trendy. | The cycling races are long. |
| el atletismo | athletics/track and field | El atletismo requiere entrenamiento. | Los atletismos son desafiantes. | Athletics requires training. | The athletics events are challenging. |
| el rugby | rugby | El rugby es un deporte fuerte. | Los rugbys son intensos. | Rugby is a tough sport. | The rugby matches are intense. |
| el surf | surfing | Me encanta el surf. | Los surfs son emocionantes. | I love surfing. | The surfing sessions are exciting. |
Note: Plural forms like fútboles or tenises are rarely used; instead, you would specify “partidos de fútbol” (soccer matches) or “partidos de tenis” (tennis matches) when talking about multiple games.
Exercise & Fitness
These words cover common activities and terms you’ll encounter in gyms, fitness classes, and outdoor workouts.
| Spanish | English | Singular Example | Plural Example | Singular Example (English) | Plural Example (English) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| hacer ejercicio | to exercise | Hago ejercicio todos los días. | Hacemos ejercicios variados. | I exercise every day. | We do various exercises. |
| entrenar | to train/work out | Ella entrena en el gimnasio. | Ellos entrenan juntos. | She trains at the gym. | They train together. |
| levantar pesas | to lift weights | Él levanta pesas. | Levantan pesas fuertes. | He lifts weights. | They lift heavy weights. |
| correr | to run | Me gusta correr por la mañana. | Corremos en el parque. | I like to run in the morning. | We run in the park. |
| hacer yoga | to do yoga | Hago yoga para relajarme. | Hacemos yogas en grupo. | I do yoga to relax. | We do group yoga sessions. |
| estirar | to stretch | Siempre estiro antes de entrenar. | Estiramos los músculos juntos. | I always stretch before training. | We stretch our muscles together. |
| caminar | to walk | Camino 30 minutos diarios. | Caminamos por la playa. | I walk 30 minutes daily. | We walk along the beach. |
| saltar | to jump | Salto la cuerda en casa. | Saltamos juntos en el parque. | I jump rope at home. | We jump together in the park. |
| hacer bicicleta | to ride a stationary bike | Hago bicicleta en el gimnasio. | Hacemos bicicletas intensas. | I ride a stationary bike at the gym. | We do intense bike sessions. |
| hacer pilates | to do Pilates | Hago pilates los miércoles. | Hacemos pilates en grupo. | I do Pilates on Wednesdays. | We do group Pilates classes. |
She trains at the gym.
Ella entrena en el gimnasio.
'Entrenar' is correctly conjugated as 'entrena' for 'Ella', and 'en el gimnasio' is the standard prepositional phrase.
Sports Equipment
Here are some common pieces of equipment you’ll need for various sports and fitness activities.
| Spanish | English | Singular Example | Plural Example | Singular Example (English) | Plural Example (English) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| el balón | ball | El balón es de fútbol. | Los balones están inflados. | The ball is for soccer. | The balls are inflated. |
| la raqueta | racket | La raqueta es nueva. | Las raquetas son ligeras. | The racket is new. | The rackets are light. |
| las zapatillas | sneakers | Las zapatillas son cómodas. | Mis zapatillas están sucias. | The sneakers are comfortable. | My sneakers are dirty. |
| las pesas | weights | Las pesas son de hierro. | Levanto pesas todos los días. | The weights are iron. | I lift weights every day. |
| la bicicleta | bicycle | La bicicleta está en el garaje. | Las bicicletas son rápidas. | The bicycle is in the garage. | The bicycles are fast. |
| la cuerda | rope | La cuerda es para saltar. | Saltamos con cuerdas. | The rope is for jumping. | We jump with ropes. |
| la colchoneta | mat | Uso la colchoneta para yoga. | Las colchonetas están limpias. | I use the mat for yoga. | The mats are clean. |
| el casco | helmet | El casco es obligatorio. | Los cascos están en la taquilla. | The helmet is mandatory. | The helmets are in the locker. |
| las gafas de natación | swimming goggles | Las gafas de natación son azules. | Mis gafas de natación se perdieron. | The swimming goggles are blue. | My swimming goggles got lost. |
| el guante | glove | El guante es para boxeo. | Los guantes están usados. | The glove is for boxing. | The gloves are used. |
Recreation & Hobbies
These are common terms for more casual, non-competitive activities that people do for fun and relaxation.
| Spanish | English | Singular Example | Plural Example | Singular Example (English) | Plural Example (English) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| pasear | to stroll | Paseo por el parque. | Paseamos juntos los sábados. | I stroll through the park. | We stroll together on Saturdays. |
| bailar | to dance | Me gusta bailar salsa. | Bailamos en la fiesta. | I like to dance salsa. | We dance at the party. |
| pescar | to fish | Pesco los fines de semana. | Pescamos en el lago. | I fish on weekends. | We fish in the lake. |
| hacer senderismo | to hike | Hago senderismo en las montañas. | Hacemos senderismos largos. | I hike in the mountains. | We do long hikes. |
| montar a caballo | to ride a horse | Monte a caballo ayer. | Montamos a caballo juntos. | I rode a horse yesterday. | We ride horses together. |
| jugar | to play | Juego con mis amigos. | Jugamos al aire libre. | I play with my friends. | We play outdoors. |
| patinar | to skate | Patino en la pista. | Patinamos los sábados. | I skate on the rink. | We skate on Saturdays. |
| navegar | to sail | Navego en el lago. | Navegamos por la costa. | I sail on the lake. | We sail along the coast. |
| tomar el sol | to sunbathe | Tomo el sol en la playa. | Tomamos el sol juntas. | I sunbathe on the beach. | We sunbathe together. |
| jugar a los videojuegos | to play video games | Juego a los videojuegos por la tarde. | Jugamos a los videojuegos en línea. | I play video games in the afternoon. | We play video games online. |
I hike in the mountains.
Hago senderismo en las montañas.
'Hacer senderismo' is singular, and the correct preposition is 'en.' Plurals like 'senderismos' are uncommon.
Common Verbs in Sports & Recreation
These verbs are useful across many different activities and will help you form more complex sentences.
| Spanish | English | Singular Example | Plural Example | Singular Example (English) | Plural Example (English) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| jugar | to play | Juego al tenis. | Jugamos al fútbol. | I play tennis. | We play soccer. |
| ganar | to win | Ella gana el partido. | Ganamos el torneo. | She wins the match. | We win the tournament. |
| perder | to lose | Perdí ayer. | Perdimos el juego. | I lost yesterday. | We lost the game. |
| practicar | to practice | Practico baloncesto. | Practicamos juntos. | I practice basketball. | We practice together. |
| entrenar | to train | Entreno cada mañana. | Entrenamos duro. | I train every morning. | We train hard. |
| competir | to compete | Compito en natación. | Compiten a nivel nacional. | I compete in swimming. | They compete nationally. |
| descansar | to rest | Descanso después del partido. | Descansamos un rato. | I rest after the match. | We rest for a while. |
| calentar | to warm up | Caliento antes de correr. | Calentamos en grupo. | I warm up before running. | We warm up as a group. |
| seguir | to follow/continue | Sigo una rutina diaria. | Seguimos el plan juntos. | I follow a daily routine. | We follow the plan together. |
| esforzarse | to make an effort | Me esfuerzo al máximo. | Nos esforzamos mucho. | I make an effort to the max. | We make a lot of effort. |
Useful Phrases
Here are some common phrases that can help you participate more naturally in conversations about sports and recreation in Spanish.
| Spanish | English | Singular Example | Plural Example | Singular Example (English) | Plural Example (English) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ¿Quieres jugar? | Do you want to play? | ¿Quieres jugar tenis? | ¿Quieren jugar fútbol? | Do you want to play tennis? | Do you want to play soccer? |
| ¡Buena suerte! | Good luck! | ¡Buena suerte en el partido! | ¡Buenas suertes a todos! | Good luck in the match! | Good luck to everyone! |
| ¿A qué hora entrenas? | What time do you train? | ¿A qué hora entrenas hoy? | ¿A qué hora entrenan ustedes? | What time do you train today? | What time do you all train? |
| Necesito descansar. | I need to rest. | Necesito descansar un poco. | Necesitamos descansar juntos. | I need to rest a bit. | We need to rest together. |
| ¿Dónde queda el gimnasio? | Where is the gym? | ¿Dónde queda el gimnasio? | ¿Dónde quedan los gimnasios? | Where is the gym? | Where are the gyms? |
| Estoy cansado/a. | I am tired. | Estoy cansado después de correr. | Estamos cansados hoy. | I am tired after running. | We are tired today. |
| ¡Vamos! | Let’s go! | ¡Vamos al partido! | ¡Vamos a entrenar! | Let’s go to the match! | Let’s go train! |
| ¿Cuántos puntos anotaste? | How many points did you score? | ¿Cuántos puntos anotaste? | ¿Cuántos puntos anotaron? | How many points did you score? | How many points did you all score? |
| Me lesioné. | I got injured. | Me lesioné la rodilla. | Se lesionaron ayer. | I injured my knee. | They got injured yesterday. |
| ¿Quieres acompañarme? | Do you want to come with me? | ¿Quieres acompañarme al gym? | ¿Quieren acompañarnos? | Do you want to come with me to the gym? | Do you all want to come with us? |
You can also visit the full word list in the Spanish Sports & Recreation category for more vocabulary and examples.
I need to rest a bit.
Necesito descansar un poco.
'Necesito descansar un poco' is the standard way to say this. 'Descansarme' would require a reflexive pronoun and is less common here.
Flashcards (1 of 60)
- Singular Example: El fútbol es muy popular.
- Plural Example: Los fútboles son interesantes.
- English: soccer/football
- Singular Example (English): Soccer is very popular.
- Plural Example (English): The soccer games are interesting.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
