Sports Vocabulary in Traditional Chinese: 70+ Easy Words & Game-Day Phrases for Beginners

If you can say 籃球 lánqiú and 加油 jiāyóu, congratulations: you are already halfway to sounding like a very enthusiastic fan in Taiwan. Sports talk is everywhere here — at school, in the gym, at the night market TV screens, and in the kind of group chat where everybody suddenly becomes a coach.

For the broader learning path, visit our parent guide.

This guide gives you Traditional Chinese, pinyin, and English meaning for useful sports words and game-day phrases. You will also see real example sentences, because words without sentences are just lonely little dictionary snacks. For extra practice, you can compare this topic with the related vocab guides for playground vocabulary, recess vocabulary, and health vocabulary.

Need a quick language checkpoint? You can also try a Traditional Chinese vocabulary test or see how sports words fit into a wider study path with the TOCFL placement test.

Yak wisdom: In Taiwan, sports talk is practical, casual, and a little dramatic. If someone yells 加油！ jiāyóu!, they are not talking about gasoline. Relax.

Table of Contents

Game-Day Essentials

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
運動	yùndòng	exercise; sport	我每天都運動。	Wǒ měitiān dōu yùndòng.	I exercise every day.
比賽	bǐsài	match; game; competition	今天有籃球比賽。	Jīntiān yǒu lánqiú bǐsài.	There is a basketball game today.
球隊	qiúduì	team	我們球隊很強。	Wǒmen qiúduì hěn qiáng.	Our team is very strong.
球員	qiúyuán	player	那位球員跑得很快。	Nà wèi qiúyuán pǎo de hěn kuài.	That player runs very fast.
教練	jiàoliàn	coach	教練說我們要專心。	Jiàoliàn shuō wǒmen yào zhuānxīn.	The coach said we need to focus.
裁判	cáipàn	referee; judge	裁判吹哨了。	Cáipàn chuīshào le.	The referee blew the whistle.
觀眾	guānzhòng	spectator; audience	觀眾都在鼓掌。	Guānzhòng dōu zài gǔzhǎng.	The spectators are all clapping.
球場	qiúchǎng	court; field	球場上很多人。	Qiúchǎng shàng hěn duō rén.	There are many people on the court.
得分	défēn	score points	他剛剛得分了。	Tā gānggāng défēn le.	He just scored.
贏	yíng	win	我們希望可以贏。	Wǒmen xīwàng kěyǐ yíng.	We hope we can win.
輸	shū	lose	輸球也要保持冷靜。	Shū qiú yě yào bǎochí lěngjìng.	Even if you lose, you still need to stay calm.
平手	píngshǒu	tie	最後是平手。	Zuìhòu shì píngshǒu.	It ended in a tie.

Small note: in Taiwan, people often say 比賽 bǐsài for both “game” and “competition.” It is the comfy, all-purpose sports word. Very efficient. No need to invent drama.

Common Sports Words

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
籃球	lánqiú	basketball	我喜歡看籃球。	Wǒ xǐhuān kàn lánqiú.	I like watching basketball.
足球	zúqiú	soccer; football	他們週末去踢足球。	Tāmen zhōumò qù tī zúqiú.	They go play soccer on the weekend.
棒球	bàngqiú	baseball	台灣很多人喜歡棒球。	Táiwān hěn duō rén xǐhuān bàngqiú.	Many people in Taiwan like baseball.
排球	páiqiú	volleyball	學校操場常有人打排球。	Xuéxiào cāochǎng cháng yǒu rén dǎ páiqiú.	There are often people playing volleyball on the school field.
網球	wǎngqiú	tennis	我爸爸以前打網球。	Wǒ bàba yǐqián dǎ wǎngqiú.	My dad used to play tennis.
羽球	yǔqiú	badminton	下課後我想打羽球。	Xiàkèhòu wǒ xiǎng dǎ yǔqiú.	After class, I want to play badminton.
游泳	yóuyǒng	swimming	夏天很適合游泳。	Xiàtiān hěn shìhé yóuyǒng.	Summer is great for swimming.
跑步	pǎobù	running	我每天早上跑步。	Wǒ měitiān zǎoshang pǎobù.	I run every morning.
騎腳踏車	qí jiǎotàchē	ride a bicycle	週日我們去河邊騎腳踏車。	Zhōurì wǒmen qù hébiān qí jiǎotàchē.	On Sunday, we go ride bicycles by the river.
健身	jiànshēn	fitness; work out	他晚上去健身房健身。	Tā wǎnshàng qù jiànshēnfáng jiànshēn.	He goes to the gym at night to work out.
健身房	jiànshēnfáng	gym	這家健身房很大。	Zhè jiā jiànshēnfáng hěn dà.	This gym is very big.
熱身	rèshēn	warm up	運動前要先熱身。	Yùndòng qián yào xiān rèshēn.	You should warm up before exercise.
拉筋	lājīn	stretch	跑步前先拉筋。	Pǎobù qián xiān lājīn.	Stretch before running.
休息	xiūxi	rest	你太累了，先休息吧。	Nǐ tài lèi le, xiān xiūxi ba.	You are too tired, so rest first.
訓練	xùnliàn	train; practice	他們每天都訓練。	Tāmen měitiān dōu xùnliàn.	They train every day.

Useful Game-Day Phrases

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
加油！	jiāyóu!	Come on!; Go for it!	加油！你可以的！	Jiāyóu! Nǐ kěyǐ de!	Come on! You can do it!
太棒了！	tài bàng le!	Awesome!	這球太棒了！	Zhè qiú tài bàng le!	That play was awesome!
好球！	hǎo qiú!	Good shot!; Nice play!	好球！再來一次！	Hǎo qiú! Zài lái yī cì!	Nice shot! One more time!
進球了！	jìn qiú le!	They scored!	我們進球了！	Wǒmen jìn qiú le!	We scored!
犯規	fànguī	foul; violate the rules	那個動作是犯規。	Nà ge dòngzuò shì fànguī.	That move was a foul.
暫停	zhàntíng	time-out; pause	教練叫了暫停。	Jiàoliàn jiào le zhàntíng.	The coach called a timeout.
換人	huàn rén	substitute a player	現在可以換人嗎？	Xiànzài kěyǐ huàn rén ma?	Can we substitute now?
領先	lǐngxiān	to be in the lead	我們現在領先。	Wǒmen xiànzài lǐngxiān.	We are leading now.
落後	luòhòu	to be behind	我們先落後一分。	Wǒmen xiān luòhòu yī fēn.	We are behind by one point for now.
追平	zhuīpíng	tie the score	他們追平了比分。	Tāmen zhuīpíng le bǐfēn.	They tied the score.
比數	bǐshù	score	現在比數是多少？	Xiànzài bǐshù shì duōshǎo?	What is the score now?
觀賽	guānsài	watch a game	我們一起去觀賽吧。	Wǒmen yìqǐ qù guānsài ba.	Let’s go watch the game together.
上場	shàngchǎng	go on the field/court	你什麼時候上場？	Nǐ shénme shíhòu shàngchǎng?	When do you go on?
下場	xiàchǎng	leave the field/court	他受傷後就下場了。	Tā shòushāng hòu jiù xiàchǎng le.	He left the field after getting injured.
最後一分鐘	zuìhòu yī fēnzhōng	last minute	最後一分鐘最緊張。	Zuìhòu yī fēnzhōng zuì jǐnzhāng.	The last minute is the most tense.

Quick pronunciation note: 加油 jiāyóu is one of the most useful phrases in Taiwanese Mandarin. People use it for sports, exams, work, and life in general. It means encouragement, not actual oil, which is probably a relief.

Body Parts And Motion Words For Sports

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
手	shǒu	hand	他用手接球。	Tā yòng shǒu jiē qiú.	He catches the ball with his hand.
腳	jiǎo	foot; leg	她的腳很快。	Tā de jiǎo hěn kuài.	Her feet are fast.
頭	tóu	head	用頭頂球很難。	Yòng tóu dǐng qiú hěn nán.	It is hard to head the ball.
肩膀	jiānbǎng	shoulder	他的肩膀有點痛。	Tā de jiānbǎng yǒudiǎn tòng.	His shoulder hurts a little.
速度	sùdù	speed	他的速度很快。	Tā de sùdù hěn kuài.	His speed is very fast.
力量	lìliàng	strength	這個動作需要力量。	Zhè ge dòngzuò xūyào lìliàng.	This movement needs strength.
跳	tiào	jump	他跳得很高。	Tā tiào de hěn gāo.	He jumps very high.
跑	pǎo	run	大家一起跑。	Dàjiā yìqǐ pǎo.	Everyone runs together.
踢	tī	kick	他會踢足球。	Tā huì tī zúqiú.	He can play soccer.
接	jiē	catch; receive	她接到球了。	Tā jiē dào qiú le.	She caught the ball.
傳球	chuánqiú	pass the ball	記得先傳球。	Jìde xiān chuánqiú.	Remember to pass the ball first.
射門	shèmén	shoot at goal	他準備射門。	Tā zhǔnbèi shèmén.	He is preparing to shoot.

People, Equipment, And Places

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
球	qiú	ball	這顆球很新。	Zhè kē qiú hěn xīn.	This ball is very new.
球鞋	qiúxié	sports shoes	我需要一雙球鞋。	Wǒ xūyào yī shuāng qiúxié.	I need a pair of sports shoes.
球衣	qiúyī	jersey	他穿著球衣。	Tā chuān zhe qiúyī.	He is wearing a jersey.
球帽	qiúmào	sports cap	棒球員常戴球帽。	Bàngqiúyuán cháng dài qiúmào.	Baseball players often wear caps.
球棒	qiúbàng	bat	他拿著球棒。	Tā názhe qiúbàng.	He is holding a bat.
球拍	qiúpāi	racket; paddle	我的球拍在包包裡。	Wǒ de qiúpāi zài bāobāo lǐ.	My racket is in the bag.
泳池	yǒngchí	swimming pool	泳池今天很熱鬧。	Yǒngchí jīntiān hěn rènào.	The pool is lively today.
體育館	tǐyùguǎn	gymnasium; sports hall	比賽在體育館舉行。	Bǐsài zài tǐyùguǎn jǔxíng.	The game is held in the sports hall.
跑道	pǎodào	track	我們在跑道上跑步。	Wǒmen zài pǎodào shàng pǎobù.	We run on the track.
球門	qiúmén	goal	球門前很危險。	Qiúmén qián hěn wēixiǎn.	The area in front of the goal is dangerous.

Word choice note: in Taiwan, 羽球 yǔqiú is the usual word for badminton. Some learners expect a different term, but this one is the standard everyday choice. Language loves to keep you guessing just enough to be annoying.

Extra Sports Verbs You Will Actually Use

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
練習	liànxí	practice	我想多練習。	Wǒ xiǎng duō liànxí.	I want to practice more.
投球	tóuqiú	pitch; throw a ball	他投球投得很好。	Tā tóuqiú tóu de hěn hǎo.	He pitches very well.
拍球	pāiqiú	dribble the ball	小朋友在拍球。	Xiǎopéngyǒu zài pāiqiú.	The children are dribbling the ball.
撿球	jiǎnqiú	pick up the ball	誰去撿球？	Shéi qù jiǎnqiú?	Who will go pick up the ball?
防守	fángshǒu	defend	我們要先防守。	Wǒmen yào xiān fángshǒu.	We need to defend first.
進攻	jìngōng	attack; go on offense	現在換我們進攻。	Xiànzài huàn wǒmen jìngōng.	Now it is our turn to attack.
阻擋	zǔdǎng	block; stop	他成功阻擋了對方。	Tā chénggōng zǔdǎng le duìfāng.	He successfully blocked the other side.
犯錯	fàncuò	make a mistake	沒關係，偶爾會犯錯。	Méi guānxi, ǒu’ěr huì fàncuò.	No problem, everyone makes mistakes sometimes.
受傷	shòushāng	get injured	如果受傷，先告訴老師。	Rúguǒ shòushāng, xiān gàosu lǎoshī.	If you get injured, tell the teacher first.
恢復	huīfù	recover	他休息一下就會恢復。	Tā xiūxi yíxià jiù huì huīfù.	If he rests a bit, he will recover.

How To Use 一, 不, And 了 In Sports Talk

Sports sentences often move fast, so these little words matter a lot.

Pattern	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Pinyin	English
一 + measure word / time	“one” often changes to yí before the first tone	一分	yì fēn	one point
一分	one point	我們差一分。	Wǒmen chà yì fēn.	We are behind by one point.
不 + fourth tone	不 becomes bú before a fourth-tone word	不錯	bú cuò	not bad
這場比賽不錯。	This game is not bad.	Zhè chǎng bǐsài bú cuò.	Zhè chǎng bǐsài bú cuò.	This game is pretty good.
了	shows a new situation or completed action	贏了	yíng le	won
我們贏了！	We won!	Wǒmen yíng le!	Wǒmen yíng le!	We won!

Example: 他投進一球了。 Tā tóu jìn yī qiú le. He made one shot. The 了 marks the change: the shot happened, and now the situation is different. Nice and compact. Mandarin loves a good shortcut.

Mini Practice: Say It In Chinese

Translate: “Go team!” → 球隊加油！ Qiúduì jiāyóu!
Translate: “We scored.” → 我們得分了。 Wǒmen défēn le.
Translate: “The coach called a timeout.” → 教練叫了暫停。 Jiàoliàn jiào le zhàntíng.
Translate: “She plays badminton.” → 她打羽球。 Tā dǎ yǔqiú.
Translate: “Warm up before running.” → 跑步前先熱身。 Pǎobù qián xiān rèshēn.
Swap the sport: 我喜歡看籃球。 Wǒ xǐhuān kàn lánqiú. → Try 足球 zúqiú, 棒球 bàngqiú, or 排球 páiqiú.
Swap the verb: 他跑得很快。 Tā pǎo de hěn kuài. → Try 她跳得很高。 Tā tiào de hěn gāo.
Fill in the blank: 我們＿＿了！ Wǒmen ____ le! → 贏 yíng or 平手 píngshǒu, depending on the result.

Common Mistakes And Easy Fixes

Mistake	Better Way	Why It Helps
Saying 我打籃球很喜歡	我很喜歡打籃球。	Put the feeling before the action for natural Mandarin word order.
Using 足球 only for “football” without context	Remember Taiwan usually uses 足球 for soccer	English “football” can confuse people. Context saves the day.
Forgetting 了 after a completed action	我們贏了。	了 helps show the result happened.
Saying 加油油	加油！	No, extra oil does not make the phrase better.
Using 玩運動	打球 / 踢球 / 游泳 / 運動	Sports verbs depend on the activity. 玩 is usually not the right choice here.
Calling every game 運動	比賽 for a game; 運動 for sport/exercise	They are related, but not the same.

Quick Reference Summary

運動 yùndòng = sport; exercise
比賽 bǐsài = game; match; competition
球隊 qiúduì = team
教練 jiàoliàn = coach
裁判 cáipàn = referee
加油！ jiāyóu! = Go for it!
得分 défēn = score points
贏 yíng = win
輸 shū = lose
平手 píngshǒu = tie
熱身 rèshēn = warm up
拉筋 lājīn = stretch
訓練 xùnliàn = train
犯規 fànguī = foul
暫停 zhàntíng = timeout
觀賽 guānsài = watch a game

If you want to keep building your Traditional Chinese vocabulary, sports is a great place to start because people reuse these words constantly. Learn the basics now, and suddenly game highlights, school PE class, and those loud TV comments at the noodle shop become much easier to follow. Yak takeaway: 加油 jiāyóu is your best friend, and 比賽 bǐsài will carry a lot of your sports conversation. Not bad for a few little words.