球
qiú/t͡ɕʰi̯oʊ̯³⁵/
The English word "balls" can be translated into Chinese as 球 (qiú), though it is primarily used to mean a ball or sphere.
In its literal sense, 球 refers to any spherical object, such as a ball or a sphere. While it can be used as slang for testicles, it is much more common in Chinese to use the term 蛋 (eggs) or the informal term 蛋蛋 to imply this meaning.
Meaning: slang for testicles (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 球 literally means ball or sphere.
Which one should you use?
While 球 refers to the shape of a ball, the slang term 蛋 (eggs) is a much more common way to refer to testicles in Chinese. For specific types of balls, you might use 足球 (soccer ball) or 网球 (tennis ball).
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is qiú.
Did you know?
- Adding the word 球 to the end of certain phrases in some dialects can act as a filler or an intensifier of frustration, similar to how 'hell' is used in English.
- While English speakers might use 'balls' to describe courage, a Chinese speaker is more likely to use words related to 'heart' or 'liver' to express similar grit.
- The character 球 originally contained the radical for 'jade' 玉 because it first referred to a polished jade sphere rather than a sports ball.
Examples in context
- 你有兩顆球。You have two balls.This sentence uses 球 to describe anatomical parts.Tatoeba #931203 by frankou, translation #69063 by CM
- 猫喜欢追着毛线球跑。Cats love to run after balls of wool.This sentence uses 球 to describe a ball of wool.Tatoeba #804913 by fucongcong, translation #792302 by shekitten
- 所有的球都是黃色的。All of the balls are yellow.This sentence uses 球 to describe the color of balls.Tatoeba #10400982 by DaoSeng, translation #434178 by lukaszpp
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Wei tells Yuting about a painful accident during a sports game.
- 雨婷 Yuting你还好吗？你怎么在地上打滚？Nǐ hái hǎo ma? Nǐ zěnme zài dìshàng dǎgǔn?Are you okay? Why are you rolling on the ground?
- 伟 Wei刚才球击中我的球了，太疼了！Gāngcái qiú jīzhòng wǒ de qiú le, tài téng le!The ball just hit my balls, it hurts so much!
- 雨婷 Yuting天呐，你快坐下来休息一下。Tiān nà, nǐ kuài zuò xiàlái xiūxí yīxià.Oh my god, please sit down and rest for a bit.
- 伟 Wei我觉得我快要死掉了。Wǒ juéde wǒ kuài yào sǐ diào le.I feel like I'm about to die.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 球, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 球, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
