Basketball
/ˈbaːskətˌbal/masculine
The German word for basketball is Basketball.
Basketball refers to the sport itself.
Meaning: the sport (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
Basketball is a masculine noun. In the dative case, such as after the preposition mit, it becomes dem Basketball. In the genitive case, the form is des Basketballs.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈbaːskətˌbal/
Did you know?
- The phrase einen Korb bekommen literally means 'to get a basket' but is a common German idiom meaning to be rejected romantically.
- German uses the word Korbball to describe a similar sport that is played primarily in schools and combines elements of basketball, netball and handball.
- German sports commentary uses the term Dreier to describe a three-point shot, which literally translates to 'a three'.
Examples in context
- Bist du gut im Basketball?Are you good at basketball?This sentence is useful for asking about someone's skill in Basketball.Tatoeba #8613330 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #5105564 by AlanF_US
- Ich spiele gern Basketball.I like to play basketball.This sentence is useful for expressing a personal preference for playing Basketball.Tatoeba #686140 by samueldora, translation #321679 by CK
- Tom spielt gerne Basketball.Tom likes to play basketball.This sentence is useful for describing someone else's enjoyment of playing Basketball.Tatoeba #6460630 by wolfgangth, translation #5816214 by CK
- Wir haben gestern Basketball gespielt.We played basketball yesterday.
- Ich habe Tickets für ein Basketballspiel gekauft.I bought tickets for a basketball game.
- Ich schaue gerne Basketball im Fernsehen.I enjoy watching basketball on TV.
- 126 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julian and Hannah are talking about sports in a park.
- JulianMagst du Basketball?Do you like basketball?
- HannahJa, ich finde Basketball toll.Yes, I think basketball is great.
- JulianSpielst du oft Basketball?Do you play basketball often?
- HannahJa, jeden Samstag.Yes, every Saturday.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “basketball” translations and entries Basketball, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
