Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| beach volley | ||
| beach volleyball | masculine | |
| pallavolo da spiaggia | /ˌpal.laˈvo.lo da ˈspjad.d͡ʒa/ (word by word) | feminine |
| pallavolo da sabbia | /ˌpal.laˈvo.lo da ˈsab.bja/ (word by word) | feminine |
| spiaggiavolo | feminine, uncommon | |
| sabbiavolo | feminine, uncommon |
The term refers to the sport of beach volleyball.
What does it mean word for word?
The formal phrase pallavolo da spiaggia is composed of pallavolo (volleyball), da (for/from) and spiaggia (beach).
Which one should you use?
Beach volley is the most common way to refer to the sport in everyday conversation. In contrast, pallavolo da spiaggia is the formal, full Italian translation used in official contexts or news. Other forms like pallavolo da sabbia or the uncommon feminine forms spiaggiavolo and sabbiavolo may also be encountered.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Beach volley is used in casual speech, whereas pallavolo da spiaggia is the formal version used in official settings.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the English loanword beach volley as a noun in a sentence, it is treated as a masculine noun and typically takes the masculine article il. When using the verb giocare (to play) with the sport, you must include the preposition a, as in giocare a beach volley.
Did you know?
- Although the word beach volley is English, Italians consider it a 'pseudo-anglicism' because they shortened the original term 'beach volleyball' in a way that differs from native English usage.
Examples in context
- Gioca a beach volley.She plays beach volleyball.This sentence shows how to use the verb to describe playing beach volley.Tatoeba #13128843 by Guybrush88, translation #1737246 by Spamster
- Mi piace giocare a beach volley.I like playing beach volleyball.This sentence illustrates expressing a preference for playing beach volley.Tatoeba #13128851 by Guybrush88, translation #11642296 by CK
- Tom sta guardando il beach volley.Tom is watching beach volleyball.This sentence demonstrates using the masculine article with beach volley to describe watching the sport.Tatoeba #13128872 by Guybrush88, translation #1737249 by Spamster
- Mi piace giocare a pallavolo da spiaggia con i miei amici.I enjoy playing beach volleyball with my friends.
- Sto guardando una partita di pallavolo da spiaggia.I'm watching a beach volleyball match.
- Abbiamo organizzato un torneo di pallavolo da spiaggia.We have organized a beach volleyball tournament.
- Organizziamo un torneo di volley da spiaggia questo weekend?Shall we organize a beach volleyball tournament this weekend?
- Mi piace giocare a volley da spiaggia, è divertente!I enjoy playing beach volleyball, it's fun!
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alessandro and Sofia are at the seaside planning their afternoon.
- AlessandroTi va di fare un po' di beach volley?Do you feel like playing some beach volley?
- SofiaSì, ma non ho la palla con me.Yes, but I don't have the ball with me.
- AlessandroNon preoccuparti, ne ho una io per il beach volley.Don't worry, I have one for beach volley.
- SofiaOttimo, allora andiamo in campo!Great, let's go to the court then!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “beach volleyball” translations and entries beach volley, pallavolo da spiaggia, pallavolo da sabbia, spiaggiavolo, sabbiavolo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (pallavolo, da, spiaggia, sabbia) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries beach volley, da, pallavolo, sabbia, spiaggia, volley, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
