體操 / 体操
tǐcāo
In Chinese, gymnastics is 體操 / 体操 (tǐcāo). Wiktionary also lists 體育 / 体育 (tǐyù).
Meaning: a sport (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 體操 / 体操 | tǐcāo |
| 體育 / 体育 | tǐyù |
The term 體操 / 体操 refers to the sport of gymnastics. If you want to refer to a gymnast, you can say 體操選手 / 体操选手 by adding 選手 (athlete) after the word for gymnastics.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 體操 / 体操 is composed of 體 (body) and 操 (exercise/practice).
Which one should you use?
While 體操 / 体操 refers specifically to the sport of gymnastics, 體育 / 体育 is a much broader term meaning physical education or sports in general.
How do you pronounce it?
tǐcāo
Did you know?
- In China, 體操 / 体操 does not always mean the Olympic sport. It can refer to 'radio calisthenics', a set of synchronized exercises performed by millions of people in parks and schools every morning.
- The character 操 in 體操 / 体操 is also used in the word for 'drill' or 'military exercise', reflecting the discipline and synchronization required in both gymnastics and army training.
- In Chinese, the word for 'body' in 體 / 体 is the same character used in words for 'style' or 'form', such as in 'fashion' or 'shape'.
Examples in context
- 他从小就对体操产生了浓厚的兴趣。Since childhood, he has shown a strong interest in gymnastics.
- 昨天上完课后，我们在操场上一起做了些体操儿。After class yesterday, we did some gymnastics together on the playground.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “gymnastics” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
