Handball
/ˈhantbal/masculine
The German word for handball is Handball.
Handball refers to the team sport known in English as handball. You may encounter the phrase Viel Spaß beim Handballspielen!, which means "Enjoy playing handball!"
Meaning: team sport (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound of Hand (hand) and Ball (ball).
How does it change in a sentence?
Handball is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈhantbal/
Did you know?
- Unlike some English sports terms that have been 'Germanized' in meaning, Handball in Germany refers specifically to the high-speed indoor team sport, not the wall-based game common in some English-speaking regions.
- While Handball is a popular sport, the word Handball is also used in football to describe the foul of touching the ball with the hand.
- Germany is one of the world's powerhouses in Handball, and the sport is often viewed as a national passion alongside football.
Examples in context
- Er ist gut im Handball.He is good at handball.This sentence is useful for describing someone's proficiency in Handball.Tatoeba #1199814 by waeltken, translation #292461 by CK
- Tom spielt nicht mehr Handball.Tom doesn't play handball anymore.This sentence shows how to express that someone no longer plays Handball.Tatoeba #8112538 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #8110744 by Hybrid
- Der Sport in Spanien wird hauptsächlich von Fußball, Basketball, Radsport, Tennis, Hallenfussball, Handball und Motorsport dominiert, wobei die Leichtathletik die am häufigsten praktizierte Sportart ist.Sport in Spain is dominated by football, basketball, cycling, tennis, five-a-side football, handball and motor sport, with athletics being the most widely practised sport.This sentence lists Handball among various popular sports in Spain.Tatoeba #8311872 by GuidoW, translation #12823486 by sundown
- Ich liebe Handball.I love handball.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lukas and Sarah are talking about sports at a park.
- SarahSpielst du gerne Handball?Do you like playing handball?
- LukasJa, ich liebe Handball.Yes, I love handball.
- SarahIst dein Bruder auch ein Handballspieler?Is your brother also a handball player?
- LukasNein, er spielt nur Fußball.No, he only plays football.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “handball” translations and entries Handball, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
