How to Say "I Like to Play Volleyball" in French

j'aime jouer au volley

To say I like to play volleyball in French, use j'aime jouer au volley. It expresses that you enjoy playing the sport.

j'aime jouer au volley says that volleyball is a sport you like to play.

What does it mean word for word?

j'aime means I like, jouer means to play and au volley means volleyball. Word for word it reads I like to play at the volleyball.

le volley is the common short name for the sport. The full name is le volley-ball, as in j'aime jouer au volley-ball.

Using le volley instead of the full name is the common, informal way to refer to the sport.

The verb jouer takes the preposition à before a sport or game, and à plus le becomes au. The verb after j'aime stays in the infinitive.

While jouer is used for volleyball, French uses the verb faire for other sports like skiing or cycling, meaning you 'do' those activities rather than 'play' them.
The verb jouer comes from the Latin 'iocārī', which means to jest or play, making it a distant linguistic relative of the English word 'joke'.
In France, the sport is so integrated into the language that volley is used as a standalone noun, whereas in English 'volley' usually refers to a specific hit of the ball.

J'aime jouer au volley le samedi.
I like to play volleyball on Saturdays.
Depuis l'enfance, j'aime jouer au volley.
Since childhood, I like to play volleyball.
Est-ce que tu sais que j'aime jouer au volley ?
Do you know that I like to play volleyball?

Two friends are talking about their weekend hobbies.

Hugo

Moi, j'aime jouer au volley avec mes amis.
Me, I like to play volleyball with my friends.
Emma

C'est super, Hugo, c'est un sport dynamique.
That is great, Hugo, it is a dynamic sport.
Hugo

Et toi, Emma, tu as un sport préféré ?
And you, Emma, do you have a favorite sport?
Emma

Je préfère la natation.
I prefer swimming.

Sources

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