バレーボールをします
barēbōru o shimasu
To say "I play volleyball" in Japanese, use バレーボールをします (barēbōru o shimasu).
This phrase is used to state that you participate in the sport of volleyball.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of バレーボール (barēbōru), which is a loanword from English for "volleyball". The particle を (o), which marks "volleyball" as the direct object. And the verb します (shimasu), which means "to do" and is used here to express playing a sport.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The casual version of the phrase is バレーボールをする.
How does it change in a sentence?
The dictionary form of this phrase is バレーボールをする. To say you played volleyball in the past, change します to しました.
How do you pronounce it?
barēbōru o shimasu
Did you know?
- Japan has a distinct culture of 春高バレー (Harukō Barē), the High School Volleyball Championship. This tournament is so culturally significant that it is a recurring theme in many popular manga and anime series.
- The verb します means 'to do', but in Japanese, sports are 'done' rather than 'played'. This is because the specific verb for 'play' 遊ぶ refers to playing for fun or hanging out, not engaging in a competitive sport.
- When talking about playing volleyball as a club activity in school, Japanese speakers use the word 部活 (bukatsu). Saying you are in the バレー部 (volleyball club) implies a level of commitment and daily training far beyond a casual hobby.
Examples in context
- 私はバレーボールをします。I play volleyball.
- 私は３年間バレーボールをしています。I have been playing volleyball for three years.
- ジョンはバレーボールをします。John plays volleyball.
- 週末はバレーボールをします。Shūmatsu wa barēbōru o shimasu.I play volleyball on weekends.
- 放課後にバレーボールをします。Hōkago ni barēbōru o shimasu.I play volleyball after school.
- 趣味はバレーボールをすることです。普段はバレーボールをします。Shumi wa barēbōru o suru koto desu. Fudan wa barēbōru o shimasu.My hobby is playing volleyball. I usually play volleyball.
Example conversation
Two students are talking about their hobbies during lunch break.
- 大翔 Hiroto美咲さんは、休みの日は何をしますか？Misaki-san wa, yasumi no hi wa nani o shimasu ka?Misaki, what do you do on your days off?
- 美咲 Misaki私はバレーボールをします。Watashi wa barēbōru o shimasu.I play volleyball.
- 大翔 Hirotoいいですね！私もバレーボールをします。Ii desu ne! Watashi mo barēbōru o shimasu.That's nice! I play volleyball too.
- 美咲 Misaki本当ですか？一緒にやりましょう！Hontō desu ka? Issho ni yarimashō!Really? Let's play together!
