Sportunterricht
/ˈʃpɔʁtʔʊntɐˌʁɪçt/
In German, the term for PE (physical education) is Sportunterricht.
Sportunterricht refers to a class in school focused on sports and exercise. Unlike in English, you cannot use the abbreviation 'PE' in German. You must use the full word or the shortened 'Sport'.
What does it mean word for word?
The word Sportunterricht is a compound noun consisting of Sport (sport) and Unterricht (instruction/lesson).
Which one should you use?
While Sportunterricht is the formal term for the school subject, students often colloquially refer to the class simply as Sport.
How does it change in a sentence?
Sportunterricht is a compound noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈʃpɔʁtʔʊntɐˌʁɪçt/
Did you know?
- The word Unterricht in Sportunterricht is derived from the verb richten, meaning 'to set straight' or 'to direct'.
- German schools often use Turnen to describe the gymnastics-based portion of Sportunterricht, reflecting a deep historical tradition of gymnastics as a national discipline.
- While Sportunterricht is the subject, German students might use the phrase Sportzeug to refer specifically to the bag and clothes they must carry for the class.
Examples in context
- Ich habe mich im Sportunterricht verletzt.I injured myself during PE class.This sentence is useful for describing an injury that occurred during Sportunterricht.Tatoeba #1500509 by Esperantostern, translation #595865 by Scott
- Der Sportunterricht macht heute viel Spaß.Physical education is a lot of fun today.
- Wir spielen heute Fußball im Sportunterricht.We are playing soccer in physical education today.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two students are talking in the school hallway.
- LukasLaura, hast du deine Sachen für den Sportunterricht dabei?Laura, do you have your things for PE with you?
- LauraJa, Lukas, sie sind in meiner Tasche.Yes, Lukas, they are in my bag.
- LukasSuper, wir müssen schnell zur Umkleide gehen.Great, we need to go to the locker room quickly.
- LauraKomm schon, sonst kommen wir zu spät!Come on, otherwise we'll be late!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Sportunterricht, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
