橄榄球
gǎnlǎnqiú
The English phrase "rugby" is translated into Chinese as 橄榄球 (gǎnlǎnqiú).
橄榄球 refers to the form of football in which players can hold or kick an ovoid ball.
Meaning: form of football in which players can hold or kick an ovoid ball (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term 橄榄球 literally translates to "olive ball" due to the ovoid shape of the ball used in the sport.
Which one should you use?
While 橄榄球 is the general term for rugby, it is often used specifically to refer to rugby union. To specify American football, the term 美式橄榄球 is used.
How do you pronounce it?
gǎnlǎnqiú
Did you know?
- Chinese sports commentary often uses the phrase 橄榄球精神 to describe a specific kind of grit and teamwork, blending the English concept of 'rugby spirit' with local values.
- Unlike English, where 'rugby' refers to the sport's origin town, the Chinese 橄榄球 focuses entirely on the visual appearance of the equipment.
- While many sports in China use phonetic transliterations from English, 橄榄球 is a descriptive term created by combining the shape of the ball with the word for 'ball'.
Examples in context
- 他曾是个英式橄榄球运动员。He was a rugby player.This sentence is useful for describing someone's past as a 橄榄球 athlete.Tatoeba #7781726 by jiangche, translation #293330 by CK
- 我喜欢橄榄球，但不像我喜欢篮球那么喜欢。I like rugby, but not as much as I like basketball.This sentence is useful for expressing a preference for 橄榄球 compared to basketball.Tatoeba #8605833 by slo_oth, translation #6796868 by CK
- 橄榄球英语怎么说？How do you say "rugby" in English?This sentence is useful for asking how to translate the word 橄榄球 into English.Tatoeba #5510976 by adamtrousers, translation #5541405 by adamtrousers
- 他在大学里踢橄榄球。He plays rugby in college.
- 昨天我看了一场英式橄榄球比赛。I watched an English-style rugby game yesterday.
- 你喜欢橄榄球运动吗？Do you like rugby?
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about sports at a gym.
- 梓涵 Zihan你平时看橄榄球吗？Nǐ píngshí kàn gǎnlǎnqiú ma?Do you usually watch rugby?
- 俊杰 Junjie我很喜欢看橄榄球比赛。Wǒ hěn xǐhuān kàn gǎnlǎnqiú bǐsài.I really like watching rugby matches.
- 梓涵 Zihan那我们一起去看球赛吧。Nà wǒmen yīqǐ qù kàn qiúsài ba.Then let's go watch a match together.
- 俊杰 Junjie好啊，没问题。Hǎo a, méi wèntí.Sure, no problem.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
