运动
yùndòng
The English phrase 'sports' is translated into Chinese as 运动 (yùndòng).
运动 refers to physical activities that people do for exercise or competition. While it can refer to competitive sports, it is very commonly used in a general sense to mean 'physical exercise' or 'working out'.
What does it mean word for word?
The first character, 运 (yùn), means to move or to transport.
Which one should you use?
Use 体育 (tǐyù) when referring to the formal academic subject of Physical Education or the general concept of athletics. In contrast, 运动 is more common when discussing the actual act of exercising or specific sports activities.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Taiwan and Hong Kong, the traditional Chinese character forms 運動 (yùndòng) and 體育 (tǐyù) are prevalent.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word 运动 can function as both a noun meaning 'sports' and a verb meaning 'to do sports' or 'to exercise'.
How do you pronounce it?
yùndòng
Did you know?
- If you tell a Chinese speaker you want to 'do 运动' (yùndòng), they might ask if you mean you are going to the gym or if you are joining a political movement.
- The character 运 (yùn) in 运动 is also the root for the word 'luck' or 'fate' 运气 (yùnqì), as both concepts relate to the flow of energy or movement.
- The word 体育 (tǐyù) literally translates to 'body' and 'education', highlighting the Chinese conceptual focus on the cultivation of the physical form.
Examples in context
- 运动有益健康。Sports are good for your health.This sentence is useful for stating that sports are beneficial for health.Tatoeba #3289570 by sadhen, translation #459127 by CM
- 我对运动感兴趣。I am interested in sports.This sentence is useful for expressing an interest in sports.Tatoeba #8698963 by crescat, translation #254033 by CK
- 我对运动不感兴趣。I am not interested in sports.This sentence is useful for expressing a lack of interest in sports.Tatoeba #3378139 by GlossaMatik, translation #3378140 by _undertoad
- 打篮球很好玩Playing basketball is a lot of fun.
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing their weekend plans.
- 伟 Wei你周末喜欢做什么运动？Nǐ zhōumò xǐhuān zuò shénme yùndòng?What sports do you like to do on the weekend?
- 梓涵 Zihan我喜欢户外运动。Wǒ xǐhuān hùwài yùndòng.I like outdoor sports.
- 伟 Wei那我们一起去跑步吧。Nà wǒmen yìqǐ qù pǎobù ba.Then let's go running together.
- 梓涵 Zihan好啊，没问题。Hǎo a, méi wèntí.Okay, no problem.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
