Sport
/ʃpɔrt/
The German word for sports is Sport.
The word Sport is used to refer to physical activities or games performed for exercise or competition. While English often uses the plural 'sports', German typically refers to the general concept using this singular form.
Which one should you use?
The term Sportarten is used when you want to refer specifically to different sports disciplines. For example, you might use Wassersportarten to talk about water sports or Wintersportarten for winter sports.
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to the general concept of sports, the singular form Sport is typically used in German.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʃpɔrt/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly add an 's' to the end of the word to say Sports. Instead, use the singular Sport when referring to the general concept.
Did you know?
- While English speakers say 'I play sports', a German speaker is more likely to say ich treibe Sport, using the verb 'to drive' or 'to exert' instead of 'to play'.
- Even though the word Sport is a direct loanword from English, it is treated as a masculine noun, so you must say der Sport.
- The word Sport is a 'loanword' that entered German during the 19th century, a period when many English terms related to modern leisure were being adopted.
Examples in context
- Kazu mag Sport sehr.Kazu likes sports very much.This sentence shows how to express a strong liking for Sport.Tatoeba #1856300 by Tamy, translation #63750 by CN
- Ich mag keinen Sport.I don't go in for sports.This sentence demonstrates how to say you do not enjoy Sport.Tatoeba #709669 by Manfredo, translation #254035 by CK
- Bist du gut im Sport?Are you good at sports?This sentence is useful for asking if someone is skilled at Sport.Tatoeba #2655083 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2654891 by Hybrid
- Der Chef ist am Wochenende gerne im Sportverein.The boss enjoys being at the sports club on weekends.
- Die verschiedenen Sportarten machen Olympia zu einem spektakulären Ereignis.The different sports disciplines make the Olympics a spectacular event.
- Gehen wir am Wochenende zusammen Sport machen?Shall we do sports together this weekend?
- Ich treibe gerne Sport, besonders Fußball.I enjoy doing sports, especially soccer.
- SchwimmenSwimming
- SurfenSurfing
- SegelnSailing
- SkifahrenSkiing
- SnowboardenSnowboarding
- EislaufenIce skating
- 189 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julian and Hannah are talking about their hobbies.
- JulianTreibst du eigentlich Sport?Do you actually do any sports?
- HannahJa, ich mache viel Sport.Yes, I do a lot of sports.
- JulianWelchen Sport machst du am liebsten?Which sport do you prefer most?
- HannahIch mag Sport mit einem Ball.I like sports with a ball.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Sport, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Sport, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
