Is it said differently in some regions?
If you want to say "to have a friendly game", you can use the informal expression Echar una pachanga, which is used mainly in Spain. In Latin America, the informal expression Jugar una cascarita is used to mean "to play a pick-up game".
How do you pronounce it?
/depoɾtes/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often say jugar deportes to mean "to play sports", but it is more natural in Spanish to say practicar deportes or hacer deporte when referring to the activity of engaging in sports.
When do people say it?
When talking about specific sports, you might use terms like Fútbol (Soccer), Baloncesto (Basketball), Béisbol (Baseball), Tenis (Tennis), Golf (Golf), Natación (Swimming), Atletismo (Athletics/Track and Field), Voleibol (Volleyball), Ciclismo (Cycling) or Boxeo (Boxing). In an informal context, you might say Meter un golazo to mean "To score an awesome goal" or Ganar por goleada to mean "To win by a landslide". If you need to be formal, the expression Inscribirse en un club deportivo means "To join a sports club".
Did you know?
- The Mexican term cascarita comes from cascara, meaning 'shell' or 'crust', likely referring to the low-quality balls made of rags or skins used in street games.
- While deportes refers to sports today, the root deporte originally referred to the act of 'diverting' oneself or seeking amusement for pleasure.
- The expression ganar por goleada is used in sports contexts but is also commonly used in politics to describe a landslide victory in an election.
Examples in context
- Tom ama los deportes.Tom loves sports.This sentence is useful for saying that Tom loves sports.Tatoeba #4954985 by DarkHollow, translation #4781167 by Hybrid
- ¿Te gustan los deportes?Do you like sports?This sentence is useful for asking if someone likes sports.Tatoeba #947249 by hayastan, translation #70012 by CK
- Me gusta jugar deportes.I like playing sports.This sentence is useful for expressing that you like playing sports.Tatoeba #1372263 by marcelostockle, translation #435161 by CK
- María y Juan son fanáticos del fútbol. Juegan al fútbol en el parque todos los fines de semana.María and Juan are soccer fans. They play soccer in the park every weekend.
- Me gusta jugar al baloncesto con mis amigos.I like playing basketball with my friends.
- El partido de béisbol fue emocionante.The baseball game was exciting.
- Mis abuelos disfrutan viendo golf por televisión.My grandparents enjoy watching golf on TV.
- La natación es un deporte muy completo.Swimming is a very complete sport.
- El atletismo requiere mucha dedicación.Track and field requires a lot of dedication.
- Me encanta jugar al voleibol en la playa.I love playing volleyball on the beach.
- El ciclismo es una actividad muy popular en mi ciudad.Cycling is a very popular activity in my city.
- 69 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Mateo are talking about their hobbies.
- MaríaHago muchos deportes en mi tiempo libre.I do many sports in my free time.
- MateoYo prefiero ver los deportes por televisión.I prefer to watch sports on television.
- María¿Cuál de todos los deportes es tu favorito?Which of all the sports is your favorite?
- MateoMe gusta el fútbol más que otros deportes.I like soccer more than other sports.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
