deportista
/depoɾˈtista/
The English phrase "sports minded" is translated into Spanish as deportista.
deportista is used to describe someone who is fond of sports or leads an active, athletic lifestyle. While it can mean someone is sports-minded, it is more commonly used to refer to an athlete or a regular practitioner of sports.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word deportista is an invariable noun and adjective, meaning it does not change its form for gender. It is the same for both men and women. To make the word plural, add an 's' to form deportistas.
How do you pronounce it?
/depoɾˈtista/
Did you know?
- While deportista refers to sports today, the root word deporte originally comes from the Latin deportare, meaning 'to carry away'. It once described the act of diverting one's mind from work or worries.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, calling someone deportista can be a general compliment about their discipline and health, even if they do not play a competitive sport.
- The root of deportista connects to the Greek word -tḗs, which is the same ancient origin found in the English suffix '-ist'. This links a person who plays sports to the same linguistic lineage as an 'artist' or a 'specialist'.
Examples in context
- Me considero una persona deportista.I consider myself a sports-minded person.
- Ella es muy deportista.She is very sports-minded / athletic.
- Él es un deportista nato.He is a natural athlete.
- Ella es una persona muy deportista.She is a very sports-minded person.
- Mi hermano es un chico deportista.My brother is an athletic guy.
- Necesitamos a alguien deportista para el equipo.We need someone sports-minded for the team.
Example conversation
Elena and Alejandro are discussing their hobbies.
- ElenaAlejandro, ¿eres deportista?Alejandro, are you sports minded?
- AlejandroSí, juego al tenis cada fin de semana.Yes, I play tennis every weekend.
- Elena¡Qué bien! Yo no soy muy deportista.That's great! I am not very sports minded.
- AlejandroNo pasa nada, Elena, podemos caminar juntos.That's okay, Elena, we can walk together.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry deportista, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries deportista, CC BY-SA 4.0.
