deportivo
/depoɾˈtibo/
The Spanish word for sporty is deportivo.
deportivo is used to describe someone who is fond of sports. It is also frequently used as an adjective to describe things related to sports, such as un coche deportivo (a sports car).
Meaning: fond of sports (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, deportivo must agree in gender and number with the noun it describes. Use the feminine form deportiva for feminine nouns, the masculine plural form deportivos for masculine plural nouns and the feminine plural form deportivas for feminine plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/depoɾˈtibo/
Did you know?
- The noun form deporte is related to the concept of 'bringing something out' or 'expelling', similar to how the English word 'deport' relates to moving people away.
- The noun deporte comes from the Old French word 'desport', meaning 'diversion' or 'amusement'. It shares a root with the English word 'disport', which once meant to enjoy oneself.
- The Spanish language uses the root of deportivo to create the word deportista, which is a single noun meaning both 'an athlete' and 'a sports enthusiast'.
Examples in context
- Juan es una persona deportiva y siempre está buscando nuevos deportes para practicar.Juan is a sporty person and is always looking for new sports to practice.
- Ana es muy deportista y siempre está lista para jugar al fútbol.Ana is very sporty and is always ready to play soccer.
- Pedro es una persona físicamente activa y siempre está involucrado en actividades deportivas y de acondicionamiento físico.Pedro is a physically active person and is always involved in sports and fitness activities.
- Marta es una persona muy dinámica y siempre está haciendo deporte o practicando alguna actividad física.Marta is a very dynamic person and is always doing sports or engaging in physical activities.
- Ella es muy deportiva.She is very sporty.
- Él es un chico muy deportivo.He is a very sporty boy.
- Mi hermano es muy deportivo.My brother is very sporty.
- Ella tiene un estilo muy deportivo.She has a very sporty style.
Example conversation
Javier and Elena are talking about their weekend activities.
- Javier¿Eres una persona deportiva, Elena?Are you a sporty person, Elena?
- ElenaSí, me encanta hacer ejercicio.Yes, I love exercising.
- JavierYo también soy bastante deportivo.I am also quite sporty.
- Elena¡Qué bien! ¿Quieres ir a correr mañana?That's great! Do you want to go running tomorrow?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sporty” translations and entries deportivo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries deportivo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
