壁球
bìqiú
In Chinese, the phrase for the racket sport squash is 壁球 (bìqiú).
This term refers specifically to the racket sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small rubber ball.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 壁球 is composed of two parts: 壁 (bì), meaning wall and 球 (qiú), meaning ball.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cantonese, the term for squash is 瓜.
How do you pronounce it?
bìqiú
Did you know?
- In Mandarin, if you call the sport 瓜, a listener will likely think you are talking about the vegetable or a gourd rather than the racket sport.
- The character 壁 in 壁球 refers specifically to a vertical wall, distinguishing it from 墙, which is a more general term for a wall.
- In mainland China, 壁球 is an uncommon sport, so using the term in casual conversation may lead people to ask for a description of the game.
Examples in context
- 我喜欢打壁球。Wǒ xǐhuān dǎ bìqiú.I like playing squash.
- 壁球是一项有趣的运动。Bìqiú shì yī xiàng yǒuqù de yùndòng.Squash is an interesting sport.
- 你会打壁球吗？Nǐ huì dǎ bìqiú ma?Do you know how to play squash?
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing their weekend sports activities.
- 志强 Zhiqiang你周末想去打壁球吗？Nǐ zhōumò xiǎng qù dǎ bìqiú ma?Do you want to play squash this weekend?
- 雨婷 Yuting好啊，我也很喜欢壁球。Hǎo a, wǒ yě hěn xǐhuān bìqiú.Sure, I like squash very much too.
- 志强 Zhiqiang那我们周六见。Nà wǒmen zhōuliù jiàn.Then see you on Saturday.
- 雨婷 Yuting没问题，志强。Méi wèntí, Zhìqiáng.No problem, Zhiqiang.
