排球
páiqiú
The Chinese word for volleyball is 排球 (páiqiú).
排球 is a noun used to refer to the sport of volleyball. To say you are playing volleyball, you use the verb 打 (to hit/play) before the word, forming the phrase 打排球. If you want to refer to a volleyball player, you can add 运动员 (athlete) after the word to get 排球运动员.
Meaning: game (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 排球 is composed of two characters: 排, which means to arrange or line up and 球, which means ball.
How do you pronounce it?
páiqiú
Did you know?
- While 打 is used for volleyball, Chinese distinguishes between sports played with hands and those played with feet, meaning you cannot use 打 for soccer.
- China is a global powerhouse in volleyball, and the sport's popularity is so high that the phrase 排球 often evokes the legendary 'Iron Hammer' player ZhangNing.
- In China, the term 排球 is often associated with high school and university physical education requirements rather than just a professional sport.
Examples in context
- 排球很有意思。Volleyball is a lot of fun.This sentence is useful for expressing that volleyball is fun.Tatoeba #5942069 by verdastelo9604, translation #3331148 by CK
- 我知道湯姆是優秀的排球手。I know Tom is a good volleyball player.This sentence is useful for identifying someone as a volleyball player.Tatoeba #13299365 by LeviHighway, translation #7516042 by CK
- 我常打排球。I play volleyball a lot.This sentence is useful for stating that you play volleyball frequently.Tatoeba #836117 by Martha, translation #34990 by CK
- 今天学校举办排球比赛。Today, the school is organizing a volleyball match.
- 昨天我们去沙滩打排球。Yesterday, we went to the beach to play volleyball.
- 她在运动中心参加了一堂网球课，还学了一些排球。She attended a tennis class at the sports center and also learned some volleyball.
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their weekend plans at a park.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen志强，你想打排球吗？Zhìqiáng, nǐ xiǎng dǎ páiqiú ma?Zhiqiang, do you want to play volleyball?
- 志强 Zhiqiang好啊，我带排球去。Hǎo a, wǒ dài páiqiú qù.Sure, I'll bring the volleyball.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen那我们去操场吧。Nà wǒmen qù cāochǎng ba.Then let's go to the playground.
- 志强 Zhiqiang没问题，走吧。Méi wèntí, zǒu ba.No problem, let's go.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “volleyball” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
