Volleyball
/ˈvɔleˌbal/
The German word for volleyball is Volleyball.
Volleyball refers to the sport itself. Related terms you might encounter include die Mannschaft (team), der Block (block), der Aufschlag (serve) and der Spike (spike). If you are talking about a volleyball club, use Volleyballverein.
Meaning: game (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the noun in the verb phrase Volleyball spielen (to play volleyball), Volleyball is typically used without an article.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈvɔleˌbal/
When do people say it?
If you want to wish someone a good time playing the sport, you can say Viel Spaß beim Volleyballspielen! (Have fun playing volleyball!).
Did you know?
- Even though it is an English loanword, the pronunciation in German is slightly different, often sounding more like 'fo-le-bal' due to the German 'V' sounding like an 'F'.
- In German, compound nouns like Volleyballverein are written as one word, and the gender of the entire word is determined by the final element, Verein, making it masculine.
- German distinguishes between Volleyball as the sport and der Volleyball as the physical ball, but the sport itself is always used without an article in Volleyball spielen.
Examples in context
- Wo spielst du Volleyball?Where do you play volleyball?This sentence is useful for asking about the location of the game with Volleyball.Tatoeba #12742379 by Waldelfe, translation #9807026 by CK
- Ich spiele oft Volleyball.I play volleyball often.This sentence is useful for stating how often one plays Volleyball.Tatoeba #880794 by Esperantostern, translation #852605 by ignacy130
- Spielt ihr gerne Volleyball?Do you like playing volleyball?This sentence is useful for asking if people enjoy playing Volleyball.Tatoeba #1527857 by al_ex_an_der, translation #34991 by CK
- Das Volleyballspiel beginnt um 18 Uhr in der Halle.The volleyball game starts at 6 p.m. in the gymnasium.
- Lass uns heute Abend Volleyball spielen!Let's play volleyball tonight!
- 42 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julian and Laura are talking about sports at a park.
- JulianMöchtest du Volleyball spielen?Would you like to play volleyball?
- LauraJa, das ist eine gute Idee.Yes, that is a good idea.
- JulianIch habe einen Ball dabei.I have a ball with me.
- LauraSuper, dann fangen wir an!Super, then let's start!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “volleyball” translations and entries Volleyball, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
