Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| voleibol | /boleiˈbol/ | masculine |
| balonvolea | /balomboˈlea/ | masculine |
| vóleibol | /ˈboleibol/ | masculine, alternative form |
| vóley | /ˈbolei/ /boˈlei/ |
masculine |
The term refers to the sport of volleyball.
Which one should you use?
voleibol and its alternative spelling vóleibol are the standard forms, while vóley is a shortened, casual version. balonvolea is another masculine noun used for the sport.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
voleibol is the formal and globally recognized term. vóley is an informal and casual version used in many Spanish-speaking countries.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In certain Caribbean countries like the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, the term vólibol is used. In Argentina, the Italian-influenced variation voli is used. The informal term vóley is common in Argentina, Uruguay and Chile.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the verb jugar (to play) with this sport, you must use the prepositional phrase al (a + el) before the masculine noun, resulting in al voleibol.
How do you pronounce it?
/boleiˈbol/
Did you know?
- The root of the word voleibol traces back to the Proto-Indo-European root *bʰel-der, which is the ancestor of the English word 'ball'.
- While most people use the English-derived voleibol, the word volea refers to the physical act of hitting a ball before it touches the ground.
- The term balonvolea is a rare alternative to the common English-derived voleibol, offering a more descriptive Spanish construction.
Examples in context
- No juego al voleibol.I don't play volleyball.This sentence is useful for expressing a lack of participation in the sport using voleibol.Tatoeba #7842347 by Seael, translation #5916515 by CK
- Juego mucho al voleibol.I play volleyball a lot.This sentence is useful for expressing how often one plays voleibol.Tatoeba #1431937 by Shishir, translation #34990 by CK
- Soy jugador de voleibol.I'm a volleyball player.This sentence is useful for identifying oneself as a player of voleibol.Tatoeba #2343140 by Shishir, translation #2317584 by CM
- Vamos a jugar volis en la playaLet's play volleyball at the beach
- El voleibol es un deporte muy popular alrededor del mundoVolleyball is a very popular sport worldwide
- El próximo partido de vóley será el sábadoThe next volleyball match will be on Saturday
- ¿Quieres jugar un poco de vólibol esta tarde?Do you want to play some volleyball this afternoon?
- 25 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Sofía are talking at a sports club.
- AlejandroSofía, ¿practicas voleibol con nosotros?Sofía, do you practice volleyball with us?
- SofíaSí, me encanta el voleibol.Yes, I love volleyball.
- Alejandro¡Qué bien! El voleibol es muy divertido.Great! Volleyball is very fun.
- SofíaEs un deporte muy emocionante.It is a very exciting sport.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “volleyball” translations and entries voleibol, balonvolea, vóleibol, vóley, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries balonvolea, voleibol, vóley, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
