The heart of Chinese culture beats with the rhythm of Yùndòng de written as 运动的/運動的 (sports in Chinese). For centuries, the nation has woven a rich tapestry of athletic traditions, from ancient martial arts to contemporary Olympic events. Lace up your sneakers, grab a ball, and get ready to hit the court because we’re diving into the exciting world of sports in China in this post! With sports being such a huge part of the culture, we wanted to provide you with the ultimate guide to mastering the sports vocabulary in Chinese! Let’s begin!
As China’s economic power and global influence have grown, so too has its impact on the sports world. Today, China is a major player, hosting grand international competitions and nurturing world-class athletes. Since sports are such a big thing in China, we brought you an article about Sports Vocabulary In Chinese. Let’s look at some major sports in China.
Basketball In China
Basketball is one of the most beloved sports in China, a passion that has flourished for over a century. In recent years, the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) has risen to become one of the strongest professional leagues in Asia, attracting top talent from far and wide. China has also given the world several incredible basketball players, including Yao Ming, a towering figure who once played for the Houston Rockets in the NBA.
Soccer In China
Soccer is another sport that has gained immense popularity in China, and its impact is only growing. The Chinese Super League (CSL) is a powerhouse in Asia, drawing some of the best talents from around the globe. Meanwhile, the Chinese national soccer team is making waves, with fans hopeful that it will soon become a dominant force in international competition.
Chinese Martial Arts
Martial arts such as kung fu, tai chi, and wushu hold a rich and enduring place in Chinese culture. These ancient disciplines are practiced by millions for both fitness and self-defense, and their popularity extends far beyond China’s borders. In recent years, martial arts have also taken center stage in the sports world, with events like Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and kickboxing growing in popularity.
Gymnastics In China
China’s love for gymnastics is equally strong, with gymnastics clubs and schools found throughout the nation. The country’s gymnasts have won countless medals at international competitions, including the Olympic Games, cementing China’s status as a leading force in the sport.
Table Tennis In China
Table tennis, the bouncy ball game we know as ping pong, is a beloved sport in China, steeped in a rich history that stretches back over a century. The Chinese Table Tennis Association (CTTA) is a well-oiled machine, with a lavish budget and a laser-sharp focus on developing the next generation of champions. The result is a pipeline of talent that is unrivaled in the world, a testament to China’s passion for ping pong.
Basic Sports Vocabulary In Chinese
| English Words | Chinese Simplified | Chinese Traditional | Romanization |
| Air Sports | 空中运动 | 空中運動 | Kōngzhōng Yùndòng |
| Athletics | 竞技 | 競技 | Jìngjì |
| Ball Sports | 球类运动 | 球類運動 | Qiú Lèi Yùndòng |
| Board Sports | 棋盘运动 | 棋盤運動 | Qípán Yùndòng |
| Combat Sports | 格斗运动 | 格鬥運動 | Gédòu Yùndòng |
| Cycle Sports | 自行车运动 | 自行車運動 | Zìxíngchē Yùndòng |
| Gymnastics | 体操 | 體操 | Tǐcāo |
| Ice Sports | 冰上运动 | 冰上運動 | Bīng Shàng Yùndòng |
| Indoor Sports | 室内运动 | 室內運動 | Shìnèi Yùndòng |
| Mind Sports | 智力运动 | 智力運動 | Zhìlì Yùndòng |
| Target Sports | 目标运动 | 目標運動 | Mùbiāo Yùndòng |
| Water Sports | 水上运动 | 水上運動 | Shuǐshàng Yùndòng |
Board Sports
Here are some board sports-related words that we bet you can use when talking with the locals.
| English Words | Chinese Simplified | Chinese Traditional | Romanization |
| All-Terrain Windsurfing | 全地形风帆冲浪 | 全地形風帆衝浪 | Quán Dìxíng Fēngfān Chōnglàng |
| Bodyboarding | 趴板 | 趴板 | Pā Bǎn |
| Freeboarding | 干舷 | 乾舷 | Gān Xián |
| Kiteboarding | 风筝冲浪 | 風箏衝浪 | Fēngzhēng Chōnglàng |
| Kneeboarding | 跪板 | 跪板 | Guì Bǎn |
| Mountainboarding | 登山运动 | 登山運動 | Dēngshān Yùndòng |
| Skateboarding | 滑板运动 | 滑板運動 | Huábǎn Yùndòng |
| Snowboarding | 单板滑雪 | 單板滑雪 | Dān Bǎn Huáxuě |
| Surfing | 冲浪 | 衝浪 | Chōnglàng |
| Windsurfing | 滑浪风帆 | 滑浪風帆 | Huá Làng Fēngfān |
Athletic Sports
Love the cool moves of Jackie Chan? Then you should have some basic vocab for athletic sports to slay any conversation about your favorite Chinese athlete.
| English Words | Chinese Simplified | Chinese Traditional | Romanization |
| Archery | 射箭 | 射箭 | Shèjiàn |
| Cycling | 骑自行车 | 騎自行車 | Qí Zìxíngchē |
| Gymnastics | 体操 | 體操 | Tǐcāo |
| High Jump | 跳高 | 跳高 | Tiàogāo |
| Javelin Throw | 标枪投掷 | 標槍投擲 | Biāoqiāng Tóuzhí |
| Pole Vault | 撑竿跳高 | 撐竿跳高 | Chēng Gān Tiàogāo |
| Shooting | 射击 | 射擊 | Shèjí |
| Swimming | 游泳 | 游泳 | Yóuyǒng |
| Wrestling | 摔角 | 摔角 | Shuāijiǎo |
Water Sports
Delve into the depths of water and Chinese vocabulary with these terminologies about water sports.
| English Words | Chinese Simplified | Chinese Traditional | Romanization |
| Barefoot Water-Skiing | 赤脚滑水 | 赤腳滑水 | Chìjiǎo Huá Shuǐ |
| Horse Surfing | 骑马冲浪 | 騎馬衝浪 | Qímǎ Chōnglàng |
| Jet Boating | 喷射快艇 | 噴射快艇 | Pēnshè Kuàitǐng |
| Scuba Diving | 水肺潜水 | 水肺潛水 | Shuǐ Fèi Qiánshuǐ |
| Sea Walking | 海上漫步 | 海上漫步 | Hǎishàng Mànbù |
| Sub-Wing Diving | 亚翼潜水 | 亞翼潛水 | Yà Yì Qiánshuǐ |
| Underwater Hockey | 水下曲棍球 | 水下曲棍球 | Shuǐ Xià Qūgùnqiú |
| Wake-Skating | 花样滑冰 | 花樣滑冰 | Huāyàng Huábīng |
Air Sports
If you don’t feel like going underwater or walking on land then air might be the right pick for you. Learn these Chinese words about air sports and you can bring charm to your sports-y conversation.
| English Words | Chinese Simplified | Chinese Traditional | Romanization |
| Aerobatics | 特技飞行 | 特技飛行 | Tèjì Fēixíng |
| Aeromodelling | 航模 | 航模 | Hángmó |
| Air Racing | 空中赛车 | 空中賽車 | Kōngzhōng Sàichē |
| Ballooning | 热气球 | 熱氣球 | Rè Qìqiú |
| Bodyflight | 身体飞行 | 身體飛行 | Shēntǐ Fēixíng |
| Drone Racing | 无人机竞速 | 無人機競速 | Wú Rén Jī Jìng Sù |
| Flyboarding | 水上飞板 | 水上飛板 | Shuǐ Shàng Fēi Bǎn |
| High Diving | 高跳水 | 高跳水 | Gāo Tiàoshuǐ |
| Kite Fighting | 斗风筝 | 鬥風箏 | Dòu Fēngzhēng |
| Kiteboarding/Kitesurfing | 风筝冲浪/风筝冲浪 | 風箏衝浪/風箏衝浪 | Fēngzhēng Chōnglàng/Fēngzhēng Chōnglàng |
| Paragliding | 滑翔伞 | 滑翔傘 | Huáxiáng Sǎn |
| Powered Paragliding | 动力滑翔伞 | 動力滑翔傘 | Dònglì Huáxiáng Sǎn |
| Rally Flying | 拉力飞行 | 拉力飛行 | Lālì Fēixíng |
| Ultralight Aviation | 超轻型航空 | 超輕型航空 | Chāo Qīngxíng Hángkōng |
Target Sports
Let’s learn some sports names about target sports you can use when speaking with the locals.
| English Words | Chinese Simplified | Chinese Traditional | Romanization |
| Archery | 射箭 | 射箭 | Shèjiàn |
| Billiards | 台球 | 台球 | Táiqiú |
| Bowling | 保龄球 | 保齡球 | Bǎolíngqiú |
| Croquet | 门球 | 門球 | Mén Qiú |
| Darts | 飞镖 | 飛鏢 | Fēibiāo |
| Five Pin Bowling | 五瓶保龄球 | 五瓶保齡球 | Wǔ Píng Bǎolíngqiú |
| Golf | 高尔夫球 | 高爾夫球 | Gāo’ěrfū Qiú |
| Hunting | 打猎 | 打獵 | Dǎliè |
| Knife Throwing | 飞刀投掷 | 飛刀投擲 | Fēi Dāo Tóuzhí |
| Lawn Bowling | 草地保龄球 | 草地保齡球 | Cǎodì Bǎolíngqiú |
| Marbles | 弹珠 | 彈珠 | Dàn Zhū |
| Miniature Golf | 迷你高尔夫球 | 迷你高爾夫球 | Mínǐ Gāo’ěrfū Qiú |
Gymnastics
And finally, let’s learn some words about gymnastics to demonstrate countless cool moves.
| English Words | Chinese Simplified | Chinese Traditional | Romanization |
| Acrobatic Gymnastics | 技巧 | 技巧 | Jìqiǎo |
| Aerobic Gymnastics | 有氧体操 | 有氧體操 | Yǒu Yǎng Tǐcāo |
| Artistic Gymnastics | 艺术体操 | 藝術體操 | Yìshù Tǐcāo |
| Parkour | 跑酷 | 跑酷 | Pǎo Kù |
| Rhythmic Gymnastics | 艺术体操 | 藝術體操 | Yìshù Tǐcāo |
| Trampolining | 蹦床运动 | 蹦床運動 | Bèngchuáng Yùndòng |
| Tumbling | 翻滚 | 翻滾 | Fāngǔn |
Useful Chinese Sentences Related To Sports
| English Words | Chinese Simplified | Chinese Traditional | Romanization |
| Ball sports are a mystery to me. | 球类运动对我来说是个谜。 | 球類運動對我來說是個謎。 | Qiú lèi yùndòng duì wǒ lái shuō shìgè mí. |
| Board sports have seen a decline in popularity. | 棋盘运动的受欢迎程度有所下降。 | 棋盤運動的受歡迎程度有所下降。 | Qípán yùndòng de shòu huānyíng chéngdù yǒu suǒ xiàjiàng. |
| Gymnastics and athletics are two different sports. | 体操和田径是两种不同的运动。 | 體操和田徑是兩種不同的運動。 | Tǐcāo hé tiánjìng shì liǎng zhǒng bùtóng de yùndòng. |
| Have you tried your hand at air sports yet? | 你尝试过空中运动吗？ | 你嘗試過空中運動嗎？ | Nǐ chángshìguò kōngzhōng yùndòng ma? |
| He loves playing tennis. | 他喜欢打网球。 | 他喜歡打網球。 | Tā xǐhuān dǎ wǎngqiú. |
| He’s playing table tennis. | 他在打乒乓球。 | 他在打乒乓球。 | Tā zài dǎ pīngpāng qiú. |
| I play basketball | 我打篮球 | 我打籃球 | Wǒ dǎ lánqiú |
| Strength sports are great for building muscle. | 力量运动非常适合锻炼肌肉。 | 力量運動非常適合鍛煉肌肉。 | lìliàng yùndòng fēicháng shìhé duànliàn jīròu. |
| Target sports can improve your focus. | 目标运动可以提高您的注意力。 | 目標運動可以提高您的注意力。 | Mùbiāo yùndòng kěyǐ tígāo nín de zhùyì lì. |
| Watching athletics brings me joy. | 观看田径比赛给我带来快乐。 | 觀看田徑比賽給我帶來快樂。 | Guānkàn tiánjìng bǐsài gěi wǒ dài lái kuàilè. |
| Water sports provide a sense of calm and increase flexibility. | 水上运动提供平静感并增加灵活性。 | 水上運動提供平靜感並增加靈活性。 | Shuǐshàng yùndòng tígōng píngjìng gǎn bìng zēngjiā línghuó xìng. |
| You should play table tennis. | 你应该去打乒乓球。 | 你應該去打乒乓球。 | Nǐ yīnggāi qù dǎ pīngpāng qiú. |
Wrapping Up
Sports are an integral part of Chinese culture, a heritage that continues to evolve and thrive in the modern era. From traditional martial arts to cutting-edge Olympic events, China is a sports powerhouse, shaping the future of the athletic world. In the same way that Ling is a powerhouse for learning new languages. Be it the Chinese characters, Chinese vocabulary, greetings, or Chinese people, initially, everything might seem confusing to you about the Chinese language. But Ling makes it quite easy and that too not just in the Chinese language but 60+ languages. Yes, you read that right! So download the app now from the Google Play Store or App Store and start learning Chinese.
