Sport in Spanish

Learn Spanish Vocabulary

Fortunately many of the names of sports in Spanish are similar to what they are written in English though the pronunciation is often quite different.

Below we have included a list of sports in Spanish with common things associated with each sport in Spanish:

You may be interested in our Sports vocabulary explained entirely in Spanish (no English at all).

Atletismo: (Athletics) A variety of sports covering carreras (running), saltos (jumping), lanzamientos de bala (shot put), disco (discus), martillo (hammer throw) and jabalina (javelin). The main objective is to beat records involving velocidad (speed), resistencia (resistance), altura (height) y distancia (length).

Bádminton: (Badminton) A sport in which a raqueta (racket) is used to hit an object called a plumilla or volante (shuttlecock) over a red or malla (net). The plumilla has corcho (cork) with plumas (feathers) coming out of one side.

Básquetbol: (Basketball) This sport is also known as baloncesto. Two equipos (teams) of cinco jugadores (five players) try to score puntos (points) by putting a balón (ball) through an aro (hoop) that has a malla (net) hanging from it.

Béisbol: (Baseball) Two teams of nueve jugadores (nine players) where players from each team take turns to try and golpear una pelota (hit a ball) with a bate (bat) as far as possible. The player then tries to run around as many bases (bases) as possible and hopefully back to the place where they initially hit the ball to get a point for the team called a carrera (run).

Boxeo: (Boxing) A deporte de combate (combat sport) where two people try to golpear (hit) each other with their puños (fists) that are inside of guantes de boxeo (boxing gloves). This pelea (fight) happens inside of a cuadrilátero (boxing ring) that is surrounded by cuerdas (ropes).

Ciclismo: (Cycling) A sport where a bicicleta (bicycle) is used to travel a distancia (distance) and quickly as possible. There is ciclismo en ruta (road bicycle racing) and ciclismo en pista (track cycling).

Equitación: (Equestrianism) Sport which consists of saltar los obstáculos (jumping over obstacles) while riding a caballo (horse). Each salto (jump) is evaluated by jueces (judges).

Esgrima: (Fencing) Deporte de combate (combat sport) where two oponentes (opponents) try to touch the each other using a type of sword. There are three different types of swords that can be used, sable (sabre/saber), espada (épée) or florete (foil). The weapons do not have a sharp punta (point) or filo (edge).

Esquí: (Skiing) Sport which consists of sliding down nieve (snow) while standing on two esquís (skis).

Esquí acuático: (Water Skiing) Water sport where a person on esquís (skis) holds onto a cuerda (rope) and is pulled along behind a lancha (boat).

Fútbol: (Football - Soccer) There are two teams of eleven players each. The objective is to get the pelota (ball) past the arquero (goalkeeper) and into the opponent's arco (goal). The teams gets one point when they hacer un gol (score a goal).

Gimnasia artística: (Artistic gymnastics) Deporte multidisciplinario (multidiscipline sport) where a sequence of movimientos (movements) are done that require fuerza (strength), flexibilidad (flexibility) and/or agilidad (agility). In the categoría femenina (women's category) they use apparatus such as barras asimétricas (asymmetric bars), barra de equilibrio (balance beam) y salto de caballete (vault). In the categoría masculina (men's category) they use apparatus such as como anillos (rings), barra fija (high bar), barras paralelas (parallel bars), caballo con arcos (pommel horse), salto de caballete (vault). Both men and women do suelo (floor exercise).

Gimnasia rítmica: (Rhythmic gymnastics) A sport that combines elements of ballet (ballet), danza (dance) and gimnasia (gymnastics). The gimnasta (gymnast) tries to get máxima puntuación (maximum points) by completing a coreografía (choreography) to music while using apparatus such as la cinta (ribbon), el balón (ball), las clavas (clubs), el aro (hoop) and la cuerda (rope).

Golf: (Golf) Deporte individual (individual sport) that consists of hitting a bola (ball) into each one of the 18 hoyos (holes) found on a special course. The idea is to do this with the least number of golpes (hits) possible.

Halterofilia / Levantamiento de pesas: (Weightlifting) Sport where you need to levantar (lift) una barra (a bar) with pesos (weights) on each side of it. Whoever lifts the most peso (weight), wins.

Hockey: (Hockey) Two teams try to get goals by using a bastón or palo (stick) to move and hit a disco (puck) in hockey sobre hielo (ice hockey) or a pelota (ball) in hockey sobre césped (field hockey).

Judo: (Judo) Deporte de combate (combat sport) and arte marcial (martial art) from Japón (Japan) based on lanzamientos (throwing), sumisiones (submissions) and estrangulaciones (choking).

Natación: (Swimming) Sport which involves advancing through el agua (water) as quickly as possible using your brazos y piernas (arms and legs).

Piragüismo: (Canoeing / Kayaking) Deporte acuático (water sport) where a kayak (kayak) or canoa (canoe) is propelled along the water using remos (paddles). Sometimes this sport is called Canotaje in Spanish.

Polo: (Polo) Dos equipos (two teams) of cuatro jugadores (four players), each riding a caballo (horse), try to score points by using a taco or mazo (long-handled mallet) to hit a small pelota de madera (wooden ball) into the portería del rival (rival goal).

Patinaje: (Skating) Sport where patines (skates) are used to travel over different types of surface though mainly asfalto (asphalt) or hielo (ice). There are two main types of this sport: Patinaje artística sobre hielo (figure skating) involves moving to music and performing piruetas (spins) and saltos (jumps) in a pista de hielo (ice rink). Patinaje sobre ruedas (roller skating) is normally a competition based on velocidad (speed).

Remo: (Rowing) Deporte naútico (water sport) where remeros (rowers) use one or two remos (oars) to help push the embarcación (boat) through the agua (water) as quickly as possible. The remeros (rowers) sit with their back towards the direction they are going in.

Rugby: (Rugby) Sport with quince jugadores (15 players) per side. The objective is to score an ensayo (try) by crossing into the zona de marca (in-goal area) of the opposing team. The game is played with a balón de forma ovalada (oval ball).

Surf: (Surf) Sport where a surfista (surfer) stands on a tabla (board) and rides the olas (waves)

Tenis: (Tennis) Sport where a raqueta (raquet/racket) is used to hit a pelota (ball) over a red (net). The opposing player then tries to return it. The cancha (court) is usually made of césped (grass) o arcilla (clay).

Tiro con arco: (Archery) A sport in which an arco (bow) and flechas (arrows) are used. The objective is to get the flecha (arrow) as close as possible to the center of the diana (target).

Voleibol: (Volleyball) Two teams try to put a balón (ball) over a red (net) that is suspended in the middle of the campo de juego (court) and make it touch the ground on the opponent's side.

Sports in Spanish Summary Chart

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