121 exciting sports in German to knock learning out of the park

January 04, 2023

Author

Marie Schmoll

Sports are a fun way to connect to people from all around the world.

When you’re moving your body while playing soccer or going for a jog with a German-speaking friend, language learning automatically feels easy and natural.

For a new German-learner, there’s nothing like striking up a soccer match to make German friends! Or starting a conversation about any other sport - this can be basketball, equestrian vaulting or a boxing match.

Especially if you find yourself in a German-speaking country, some of the best ways to practice your German are sports-related:

Ask a German–speaker about their favorite sports to get to know them better
Experience a huge part of the German culture by going to a soccer match in the stadium and singing along to some Fußball chants
Watch sports on German tv and listen closely to the commentator
Take up a team sport and blend in with your German-speaking team mates

How do you say “sports” in German

“Sports” in German is “Sport”. While it’s a plural word in English, it’s a singular-only word in German. If you’re referring to different kinds of sports, you say “Sportarten”.

There’s an abundance of these - from golf and tennis to swimming and horse-back riding. So we’ll teach you about the most popular ones and how to say them in German.

How to talk about sports in German

Striking up a conversation about sports can be as simple as asking someone what sports they play or like to watch on tv. Start with these basics.

Take up a team sport and blend in with your German-speaking team mates.

Machst du Sport?

English: Do you workout?

Was ist dein Lieblingssport?

English: What’s your favorite sport?

Magst du Mannschaftssportarten?

English: Do you like team sports?

Try to find common ground through shared interests. You can bond over your love for a specific sport, a famous team or even over a mutual aversion for sports altogether!

Ich interessiere mich für Tennis.

English: I’m into tennis.

Ich bin ein Fan von Borussia Dortmund.

English: I’m a fan of Borussia Dortmund.

Ich mag keinen Sport!

English: I don’t like sports!

Sport-related verbs

Sports are all about movement and being active, so verbs are especially important when you want to talk about them.

English	German	IPA
To play	Spielen	[ˈʃpiːlən]
To do sports	Sport machen; Sport treiben	[ʃpɔʁt ˈmaxn; ʃpɔʁt ˈtʁaɪ̯bn̩]
To practice	Üben	[ˈyːbn]
To workout	Trainieren	[tʁɛˈniːʁən]
To train for the Olympics	Für Olympia trainieren	[fyːɐ̯ oˈlʏmpi̯a tʁɛˈniːʁən]
To score	Punkten	[ˈpʊŋktn̩]
To win	Gewinnen	[ɡəˈvɪnən]
To beat	Schlagen	[ˈʃlaːɡn̩]
To tie	Remis spielen	[ʁəˈmiː ˈʃpiːlən]
To cheat	Betrügen	[bəˈtʁyːɡn̩]
To lose	Verlieren	[fɛɐ̯ˈliːʁən]
To draw	Unentschieden spielen	[ˈʊnʔɛntˌʃiːdn̩ ˈʃpiːlən]
To dribble	Dribbeln	[ˈdʁɪbl̩n]
To bounce	Prellen	[ˈpʁɛlən]
To take part	Teilnehmen	[ˈtaɪ̯lˌneːmən]

List of sports in German

The good thing when you’re learning about sports in German is that the German words are often the same or at least very similar.

American Football in German is “Football”, basketball in German is “Basketball” and volleyball in German is “Volleyball”. Easy enough, right?

Outdoor sports

When it comes to outdoor sports, which we call “Outdoor Sport” or more formally “Freiluftsport”, Germany is all about soccer!

Of course we call it “Fußball” since you hit the Ball with your Fuß and that’s just how logical the German language is.

Soccer or Fußball is the most popular sport in Germany.

English	German	IPA
Soccer	Fußball	[ˈfuːsˌbal]
American football	Football	[ˈfʊtbɔːl]
Outdoor basketball	Basketball	[ˈbaːskətˌbal]
Baseball	Baseball	[ˈbɛɪ̯sbɔːl]
Golf	Golf	[ɡɔlf]
Road cycling	Straßenradfahren	[ˈʃtʁaːsn̩ˈʁaːtˌfaːʁən]
Tennis	Tennis	[ˈtɛnɪs]
Hiking	Wandern	[ˈvandɐn]
Mountain biking	Mountainbikefahren	[ˈmaʊ̯ntɪnˌbaɪ̯kˈfaːʁən]
Rock climbing	Felsenklettern	[ˈfɛlzn̩ˈklɛtɐn]
Badminton	Badminton; Federball	[ˈbɛtmɪntn̩; ˈfeːdɐˌbal]
Archery	Bogenschießen	[ˈboːɡn̩ˌʃiːsn̩]
Parkour	Parkour	[paʁˈkuːɐ̯]
BMXing	BMXen	[beɛmiksn]
Skateboarding	Skateboarden	[ˈskɛɪ̯tboːɐ̯tn]
Snowboarding	Snowboarden	[ˈsnoːˌboːɐ̯dn̩]
Skiing	Ski	[ʃiː]
Frisbee	Frisbee	[ˈfʁɪsbi]
Horse riding	Reiten	[ˈʁaɪ̯tn̩]
Polo	Polo	[ˈpoːlo]
Dressage	Dressurreiten	[dʁɛˈsuːɐ̯ˌʁaɪ̯tn̩]
Rugby	Rugby	[ˈʁakbi]
Cricket	Cricket	[ˈkʁɪkət]
Beach volleyball	Beachvolleyball	[ˈbiːtʃtˌvɔlibal]
Paragliding	Paragleiten	[ˈpaʁaˌɡlaɪ̯tn]
Track and Field	Leichtathletik	[ˈlaɪ̯çtʔatˌleːtik]
Running	Laufen	[ˈlaʊ̯fn̩]
Sprint	Sprint	[ʃpʁɪnt]
Jogging	Joggen	[ˈdʒɔɡn]
Marathon	Marathon	[ˈmaːʁatɔn]
High jump	Hochsprung	[ˈhoːxˌʃpʁʊŋ]
Long jump	Weitsprung	[ˈvaɪ̯tʃpʁʊŋ]
Discus throw	Diskuswurf	[ˈdɪskʊsˌvʊʁf]
Hammer throw	Hammerwerfen	[ˈhamɐˌvɛʁfn̩]
Javelin throw	Speerwurf	[ˈʃpeːɐ̯ˌvʊʁf]

Water sports

“Water sports” in German are “Wassersportarten” (vah-sa-shport-art-en). Some of the most popular ones are swimming, surfing, kiteboating and kayaking - and if you enjoy scuba diving, you should definitely try it in one of the crystal clear Alpine lakes in Germany, Austria or Switzerland!

Water polo and water sports in German.

English	German	IPA
Swimming	Schwimmen	[ˈʃvɪmən]
Freestyle	Freestyle	[fʁistajl]
Backstroke	Rückenschwimmen	[ˈʁʏkn̩ˌʃvɪmɐ]
Butterfly	Schmetterling	[ˈʃmɛtɐlɪŋ]
Breaststroke	Brustschwimmen	[ˈbʁʊstˌʃvɪmən]
Diving	Tauchen	[ˈtaʊ̯xn̩]
Water polo	Wasserball	[ˈvasɐˌbal]
Synchronized swimming	Synchronschwimmen	[zʏnˈkʁoːnˌʃvɪmən]
Bodyboarding	Bodyboarding	[ˈbɒdɪbɔʁdˈiŋɡ]
Surfing	Surfen	[ˈsœːɐ̯fn̩]
Windsurfing	Windsurfen	[ˈvɪntˌsœːɐ̯fɐn]
Wakeboarding	Wakeboarden	[ˈvɛɪ̯kˌbɔːɐ̯tn̩]
Waterskiing	Wasserskilaufen	[ˈvasɐʃiːˌˈlaʊ̯fn̩]
Kayaking	Kajaken	[ˈkaːjakn]
Canyoning	Canyoning	[kanjɔniŋ]
Snorkeling	Schnorcheln	[ˈʃnɔʁçl̩n]
Sailing	Segeln	[ˈzeːɡl̩n]
Rowing	Rudern	[ˈʁuːdɐn]
Paddleboarding	Paddeln	[ˈpadln]
Rafting	Rafting	[ˈʁaːftɪŋ]

Indoor sports

Many indoor sports (Hallensport) are the same in German as they are in English. So people will understand you perfectly, whether you mention “yoga”, “pilates”, “boxing” or any kind of dance - from foxtrot to hip hop.

Yoga is the same in German as it is in English.

English	German	IPA
Indoor soccer	Hallenfußball	[ˈhalənˌfuːsbal]
Ice skating	Schlittschuhlaufen	[ˈʃlɪtˌʃuːˌlaʊ̯fn̩]
Squash	Squash	[skvɔʃ]
Pilates	Pilates	[pi:ˈlatəs ]
Yoga	Yoga	[ˈjoːɡa]
Volleyball	Volleyball	[ˈvɔlɛɪ̯ˌbal]
Basketball	Basketball	[ˈbaːskətˌbal]
Softball	Softball	[sɔftbol]
Table tennis	Tischtennis	[ˈtɪʃˌtɛnɪs]
Indoor cycling	Indoor-Radfahren	[ɪndo:ɐ̯ ˈʁaːtˌfaːʁən]
Wrestling	Wrestling	[ˈʁɛslɪŋ]
Gymnastics	Gymnastik; Turnen	[ˌɡʏmˈnastɪk; ˈtʊʁnən]
Karate	Karate	[kaˈʁaːtə]
Judo	Judo	[ˈjuːdo]
Fencing	Fechten	[ˈfɛçtn̩]
Boxing	Boxen	[ˈbɔksn̩]
Kickboxing	Kickboxen	[ˈkɪkˌbɔksn̩]
Capoeira	Capoeira	[kapoˈeːʁa]
Dance	Tanz	[tants]

Other games in German

Not all sports need a lot of action! There’s a German word referring to mental exercises called “Denksport” (Think-sports). This includes activities like chess, card games and board games.

English	German	IPA
Card games	Kartenspiele	[ˈkaʁtn̩ˌʃpiːlə]
Board games	Brettspiele	[ˈbʁɛtˌʃpiːlə]
Video games	Videospiele	[ˈviːdeoˌʃpiːlə]
Drinking games	Trinkspiele	[ˈtʁɪŋkˌʃpiːlə]
Chess	Schach	[ʃax]
Checkers	Dame	[ˈdaːmə]
Poker	Poker	[ˈpoːkɐ]
Domino	Domino	[ˈdoːmino]
Darts	Dart	[daːɐ̯t]
Pool	Billard	[ˈbɪljaʁt]
Jenga	Jenga	[jɛŋgaɐ̯]
Monopoly	Monopoly	[mo:ˈno:po:lɪ]
Role playing	Rollenspiel	[ˈʁɔlənˌʃpiːl]
Quidditch	Quidditch	[kvɪtdi:tt͡ʃ]

Sports-related vocab in German

Here’s a list of everything we missed so far - from the athletes to their sports equipment.

English	German	IPA
Athlete	Athlet	[atˈleːt]
Team	Team	[tiːm]
Coach	Coach	[kɔʊ̯t͡ʃ]
Field	Feld	[fɛlt]
Rink	Spielfläche	[ˈʃpiːlˌflɛçə]
Pool	Pool; Schwimmbecken	[puːl; ˈʃvɪmˌbɛkn̩]
Court	Platz	[plats]
Doubles	Doppel	[ˈdɔpl̩]
Sports venue	Sportstätte	[ʃpɔʁtˈʃtɛtə]
Sporting field	Sportplatz	[ˈʃpɔʁtˌplat͡s]
Sports equipment	Sportausrüstung	[ʃpɔʁtˈaʊ̯sˌʁʏstʊŋ]
Arena	Arena	[aˈʁeːna]
Track	Bahn	[baːn]
Goalkeeper	Torwart	[ˈtoːɐ̯ˌvaʁt]
Player	Spieler	[ˈʃpiːlɐ]
On your mark	Auf die Plätze	[aʊ̯f diː ˈplɛt͡sə]
Get set	Fertig	[ˈfɛʁtɪç]
Go!	Los!	[loːs]

Example conversations about sports in German

Asking someone what sports they do is a great way to start a conversation. Here are some examples of how this might go in German.

Group conversation about sports in German during halftime.

Speaker	German	English
Leon	Welche Sportarten machst du?	What kinds of sports do you do?
Josefine	Ich tanze Hip Hop und Breakdance, und du?	I dance hip hop and breakdance, and you?
Leon	Cool! Ich mache keinen Sport. Vielleicht kannst du mir ein paar Schritte zeigen?	Cool. I don't do sports. Maybe you can show me a few steps?
Josefine	Klar, und wenn es dir Spaß macht, solltest du mit zum Tanzkurs kommen!	Sure, and if you enjoy it, you should come to dance class with me!

In case the other person isn’t doing any sports, you can always ask if they watch sports on tv.

Speaker	German	English
Mia	Hast du das Fußballspiel gestern gesehen?	Did you watch the soccer game last night?
Hannes	Ja, ich wünschte, Eintracht Frankfurt hätte gewonnen!	Yes, I wish Eintracht Frankfurt had won!
Mia	Du bist Eintracht-Fan?	You’re an Eintracht fan?
Hannes	Eigentlich nicht. Ich fand bloß, dass sie gestern besser gespielt haben.	Usually I’m not. I just thought they played better yesterday.

Example conversations whilst playing sports

When you’re joining a sports team or meeting others to work out together, it’s helpful to know how to make plans for that.

Speaker	German	English
Amir	Willst du mit mir und den anderen zum See kommen?	Do you want to come to the lake with me and the others?
Max	Ich kann nicht schwimmen.	I can’t swim.
Amir	Macht nichts. Das bringen wir dir bei!	No problem, we’ll teach you.
Max	Echt? Dann bin ich dabei. Ich muss aber erst mal eine Badehose kaufen.	Really? Then I’m in. I have to buy some swim trunks first though.

Once you’re in the game or working out, there isn’t always that much talk. Just remember some simple phrases for the game or activity.

Speaker	German	English
Sara	Hey, gib mir den Ball!	Hey, give me the ball!
Leonie	Hier!	Here!
Sara	Achtung!	Watch out!
Leonie	Gut gemacht!	Good job!

Most popular sports in different German-speaking countries

It’s probably no surprise to you that in Germany, Austria and Switzerland alike, by far the most popular sport is soccer or “Fußball”.
In Switzerland, Austria and the South of Germany, where it’s chilly and snowy, skiing is also very popular, along with other winter sports like snowboarding and ice-skating, and ice-hockey
German-speaking countries also have some rather unusual sports including Underwater Hockey, River Surfing and of course the famous “Kastenlauf”:

This “sport” requires different teams to race each other while carrying a crate of beer. Of course the contents of the beer crate have to be consumed before you’re allowed to cross the finish line - Yes, somehow we even found a way to make sports about drinking beer!

Popular winter sports such as snowboarding ice-skating ice-hockey and skiing in German.

Sports-related idioms in German

There are some interesting sports-related idioms in German, a popular one being “am Ball bleiben”. It means “to stay with the ball”, which evokes a clear picture: When you stay with the ball, you stay where the action is. You stay on top of things.

German	Literal translation	Origin	Meaning
Am Ball bleiben	To stay with the ball	Soccer	To stay on top of things
Den Ball flach halten	To keep the ball low	Soccer	To play it safe
Ein Eigentor schießen	To score an own goal	Soccer	To shoot oneself in the foot
Nach der Pfeife von jemandem tanzen	To dance after someone’s whistle	Dance	To do what someone says
Jemanden in Schach halten	To keep someone in check	Chess	To keep someone under control
Mit harten Bandagen kämpfen	To fight with hard bandages	Boxing	To fight as hard as you can
Bei jemandem punkten	To score with someone	Competitive sports	To impress someone

Stay with the ball

As an important Denksport, language learning works just like sports in many ways: It’s always gonna be difficult when you first start out but the more time you invest in practicing, the easier it gets.

The key is to stay with the ball, meaning: show up and give it all you got.

If you want to compare it to running, keep in mind that it’s more like a marathon than a sprint. You won’t get too far in a short amount of time, but if you stick with it, it will be extremely rewarding in the long run.

More than anything else, language learning is a team sport though. Ultimately, you can’t play it by yourself and you’ll get the most out of it if you surround yourself with great team members to learn from.

So find someone to practice learning German with - whether that’s a native speaker or a team of people who share your goal of learning the language. If you want to score some extra points, impress your language learning buddies with your impressive German vocabulary that you learned from reading our fun vocab blog!