German Sports Vocabulary

Here are German words for sports to start with: Basketball (basketball), Fußball (football), Tor (goal), spielen (play). Below are 64 words (A1–C1) with their English translations and part of speech, across 8 themed lists.

A footballer kicking a ball on a grass pitch
Photo: SeppH

Sports Basics

A1
EnglishGermanTypeLevel
basketballBasketballnounA1
fanFannounA1
fieldSpielfeldnounA1
footballFußballnounA1
goalTornounA1
playspielenverbA1
runlaufenverbA1
tennisTennisnounA1

The rest of this pack is in the app

Sports Intermediate

A1–B1
EnglishGermanTypeLevel
ballBallnounA1
gameSpielnounA1
playerSpielernounA1
swimmingSchwimmennounA1
teamTeamnounA1
runningLaufennounA2
trainingTrainingnounA2
agilityBeweglichkeitnounB1

Sports Advanced

A2–C1
EnglishGermanTypeLevel
exerciseBewegungnounA2
matchSpielnounB1
formidablefurchteinflößendadjB2
perseveranceBeharrlichkeitnounB2
qualifierQualifikationsspielnounB2
wildcardWildcardnounB2
wingewinnenverbB2
athleticismAthletiknounC1

Team Sports

A1–B1
EnglishGermanTypeLevel
baseballBaseballnounA1
volleyballVolleyballnounA1
hockeyEishockeynounA2
shootschießenverbA2
assistAssistnounB1
defenderVerteidigernounB1
goalkeeperTorwartnounB1
handballHandballnounB1

More from this pack waits in the app

Individual Sports

A2–B2
EnglishGermanTypeLevel
skiingSkifahrennounA2
surfingSurfennounA2
table tennisTischtennisnounA2
divingWasserspringennounB1
martial artsKampfkunstnounB1
biathlonBiathlonnounB2
fencingFechtennounB2
triathlonTriathlonnounB2

Sports Rules & Terms

A2–B2
EnglishGermanTypeLevel
serveaufschlagenverbA2
knockoutKnock-outnounB1
umpireSchiedsrichternounB1
birdieBirdienounB2
bogeyBogeynounB2
handicapHandicapnounB2
standingsTabellenounB2
sudden deathSudden DeathnounB2

Extreme Sports

A2–B2
EnglishGermanTypeLevel
snowboardingSnowboardennounA2
bungee jumpingBungee-JumpingnounB1
kayakingKajakfahrennounB1
paraglidingGleitschirmfliegennounB1
rock climbingFelskletternnounB1
skydivingFallschirmspringennounB1
windsurfingWindsurfennounB1
base jumpingBasejumpingnounB2

Sports Equipment

A1–A2
EnglishGermanTypeLevel
clubGolfschlägernounA1
basketKorbnounA2
batBaseballschlägernounA2
jerseyTrikotnounA2
matMattenounA2
netNetznounA2
racketTennisschlägernounA2
ringRingnounA2

Keep going with this pack in the app

Emoji: Twemoji, CC-BY 4.0

A sample of the A1–C1 words. The rest are in the app

Watch Your LanguageVocabulary widgets for iPhone & Apple Watch

These lists show a sample of the A1–C1 words for sports. The packs in Watch Your Language hold more and reach the advanced levels, along with every other topic.

The app shows them to you a few at a time, in a widget on your iPhone Lock Screen and on your Apple Watch face, and brings back the ones you keep forgetting.

Common questions

Which German words should I learn for sports?

You could start with words like Basketball (basketball), Fußball (football), Tor (goal), spielen (play). This page lists 64 German words for sports (A1–C1), each with its English translation and part of speech.

How can I remember these German words?

Reading a list once is rarely enough. Watch Your Language shows German words like these in a widget on your iPhone Lock Screen and on your Apple Watch face, and schedules repeats so the words you keep forgetting come back more often.

Are these word lists free?

Yes. The lists on this page are free to read, with no sign-up. The app holds more words for each topic.

More German word lists