Italian Sports Vocabulary

Here are Italian words for sports to start with: pallacanestro (basketball), calcio (football), gol (goal), giocare (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
EnglishItalianTypeLevel
basketballpallacanestronounA1
fantifosonounA1
fieldcamponounA1
footballcalcionounA1
goalgolnounA1
playgiocareverbA1
runcorrereverbA1
tennistennisnounA1

The rest of this pack is in the app

Sports Intermediate

A1–B1
EnglishItalianTypeLevel
ballpallanounA1
gamepartitanounA1
playergiocatorenounA1
swimmingnuotonounA1
teamsquadranounA1
runningcorsanounA2
trainingallenamentonounA2
agilityagilitànounB1

Sports Advanced

A2–C1
EnglishItalianTypeLevel
exerciseesercizionounA2
matchpartitanounB1
formidabletemibileadjB2
perseveranceperseveranzanounB2
qualifierpartita di qualificazionenounB2
wildcardwild cardnounB2
winvincereverbB2
athleticismatletismonounC1

Team Sports

A1–B1
EnglishItalianTypeLevel
baseballbaseballnounA1
volleyballpallavolonounA1
hockeyhockeynounA2
shoottirareverbA2
assistassistnounB1
defenderdifensorenounB1
goalkeeperportierenounB1
handballpallamanonounB1

More from this pack waits in the app

Individual Sports

A2–B2
EnglishItalianTypeLevel
skiingscinounA2
surfingsurfnounA2
table tennisping-pongnounA2
divingtuffonounB1
martial artsarti marzialinounB1
biathlonbiathlonnounB2
fencingschermanounB2
triathlontriathlonnounB2

Sports Rules & Terms

A2–B2
EnglishItalianTypeLevel
serveservireverbA2
knockoutknock-outnounB1
umpirearbitronounB1
birdiebirdienounB2
bogeybogeynounB2
handicaphandicapnounB2
standingsclassificanounB2
sudden deathsudden deathnounB2

Extreme Sports

A2–B2
EnglishItalianTypeLevel
snowboardingsnowboardnounA2
bungee jumpingbungee jumpingnounB1
kayakingkayaknounB1
paraglidingparapendionounB1
rock climbingarrampicatanounB1
skydivingparacadutismonounB1
windsurfingwindsurfnounB1
base jumpingbase jumpingnounB2

Sports Equipment

A1–A2
EnglishItalianTypeLevel
clubmazza da golfnounA1
basketcanestronounA2
batmazzanounA2
jerseymaglianounA2
matmaterassinonounA2
netretenounA2
racketracchettanounA2
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 Italian words should I learn for sports?

You could start with words like pallacanestro (basketball), calcio (football), gol (goal), giocare (play). This page lists 64 Italian words for sports (A1–C1), each with its English translation and part of speech.

How can I remember these Italian words?

Reading a list once is rarely enough. Watch Your Language shows Italian 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 Italian word lists