Sports in German | Vocabulary List

Germany has a rich history of sports and is home to many popular sports teams and athletes. Some common sports in Germany include soccer (Fußball), basketball (Basketball), handball (Handball), and tennis (Tennis).

This is why in this post, we're going to have a look at German sports vocabulary and German words & expressions that are related to sport & physical activity.

German Sports Vocabulary

Let's start with some very general German sports vocabulary. How would you express, that you simply love doing sports or that you are quite a sporty person?

Names for Sports in German

Learning the vocabulary for the names for sports in German can be very helpful for sports fans who don't want to give up on their favourite sport after having moved to Germany.

Here is a vocabulary list of several types of sports:

Knowing the vocabulary for sports equipment and protective gear can also be very helpful. We have written a separate article just on German sports equipment vocabulary.

Verbs to Talk about Sports

In German, there are many verbs that are related to sports and physical activity. Some common sports verbs include spielen (to play), laufen (to run), springen (to jump), schwimmen (to swim), and fahren (to drive or ride).

There are also many German verbs that are related to specific sports, such as boxen (to box), schiessen (to shoot [in basketball or soccer]), and werfen (to throw [in handball or baseball]).

Sports Competition Vocabulary

Lastly, here is some vocabulary that might be useful for any kind of sports competition.