There are few events that can bring people from around the world together the way that the Olympic Games can. In Paris this year athletes from over 200 countries will be mixing with, and competing against, counterparts from different cultures who speak different languages. The games usually have three official languages, French, English and the language of the host country. However, as with the London games of 2012, there is no third official language this year. Despite this, many athletes cannot speak any of the official languages, and for this reason a series of pictograms are used to denote the different events in a language agnostic manner to both competitors and supporters alike.

While Spanish is not one of the official languages of the games, there will be a large number of Spanish speaking athletes at the games, with competitors from Spain, Latin America and many Spanish speakers from the US taking part. There will also be millions of people across the Spanish speaking world tuning in to support their nation’s sporting stars. 

Learning to speak about the games and sports in general in Spanish can be a great way to use the event to boost your Spanish skills, and to take part in authentic conversations with Spanish speakers. Watching sporting events in Spanish is also a useful method of immersing yourself in Spanish, with the help of the visual context of the sport. 

This article is intended as an introduction to sporting and Olympic terminology and how to use it in everyday contexts.

General Olympics and Sports Terminology

Understanding general sports terminology is the first step to talking about sports in Spanish. Here are some common words and phrases with some examples. Note: when we talk about the location where events are taking place we use the verb ser instead of estar.

Juegos Olímpicos: Olympic Games

Ciudad anfitriona/ Ciudad sede:  Host city

París será la sede/ciudad anfitriona de los juegos olímpicos este año.

The host city for this year’s Olympic games will be Paris.

Deporte: Sport

Equipo: Team

En este deporte cada país tiene su propio equipo.

In this sport every country has its own team.

Competencia: Competition

Entrenador(a): Coach (It is not uncommon to hear the word coach borrowed by Spanish speakers)

El entrenador le guiará durante la competencia.

The coach will guide him through the competition.

Medalla (oro, plata, bronce) : Medal (gold, silver, bronze)

Partido: Match or game

Luego del partido tendrán la ceremonia de entrega de medallas.

After the match they will have the medal ceremony.

Jugador(a): Player

Árbitro: Referee

Juez: Judge

Tanteador(a): scorekeeper

Aficionados/Hinchas: Fans

Aquí hay aficionados de todo el mundo para apoyar a los jugadores.

There are fans here from all over the world to support the players

Campo/Canchá: Field/Court

Ganar: To win

Ganador: Winner

Campeon: Champion

Perder: To lose

Empatar: To draw/tie

Eliminatoria: Heat (as in qualifying event)

Clasificar:  To qualify

Récord mundial: World record

Ganó su eliminatoria con un tiempo récord mundial.

He won his heat with a world record time

Goles/Puntos: Goals/Points

Lesión: Injury

Entrenamiento: Training

Temporada: Season

Liga: League

Copa/Torneo: Cup/Tournament

Desempeño: Performance

Carrera: Race

Lleva cuatro años entrenando para esta carrera.

He has been training for this raise for four years

Names of Sports in Spanish

It is also useful to know the names of common sports or events in Spanish. Here are some of the ones you might encounter during the games and some example sentences.

Fútbol: Soccer/Football (American or Gridiron football is known as fútbol americano. It is increasingly common to hear the word soccer used instead of fútbol in some parts of Latin American)

"Me encanta ver los partidos de fútbol los domingos." 

I love watching soccer games on Sundays.

Baloncesto/Básquetbol: Basketball (in Mexico, both terms are used interchangeably, but in Spain, baloncefusto is more common. You may also hear it just referred to as básquet)

"El equipo de baloncesto de mi universidad es muy bueno." 

My university's basketball team is very good.

Natación: Swimming

"La natación es una excelente forma de ejercicio." 

Swimming is an excellent form of exercise.

Atletismo: Track and Field

 "El atletismo es uno de los eventos más emocionantes de los Juegos Olímpicos." 

Track and field is one of the most exciting events in the Olympics.

Voleibol: Volleyball

"Jugamos voleibol en la playa el fin de semana pasado."

 We played volleyball on the beach last weekend.

Tenis: Tennis

"El torneo de tenis de Wimbledon es muy famoso."

 The Wimbledon tennis tournament is very famous.

Ciclismo: Cycling

 "El ciclismo es una forma ecológica de transporte y ejercicio."

 Cycling is an eco-friendly form of transportation and exercise.

Gimnasia: Gymnastics

"La gimnasia requiere mucha flexibilidad y fuerza."

 Gymnastics requires a lot of flexibility and strength.

Béisbol: Baseball

"El béisbol es muy popular en México y en los Estados Unidos." 

Baseball is very popular in Mexico and the United States.

Boxeo: Boxing

"El boxeo es uno de los deportes más antiguos." 

Boxing is one of the oldest sports.

Surf: Surfing

 "El surf en las playas de México es increíble."

 Surfing on the beaches of Mexico is amazing.

Remo: Rowing

“Remar es físicamente exigente y requiere resistencia.”

Rowing is physically demanding and requires endurance.

Advanced Examples

Here are a few more advanced examples, using some of the terminology above and some terms specific to individual sports.

"El fútbol es mi deporte favorito porque es muy emocionante."

Soccer is my favorite sport because it is very exciting.

"¿Viste la competencia de natación en los Juegos Olímpicos?"

Did you see the swimming competition in the Olympics?

"Mi hermana es entrenadora de baloncesto en la escuela."

My sister is a basketball coach at the school.

"Los atletas entrenan muy duro para ganar una medalla en los Juegos Olímpicos."

Athletes train very hard to win a medal in the Olympics.

"Participar en el atletismo me ha enseñado disciplina y perseverancia."

Participating in track and field has taught me discipline and perseverance.

"El equipo de voleibol ganó el campeonato el año pasado."

The volleyball team won the championship last year.

"El ciclismo es una excelente manera de explorar la ciudad."

Cycling is an excellent way to explore the city.

"El portero hizo una gran atajada para salvar el gol."

The goalkeeper made a great save to prevent the goal.

"El delantero marcó un gol increíble desde fuera del área."

The forward scored an incredible goal from outside the box.

"El árbitro mostró una tarjeta roja al jugador por una falta violenta."

The referee showed a red card to the player for a violent foul.

"El jugador anotó un triple justo antes del final del partido."

The player scored a three-pointer just before the end of the game.

"Driblar el balón es una habilidad esencial en el baloncesto."

Dribbling the ball is an essential skill in basketball.

"El entrenador pidió un tiempo fuera para hablar con el equipo."

The coach called a timeout to talk to the team.

"La nadadora ganó la medalla de oro en estilo libre."

The swimmer won the gold medal in freestyle.

"El estilo mariposa es uno de los más difíciles de dominar."

The butterfly stroke is one of the most difficult to master.

"Cada nadador debe permanecer en su carril durante la carrera."

Each swimmer must stay in their lane during the race.

Talking about sports in Spanish is a great way to improve your vocabulary and connect with Spanish-speaking cultures. Whether discussing the latest Olympic results or planning a volleyball game with friends, this vocabulary will be very useful. By practicing these terms and understanding regional variations, you will be able to communicate more effectively and enjoy conversations about sports with Spanish speakers.

Is there another Spanish language topic that you are struggling with or would like to read an article about? Let us know at communications@naatikmexico.org. You can find our other Spanish language blogs here. 

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