Vocabulary - taking part in sports
El fútbol (football) is huge in Spain and the country is home to some of the world's biggest and most successful clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid. The national team does pretty well too! Some well-known Spanish personalities from other sports include Rafael Nadal (tennis), Fernando Alonso (Formula 1) and Pau Gasol (basketball). Here are some different sports to get you started.
| el alpinismo | climbing |
| las artes marciales | martial arts |
| el atletismo | athletics |
| el baloncesto | basketball |
| el boxeo | boxing |
| el ciclismo | cycling |
| el críquet | cricket |
| la escalada | climbing |
| el esquí | skiing |
| la equitación | horse riding |
| el fútbol | football |
| la gimnasia | gymnastics |
| el monopatinaje | skateboarding |
| la natación | swimming |
| el patinaje | skating |
| el piragüismo | canoeing |
| el tenis | tennis |
| el voleibol | volleyball |
| el alpinismo |
| climbing |
| las artes marciales |
| martial arts |
| el atletismo |
| athletics |
| el baloncesto |
| basketball |
| el boxeo |
| boxing |
| el ciclismo |
| cycling |
| el críquet |
| cricket |
| la escalada |
| climbing |
| el esquí |
| skiing |
| la equitación |
| horse riding |
| el fútbol |
| football |
| la gimnasia |
| gymnastics |
| el monopatinaje |
| skateboarding |
| la natación |
| swimming |
| el patinaje |
| skating |
| el piragüismo |
| canoeing |
| el tenis |
| tennis |
| el voleibol |
| volleyball |
You may also refer to el deporte (sport), el ejercicio (exercise) or la actividad física (physical activity).
The key verbs that are used to talk about sport are jugar (to play a sport), practicar (to practise/do/take part in a sport) and hacer (to do). If a sport is played with a ball, use jugar. Otherwise, use practicar or hacer. It is important to know how to use these in the past, present and future tenses.
| Past | Present | Future |
| jugué al tenis (I played tennis). | juego al tenis (I play tennis). | voy a jugar/jugaré al tenis (I am going to play/I will play tennis). |
| practiqué atletismo (I did athletics). | practico atletismo (I do athletics). | voy a practicar/practicaré atletismo (I am going to do/I will do athletics). |
| hice natación (I went swimming). | hago natación (I go swimming). | voy a hacer/haré natación (I am going to go/I will go swimming). |
| Past | jugué al tenis (I played tennis). |
|---|---|
| Present | juego al tenis (I play tennis). |
| Future | voy a jugar/jugaré al tenis (I am going to play/I will play tennis). |
| Past | practiqué atletismo (I did athletics). |
|---|---|
| Present | practico atletismo (I do athletics). |
| Future | voy a practicar/practicaré atletismo (I am going to do/I will do athletics). |
| Past | hice natación (I went swimming). |
|---|---|
| Present | hago natación (I go swimming). |
| Future | voy a hacer/haré natación (I am going to go/I will go swimming). |
Here are some more useful verbs for talking about sport and exercise.
| andar/caminar | to walk |
| bailar | to dance |
| correr | to run |
| escalar | to climb |
| esquiar | to ski |
| ganar | to win |
| ir al gimnasio | to go to the gym |
| marcar (un gol) | to score (a goal) |
| montar a caballo/en bici | to go horseriding/cycling |
| nadar | to swim |
| participar | to participate |
| patinar | to skate |
| perder | to lose |
| saltar | to jump |
| andar/caminar |
| to walk |
| bailar |
| to dance |
| correr |
| to run |
| escalar |
| to climb |
| esquiar |
| to ski |
| ganar |
| to win |
| ir al gimnasio |
| to go to the gym |
| marcar (un gol) |
| to score (a goal) |
| montar a caballo/en bici |
| to go horseriding/cycling |
| nadar |
| to swim |
| participar |
| to participate |
| patinar |
| to skate |
| perder |
| to lose |
| saltar |
| to jump |
You may also want to say how often you take part in certain sports.
| a menudo | often |
| a veces | sometimes |
| diariamente | daily |
| nunca | never |
| siempre | always |
| regularmente | regularly |
| de vez en cuando | from time to time/once in a while |
| todos los días/cada día | every day |
| raramente | rarely |
| dos veces a la semana | twice a week |
| cada semana | every week |
| a menudo |
| often |
| a veces |
| sometimes |
| diariamente |
| daily |
| nunca |
| never |
| siempre |
| always |
| regularmente |
| regularly |
| de vez en cuando |
| from time to time/once in a while |
| todos los días/cada día |
| every day |
| raramente |
| rarely |
| dos veces a la semana |
| twice a week |
| cada semana |
| every week |
These young people are posting on social media about how much sport they do.
Paco
Juego al tenis regularmente con mis amigos, pero odio el boxeo porque es muy violento. También voy al gimnasio cada día.
Lana
Después de mis exámenes, me gustaría aprender a practicar artes marciales porque me fascinan. Es importante hacer deporte y por eso me gusta correr todos los días. También monto en bicicleta cada fin de semana.
Jordi
Tengo que admitir que no hago mucho deporte. Solamente practico atletismo una vez a la semana en el colegio y voy al polideportivo para nadar de vez en cuando.
Question
Read the social media posts, note two sports that each person does and say how often they do them. Write your answers in English.
Paco
| Sport | How often |
| tennis | regularly |
| goes to the gym | every day |
| Sport | tennis |
|---|---|
| How often | regularly |
| Sport | goes to the gym |
|---|---|
| How often | every day |
Be careful as Paco mentions el boxeo (boxing), but does not say that he boxes, in fact, he says that he hates it!
Lana
| Sport | How often |
| running | daily |
| cycling | every weekend |
| Sport | running |
|---|---|
| How often | daily |
| Sport | cycling |
|---|---|
| How often | every weekend |
Lana says that she wants to take up martial arts after her exams but she does not say that she does this sport.
Jordi
| Sport | How often |
| athletics | once a week |
| swimming | from time to time |
| Sport | athletics |
|---|---|
| How often | once a week |
| Sport | swimming |
|---|---|
| How often | from time to time |
Jordi says no hago mucho deporte (I don't do much sport) but make sure that you look for the correct answers in what else he says.