German Names of 50 Common Sports: A Beginner’s Guide

Whether you're watching sports, playing on a team, or chatting about your favourite activities, knowing the German names for popular sports can make life so much easier — and a lot more fun! From football and tennis to niche activities like fencing or rowing, having the right vocabulary helps you join local clubs, follow matches, or simply enjoy small talk with German speakers.

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⚽ 1️⃣ Team Sports (Mannschaftssportarten)

Team sports are hugely popular worldwide. Knowing their German names helps you talk about them with friends, follow matches, or even join a local club.

• Der Fußball — Football (soccer)

• Der Basketball — Basketball

• Der Handball — Handball

• Das Volleyball — Volleyball

• Der Rugby — Rugby

• Der Baseball — Baseball

• Der American Football — American football

• Der Hockey — Field hockey

• Das Eishockey — Ice hockey

• Der Wasserball — Water polo

💡 Tip: Talk about your favourite team sport:

„Mein Lieblingssport ist Fußball, aber ich spiele auch gern Basketball.“(My favourite sport is football, but I also like playing basketball.)

🏃 2️⃣ Individual Sports (Einzelsportarten)

These are perfect for staying fit solo or competing one-on-one.

• Das Laufen — Running

• Das Radfahren — Cycling

• Das Schwimmen — Swimming

• Das Wandern — Hiking

• Das Klettern — Climbing

• Das Reiten — Horseback riding

• Das Golf — Golf

• Das Tennis — Tennis

• Das Tischtennis — Table tennis

• Das Badminton — Badminton

💡 Tip: Talk about your fitness routine:

„Ich gehe oft schwimmen und wandere am Wochenende.“(I often go swimming and hike on weekends.)

🌊 3️⃣ Water Sports (Wassersportarten)

Perfect for holidays, summer, or just staying cool!

• Das Segeln — Sailing

• Das Rudern — Rowing

• Das Surfen — Surfing

• Das Windsurfen — Windsurfing

• Das Tauchen — Diving

• Das Schnorcheln — Snorkelling

• Das Kajakfahren — Kayaking

• Das Wasserskifahren — Water skiing

• Das Kitesurfen — Kitesurfing

• Das Wakeboarden — Wakeboarding

💡 Tip: Use it naturally:

„Ich habe das Schnorcheln im Urlaub ausprobiert, und es war toll.“(I tried snorkelling on holiday, and it was great.)

🎿 4️⃣ Winter Sports (Wintersportarten)

Germany, Austria, and Switzerland are famous for amazing slopes and winter activities.

• Das Skifahren — Skiing

• Das Snowboarden — Snowboarding

• Das Eislaufen — Ice skating

• Das Langlaufen — Cross-country skiing

• Das Rodeln — Sledding

• Das Eisklettern — Ice climbing

• Der Biathlon — Biathlon

• Der Eiskunstlauf — Figure skating

• Das Curling — Curling

• Das Bobfahren — Bobsledding

💡 Tip: Talk about your winter plans:

„Im Winter gehe ich oft Skifahren und manchmal Snowboarden.“(In winter, I often go skiing and sometimes snowboarding.)

🥊 5️⃣ Combat Sports (Kampfsportarten)

Martial arts are great for fitness, self-defence, and discipline.

• Das Boxen — Boxing

• Das Karate — Karate

• Das Judo — Judo

• Das Taekwondo — Taekwondo

• Das Ringen — Wrestling

• Das Fechten — Fencing

• Das Kickboxen — Kickboxing

• Das Muay Thai — Muay Thai

• Das Krav Maga — Krav Maga

• Der MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) — MMA

💡 Tip: Share your training:

„Ich trainiere seit einem Jahr Karate und möchte auch Judo lernen.“(I’ve been training in karate for a year and want to learn judo too.)

🧠 How to Memorise German Sports Vocabulary

Learning 50 new words might feel like a lot — but use these tips and it’ll feel easy:

✅ Watch sports in German — TV, live streams, YouTube highlights: hearing terms helps you remember them.

✅ Talk about your sports — use new words when chatting with friends or planning your weekend.

✅ Use flashcards — apps like Quizlet make it easy.

✅ Train in German — narrate your training: „Jetzt mache ich Aufwärmübungen, dann gehe ich laufen.“ (Now I’m warming up, then I’ll go running.)

✅ Join a club — If you’re in a German-speaking country, join a local sports club. Nothing beats real practice!

🎓 Expand Your German — On and Off the Pitch!

Learning the German names for common sports is just the beginning. Use them to talk naturally about your hobbies, follow the news, join a club — or just connect better with German-speaking friends.

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👉 Intensive German Courses

👉 GCSE & A-Level German Courses

✨ New students save 15% on their first trial lesson — use code EARLYBIRD!

💻 All lessons are online — learn from your living room or right after your workout.

📚 Keep Going!

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Viel Spaß beim Sport — und beim Deutschlernen!(Have fun doing sports — and learning German!)

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