Vocabulary - types of sport and verbs to describe exercise
El f煤tbol (football) is hugely popular 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 |
| los artes marciales | martial arts |
| el atletismo | athletics |
| el baloncesto | basketball |
| el boxeo | boxing |
| el ciclismo | cycling |
| el cr铆quet | cricket |
| el esqu铆 | skiing |
| la equitaci贸n | horse riding |
| el f煤tbol | football |
| la gimnasia | gymnastics |
| la nataci贸n | swimming |
| el patinaje | skating |
| el pirag眉ismo | canoeing |
| el tenis | tennis |
| la vela | sailing |
| el alpinismo |
| climbing |
| los artes marciales |
| martial arts |
| el atletismo |
| athletics |
| el baloncesto |
| basketball |
| el boxeo |
| boxing |
| el ciclismo |
| cycling |
| el cr铆quet |
| cricket |
| el esqu铆 |
| skiing |
| la equitaci贸n |
| horse riding |
| el f煤tbol |
| football |
| la gimnasia |
| gymnastics |
| la nataci贸n |
| swimming |
| el patinaje |
| skating |
| el pirag眉ismo |
| canoeing |
| el tenis |
| tennis |
| la vela |
| sailing |
You may also refer to el deporte (sport), el ejercicio (exercise) or la actividad f铆sica (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). It is important to know how to use these in the past, present and future tenses:
| Past | Present | Future |
| jugu茅 al tenis (I played tennis). | juego al tenis (I play tennis). | voy a jugar/jugar茅 al tenis (I am going to play/I will play tennis). |
| practiqu茅 el atletismo (I did athletics). | practico el atletismo (I do athletics). | voy a practicar/practicar茅 el atletismo (I am going to do/I will do athletics). |
| hice la nataci贸n (I went swimming). | hago la nataci贸n (I go swimming). | voy a hacer/har茅 la nataci贸n (I am going to go/I will go swimming). |
| Past | jugu茅 al tenis (I played tennis). |
|---|---|
| Present | juego al tenis (I play tennis). |
| Future | voy a jugar/jugar茅 al tenis (I am going to play/I will play tennis). |
| Past | practiqu茅 el atletismo (I did athletics). |
|---|---|
| Present | practico el atletismo (I do athletics). |
| Future | voy a practicar/practicar茅 el atletismo (I am going to do/I will do athletics). |
| Past | hice la nataci贸n (I went swimming). |
|---|---|
| Present | hago la nataci贸n (I go swimming). |
| Future | voy a hacer/har茅 la nataci贸n (I am going to go/I will go swimming). |
Other useful verbs for talking about sports are:
| 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 d铆as/cada d铆a | 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 d铆as/cada d铆a |
| 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. Tambi茅n voy al gimnasio cada d铆a.
Lana
Despu茅s de mis ex谩menes, me gustar铆a aprender a practicar los artes marciales porque me fascinan. Es importante hacer deporte entonces me gusta correr diariamente y tambi茅n monto en bicicleta cada fin de semana.
Jordi
Tengo que admitir que no hago mucho deporte. Solamente practico el 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, 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.