Sports in French This article on sports in French will help you in the following situations:
- If you’d like to mention your favorite sport when introducing yourself at a school, sports club or community event in the UAE.
- If you want to talk about the latest soccer game with a francophone friend at a café on Jumeirah Beach Road.
- If you need to book a ticket for a sporting event at a venue in Dubai or Abu Dhabi.
- If you’re watching an exciting game in - person or on TV with French - speaking friends or colleagues at a Berlitz Jumeirah Centre social club.
And many more. So - on your mark, get set... go!
How do you say “sports” in French
Wait, stop running! First off, let’s learn how to say “sport” in French. And I have great news for you: it’s exactly the same! So, “sport” singular, and “sports” plural. Pronunciation is slightly different though, as you can hear in this video or in a Jumeirah Centre French pronunciation workshop.
How to talk about sports in French
Here are a few phrases that may come in handy when talking about sports in French: French | English translation
- Quel est ton sport préféré ? - What’s your favorite sport?
- Mon sport préféré est le foot. - My favorite sport is soccer.
- Tu aimes regarder le sport à la télé ? - Do you like to watch sports on TV?
- Tu sais qui a gagné le match hier soir ? - Do you know who won the game last night?
- Quelle est ta discipline préférée aux Jeux Olympiques ? - What’s your favorite event at the Olympics?
- Sais - tu monter à cheval ? - Do you know how to ride a horse?
- Veux - tu aller faire du vélo ? - Would you like to go biking?
- Passe - moi le ballon. - Hand me the ball.
- J’aime nager. - I like swimming.
(If you’re in Dubai or Sharjah and want practice, many learners join Jumeirah Centre conversation clubs and group lessons focused on sports vocabulary.) Sport - related verbs
Of course, it’s helpful to know tennis in French, football in French or basketball in French. But you’ll need some verbs to spice up your French skills!
| English | French | IPA |
|---|
| To play | Jouer | ʒwe |
| To do sports | Faire du sport | fɛɾə dy spɔɾ |
| To practice | S’entraîner | sɑ̃tɾ(e)ne |
| To win | Gagner | gaɲe |
| To tie | Être à égalité | ɛtɾ a egalite |
| To lose | Perdre | pɛɾdɾə |
| To catch | Attraper | atɾape |
| To cheat | Tricher | tɾiʃe |
| To compete | Être en compétition | ɛtɾɑ̃ kõpetisjõ |
| To dribble | Dribbler | dɾible |
| To throw | Lancer | lɑ̃se |
| To jog | Faire du jogging | fɛɾə dy ʒɔgɛ̃ |
| To swim | Nager | naʒe |
| To run | Courir | kuɾiɾ |
| To ski | Skier | skje |
| To sprint | Sprinter | spɾɛ̃te |
| To ride a horse | Monter à cheval | mõte a ʃəval |
| To ride a bike | Faire du vélo | fɛɾə dy velo |
| To hit | Frapper | fɾape |
(Many Jumeirah Centre private tuition sessions practise these verbs in roleplays - booking, cheering, and match commentary.) List of sports in French Outdoor sports in French Some of the sports below are both outdoor and indoor, but there is nothing like fresh air, right? In French, “outdoor sports” can be translated by “sports extérieurs” or “sports de plein air”.
| English | French | IPA |
|---|
| Swimming | Natation | natasjõ |
| Freestyle | Nage libre | naʒə libɾə |
| Backstroke | Crawl | kɾawl |
| Butterfly | Papillon | papijõ |
| Breaststroke | Brasse | bɾasə |
| Diving | Plongée | plõʒeə |
| Water polo | Water-polo | wate-pɔlo |
| Synchronized swimming | Natation synchronisée | natasjõ sɛ̃ʃɾɔnizeə |
| Surfing | Surf | syɾf |
| Wakeboarding | Wakeboard | wakəboaɾ |
| Waterskiing | Ski nautique | ski notikə |
| Kayaking | Kayak | kɛjak |
| Kite surfing | Kite surf | kitə syɾf |
| Bodyboarding | Bodyboard | bɔdiboaɾ |
| Snorkeling | Plongée en apnée | plõʒeɑ̃n‿ apneə |
| Paddle boarding | Paddle surf | padlə syɾf |
| Canoeing | Canoë-kayak | kanoe-kɛjak |
| Rafting | Rafting | ɾaftɛ̃ |
| Canyoning | Canyoning | kanjɔnɛ̃ |
| Jet skiing | Jet ski | ʒe ski |
| Windsurfing | Planche à voile | plɑ̃ʃ a vwalə |
| English | French | IPA |
|---|
| Indoor soccer | Foot en salle | foot‿ɑ̃ salə |
| Ice skating | Patin glace | patɛ̃ glasə |
| Squash | Squash | ska |
| Pilates | Pilates | pilatə |
| Yoga | Yoga | jɔga |
| Table tennis | Tennis de table/Ping-pong | tɛni də tablɛ/pɛ̃-põ |
| Indoor cycling | Cyclisme en salle | siklismɑ̃ salə |
| Wrestling | Lutte | lytə |
| Gymnastics | Gymnastique | ʒimnastikə |
| Darts | Fléchettes | fleʃɛtə |
| Karate | Karaté | kaɾate |
| Dancing | Danse | dɑ̃sə |
| Boxing | Boxe | bɔgzə |
| Judo | Judo | ʒydo |
| Taekwondo | Taekwondo | taɛkwõdo |
| Fencing | Escrime | ɛskɾimə |
| Weight lifting | Haltérophilie | alteɾɔpiljə |
| Fitness | Fitness | fitnɛ |
| English | French | IPA |
|---|
| Chess | Échecs | eʃɛk |
| Poker | Poker | pɔke |
| Dominos | Dominos | dɔmino |
| Board games | Jeux de société | ʒø də sɔsjete |
| Cards | Cartes | kaɾtə |
| Bowling | Bowling | bɔwlɛ̃ |
| Fishing | Pêche | pɛʃə |
| Quidditch (muggle) | Quidditch moldu | kiditʃ mɔldy |
| Sing | Chant | ʃɑ̃te |
| Write | Écriture | ekɾiɾə |
| Read | Lecture | liɾə |
| Draw | Dessin | dɛsine |
| Walk | Marche | maɾʃe |
| Power walk | Marche rapide | maɾʃə ɾapidə |
| Cheerlead | Pom-pom girl | põ-põ ʒiɾl |
Learning French vocab IS a sport. Skeptical? Try to go for a run, and then learn all the new words in this article.
| English | French | IPA |
|---|
| Athlete | Athlète | atlɛtə |
| Team | Équipe | ekipə |
| Coach | Entraîneur | ɑ̃tɾɛnœɾ |
| Field | Terrain | tɛrɛ̃ |
| Rink | Patinoire | patinwaɾə |
| Pool | Piscine | pissinə |
| Court | Court | kuɾ |
| Sports venue | Installation sportive / centre sportif | ɛ̃stalasjõ spɔɾtivɛ / sɑ̃tɾə spɔɾtif |
| Sports equipment | Équipement sportif | ekipəmə spɔɾtif |
| Arena / stadium | Stade | stadə |
| Track | Piste d'athlétisme | pistə datletismə |
| Goalkeeper | Gardien de but | gaɾdjɛ̃ də by |
| Player | Joueur / joueuse | ʒw(ø)ɾ / ʒwøzə |
| Olympic games | Jeux olympiques | ʒøx‿ ɔlɛ̃pikə |
| Ready, steady, go! | À vos marques, prêts, partez ! | a vo maɾkə, pɾɛ. paɾte ! |
(Useful for match - day announcements, ticketing or volunteering at events - Jumeirah Centre ticketing vocabulary sessions can prepare you for these interactions.) Most popular sports in different French - speaking countries Sport popularity varies greatly from one country to another… even if they share the same language! Below is a brief sports tour of the francophone world.
- France
- Soccer
- Rugby
- Tennis
- Cycling
- Belgium
- Soccer
- Cycling
- Tennis
- Running
- Canada (Québec)
- Hockey
- Basketball
- Soccer
- Rugby
- French Guiana
- Soccer
- Rugby
- Cycling
- Basketball
- Republic of Congo
- Soccer
- Basketball
- Handball
- Volleyball
(If you’re organising
French language commentary for expat audiences in the UAE, Jumeirah Centre media French and sports translation services are available.)
Football vs. soccer
This is probably one of the biggest “faux amis” and sports misunderstandings of all time! For Americans, “football” is obviously American football. For almost everybody else, “football”, or “foot”, is… “soccer”. If you ever dropped the ball on that one, no worries.
Après l’effort, le réconfort
As we say in French: “Après l’effort, le réconfort” (literally, after the effort comes comfort). So, if all this sports vocab learning made you hungry, don’t miss our tasty guide to French restaurants - or join a Jumeirah Centre French for hospitality class to learn menus and dining phrases. For structured practice, Berlitz UAE can help - whether you learn at our Dubai branches (Jumeirah or JLT), study on-site in DIFC, or visit our Abu Dhabi branches in Khalidiya and Khalifa.
