Why Talk About Sports in Arabic?
Sports are a universal language that talking about it helps you connect with anyone around the world. But do you know how to talk about them in Arabic?
Learning sport words and phrases in Arabic can enrich your vocabulary and make you feel more confident expressing your opinion and connecting with Arab speakers by using the language in real-life conversations.
For example, in Arab culture, like many others, Kuratu alqadm (Football) is very popular; it’s a passion shared by millions, regardless of their age and cultural background.
If you visit Arab countries in the Levant or North Africa, you’ll often see children and young adults playing football in the street.
Many others like to enjoy other forms of sports in their holidays, like swimming, tennis, volleyball, cycling etc.
Learning how to speak about sports in Arabic will be a perfect start to learn Arabic as a beginner. It also makes for a great small talk topic to start conversations in Arabic.
So, in this blog, we’ll teach you everything you need to know, from basic words and simple expressions so you can start talking about this loved and common topic in Arabic.
Are you ready?
Let’s get started!
Essential Arabic Vocabulary for Sports Fans
Learning a new language becomes easier when you connect it with your favorite activities. If you like sports and enjoy watching matches and games, learning sports-related vocabulary can make learning Arabic easier and more enjoyable.
Let’s take a look at some essential Arabic sports vocabulary every sports lover should know:
رِياضَة
Sport
Riyāḍah
I like the sport of horse riding
Anā uḥibbu riyāḍata al-furūsiyyah
أنا أُحبُّ رِياضَةَ الفُروسيَّةِ.
مُباراة
Match
Mubārāh
A tennis match
mubārātu at-tenīs
مُباراةُ التِّنِسِ
I watched a great football match today
shāhadtu mubārāta kurati al-qadami ra’i‘ah al-yawm
شَاهَدتُ مُباراةَ كُرَةِ القَدَمِ رَائِعَةً اليَومَ.
When two teams compete against each other, that’s what we call Mubārāh in Arabic.
فَرِيق
Team
Farīq
Football team
farīqu kurati al-qadam
فَرِيقُ كُرَةِ القَدَمِ.
Al-Hilal team
farīqu Al-Hilal
فَرِيقُ الهِلالِ.
A Farīq refers to a group of players who play together in a sport or game. Some famous Arabic teams include Al-Ahly الأهلي, a famous Egyptian team and Al-Hilal الهِلال, a Saudi team.
لاعِب
Player
Lāʻib
He is a good player
Hū lāʻibun jayyidun
إنَّهُ لَاعِبٌ جيِّدٌ.
You can use the word Lāʻib to describe anyone who plays a sport or a game, like when talking about your favorite player in a team.
نَتيجَة
Score
Natyjah
The final score was 3-2
Kānat an-natyjatu alnihāʼīyatu 3-2
كَانَتِ النَّتيجَةُ النِّهائِيَّةُ ٣-٢.
To express the number of points or goals of a game, the word Natyjah is the keyword we use to talk about the final result.
By learning these words, you can follow the matches of your favorite Arabic team, and share your opinions with your friends with confidence and pleasure.
Arabic Phrases to Talk About Sport
First things first, if you want to confidently discuss sports in Arabic, knowing how to build full sentences about sports from basic words and structures is what matters the most.
Here are some useful sentence starters to help you express your favorite sport like a native speaker:
I love .. [Sport]
Uḥbbu
أُحِبُّ …
I love swimming
Uḥbbu as-sibāḥah
أُحِبُّ السِّباحَةَ.
My favorite sport is … [Sport]
Riyādatī al-mufaḍḍalatu hiya
رِياضَتِي المُفَضَّلَةُ هِيَ …
My favorite sport is football
Riyādatī al-mufaḍḍalatu hiya kuratu al-qadam
رِيَاضَتِي المُفَضَّلَةُ هِيَ كُرَةُ القَدَمِ.
I [Sport] every week
Riyādatī al-mufaḍḍalatu hiya
أُمَارِسُ .. كُلَّ أُسبوعٍ
I swim every week
Umārisu al-sibāḥatā kulla usbūʿ
أُمَارِسُ السِّبَاحَةَ كُلَّ أُسبُوعٍ.
I follow [sport/team] matches
Utābiʻu mubārayāt
أُتَابِعُ مُبَارَيَاتٍ …
I follow Brazil matches
Utābiʻu mubārayāti al-Barāzīl
أُتَابِعُ مُبَارَيَاتِ البَرازيل.
your favorite team
Farīquka al-mufaḍḍal
فَرِيقُكَ المُفَضَّلُ
Who’s your favorite team?
Man howa Farīquka al-mufaḍḍal?
مَن هُوَ فَرِيقُكَ المُفَضَّلُ؟
Let’s see together an example of how a conversation might go:
What’s your favorite sport?
Mā hiya ryāḍatuka almufaḍalah?
مَا هِيَ رِيَاضَتُكَ المُفَضَّلَةُ؟
My favorite sport is basketball. I play it with my friends every Saturday.
Riyāḍatī al-mufaḍḍalatu hiya kuratu al-sallah. Umārisuhā maʻa aṣdiqāʼī kulla yawmi sabt
رِيَاضَتِي المُفَضَّلَةُ هِيَ كُرَةُ السَّلَّةِ. أُمَارِسُهَا مَعَ أَصدِقَائِي كُلَّ يَومِ سَبتٍ.
With these simple sentences, you’ll join conversations more freely, making discussions about sports in Arabic much easier.
But how do we express how we think or feel of a sport?
Expressing Opinions About Sports in Arabic
Sharing your opinions makes your Arabic sound more natural and personal.
Just like we mentioned above, here are a few ways to express your thoughts about sports in Arabic:
I think
Aʿtaqid
أَعتَقِدُ
I think swimming is fun
Aʿtaqidu anna al-sibāḥatā mumtiʿah
أَعتَقِدُ أَنَّ السِّبَاحَةَ مُمتِعَةٌ.
I love
uḥbbu
أُحِبُّ
I love football because it’s a team sport
Uḥibbu kuratā al-qadami li’annahā riāḍtun jamāʿiyyah
أُحِبُّ كُرَةَ القَدَمِ لِأَنَّهَا رِيَاضَةٌ جَمَاعِيَّةٌ.
I don’t love
Lā uḥibbu
لَا أُحِبُّ
I don’t love running because it’s tiring
Lā uḥibbu al-jarya li’annahū mutʿib
لا أُحِبُّ الجَريَ لِأَنَّهُ مُتعِبٌ.
In my opinion,
Fī raʼyī
فِي رَأيِي
In my opinion, cycling is fun and healthy
Fī raʼyī, rukwbu aldarrājati mumtiʻun wa mufīd
فِي رَأيِي، رُكُوبُ الدَّرَّاجَةِ مُمتِعٌ وَمُفِيدٌ.
Remember: there’s no right or wrong when sharing your opinion. Just focus on how you feel, and let Arabic handle the rest!
Talk the Talk: Practice What You’ve Learned
Training and constant practice of the language are the essence of learning and the basis of information stability. Without practice, it’s difficult to remember what you’ve learned or to improve your language skills.
Yet, the effective way in learning Arabic for beginners begins with creating simple sentences and using them in conversations rather than just memorizing words. And, if you’re aiming to become fluent in Arabic, you must practice it daily.
To start your Arabic conversation practice in the right way, let’s see some useful prompts to guide you:
1. What’s your favorite sport?
Start with:
My favorite sport is [skiing]. It’s the best in the world!
Riyādatī al-mufaḍḍalatu hiya al-tazalluj. Innahā al-afḍalu fī al-ʿālam!
رِياضَتِي المُفَضَّلَةُ هِيَ التَّزَلُّجُ. إِنَّهَا الأَفضَلُ فِي العَالَمِ!
2. Say when and where you practice it
For example:
I play golf every weekend at the park
Alʿabu al-gūlfā kulla usbwʿin fī al-ḥadīqah
أَلعَبُ الجُولفَ كُلَّ أُسبُوعٍ فِي الحَدِيقَةِ.
3. Who’s your favorite player or team?
Such as:
I’m a fan of Barcelona and I love Messi
Anā mushajjiʿun li-Bārshilūnah wa uḥibbu Mīssī
أَنَا مُشَجِّعٌ لِبَرشَلُونَة وَأُحِبُّ مِيسِي.
4. Share why you love this sport
You could say:
I love basketball because it’s fast and exciting
Uḥibbu kurata al-sallati li’annahā riāḍahtun sarīʿatun wa muḥmmisah
أُحِبُّ كُرَةَ السَّلَّةِ لِأَنَّهَا رِيَاضَةٌ سَرِيعَةٌ وَمُحَمِّسَةٌ.
Start with short answers, and soon enough you’ll be surprised at how far you’ve come. Don’t focus on being perfect; the goal is to have fun and enjoy each step of your learning journey.
Cultural Highlights: Dialects and Local Vibes
One of the first steps to understanding a culture and its people is learning its language. It may be challenging for a speaker of one dialect to understand other dialects! That’s because Arabic, like many other languages, is rich and varied.
The way Arab speakers name sports in Arabic differs from one country to another. Do you remember how to say football in Arabic?
For example, in al-fusha, Modern Standard Arabic, it’s kurat al-qadam, while in Egyptian Arabic, they use “kōrah“ (كُورَة).
Football
kōrah
كُورَة
Another example, in Levantine Arabic, you would use مِينْ فَريقَكْ المُفَضَّل؟ (mīn Faryqk almufḍl?), to ask someone about their favorite sport, which is very similar to the fusha version: مَن هوَ فَريقَكْ المُفَضَّل؟ (Man hū faryqka almufḍḍal?).
Who’s your favorite team?
Mīn faryquka almufaḍal?
مِين فَريقَكْ المُفَضَّل؟
Also, in Moroccon Arabic, they call the stadium مَيْدان (Maydān) instead of مَلعَب (Malaab).
Stadium
Maydān
مَيْدان
Be sure that knowing these cultural differences can enhance the conversation and avoid misunderstandings.
Here’s also some of the most famous Arabic teams from different regions:
- Al-Ahly (الأهلي) Egypt’s oldest and most loved football club and one of the most successful in Africa.
- Al-Nasr (النَّصر) One of the top teams in Saudi Arabia with a large fan base and an excellent record.
- Al Sadd (السَّدّ) Qatar’s legendary club, known for its historic victories and loyal fans.
In order to engage with conversation naturally, you have to be aware of whether the conversation requires Modern Standard Arabic or a specific dialect.
Final word
Congratulations! For Sports lovers, you have learned different Arabic words and phrases to help you talk about sports.
We hope you enjoyed learning Arabic vocabulary, phrases, and examples about sports. Use them in real life to talk about your favorite sport or to have conversations about popular games and players with Arabic speakers.
Are you ready to take the next step in learning Arabic?
Start a comprehensive journey in Arabic learning with AlifBee. Download our app today and learn vocabulary for key life aspects.
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single word. Let the word be in Arabic!
See you!
