This article is about Arabic sports vocabulary, it’s like a small Arabic dictionary for sport. Easy words, useful words with examples in Arabic sentences. If you want understand Arabic sport vocabulary better, if you want to memorize the most important sport terms in Arabic, if you want talk with Arabic friends about sports in Arabic… this is a good place to start. Let’s go!
How to Say “Sport” in Arabic?
The general term for “sport” in Arabic is رياضة (riyadah). Say it with me: ree-ya-dah. This word covers all kinds of sports, from football to swimming to even chess!
أحب ممارسة الرياضة
uhibbu mumārasat ar-riyadah
I love to practice sports.
You can also use the word رياضي (riyāḍī), which means “sporty” or “athletic,” to describe something related to sports.
* From Kalimah’s online Arabic courses curriculum.
General Sport Terms in Arabic
Before we jump into specific sports, let’s learn some general sport terms in Arabic, such as game, team, player, match, win, loss:
1. Game in Arabic: لعبة (Lu’bah)
If you want to talk about a specific game or match in Arabic, you would use the word لعبة (lu’bah). This can be used for any kind of game, including board games, video games, and sports matches.
هل تريد لعب لعبة؟
hal tureed la`b lu’bah?
Do you want to play a game?
2. Team in Arabic: فريق (Fariq)
In Arabic, “team” is فريق (fariq). Fariq is used for any kind of team, whether it’s a sports team, a work team, or even a group of friends.
أنا أشجع فريق برشلونة
‘ana ‘ushajji` fariq barṣalūna
I support the Barcelona team.
3. Player in Arabic: لاعب (Laa’ib)
The word for “player” in Arabic is لاعب (laa’ib). You can use this word for any sport – a football player, a basketball player, a tennis player, and so on.
محمد صلاح لاعب كرة قدم مشهور
muḥammad ṣalāḥ laa`ib kurat qadam mashūr
Mohamed Salah is a famous football player.
4. Match in Arabic: مباراة (Mubaaraah)
The word for “match” in Arabic مباراة (mubaaraah). This word is used for any kind of competitive game or match.
شاهدت مباراة كرة قدم مثيرة أمس
shāhadt mubārayat kurat qadam muthīrah ‘ams
I watched an exciting football match yesterday.
5. Win in Arabic: فوز (Fawz)
The word for “win” in Arabic is فوز (fawz).
أتمنى الفوز لفريقي المفضل
‘atamannā al-fawz lifarīqī al-mufaḍḍal
I wish a win for my favorite team.
6. Loss in Arabic: خسارة (Khasarah)
The word for “loss” in Arabic is خسارة (khasarah).
الخسارة جزء من اللعبة
al-khasāra juz’ min al-lu’bah
Losing is part of the game.
7. Goal in Arabic: هدف (Hadaf)
In Arabic, “goal” is هدف (hadaf). This can refer to a goal in any sport, not just football.
سجل اللاعب هدفًا رائعًا
sajjala al-laaib hadafan raian
The player scored a fantastic goal
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Common Sports in Arabic
And now, let’s look at some specific sports, such as football, basketball, swimming, handball, and others.
1. Football (Soccer) in Arabic: كرة القدم (Kurat Al-Qadam)
Football is incredibly popular in the Arab world. It’s officially called كرة القدم (kurat al-qadam), which literally means “ball of the foot.” But you’ll often hear people simply say ” كورة (kura)” which means “ball” when talking about football.
كرة القدم هي الرياضة الأكثر شعبية في العالم العربي
kurat al-qadam hiya ar-riyadah al-‘akthar shabiyya fu ak-alam al-`arabi
Football is the most popular sport in the Arab world.
2. Basketball in Arabic: كرة السلة (Kurat As-Salah)
Basketball is known as كرة السلة (kurat as-salah) in Arabic, which translates to “ball of the basket.”
لعبت كرة السلة مع أصدقائي أمس
laibat kurat as-salah maa ‘asdiqaa’i ‘ams
I played basketball with my friends yesterday.
3. Swimming in Arabic: سباحة (Sebahah)
Swimming is called سباحة (sebahah) in Arabic.
أحب السباحة في البحر
uhibbu as-sibahah fi al-bahr
I love swimming in the sea.
* From Kalimah’s online Arabic courses curriculum.
4. Horse Riding in Arabic: ركوب الخيل (Rukoob Al-Khayl)
Horse riding has a long and prestigious history in the Arab world. It’s called ركوب الخيل (rukoob al-khayl), which literally means “riding the horse.”
ركوب الخيل هواية ممتعة
rukoob al-khayl hiwaya mumti`a
Horse riding is an enjoyable hobby.
5. Volleyball in Arabic: الكرة الطائرة (Al-Kurat At-Ta’irah)
Volleyball is called الكرة الطائرة (al-kurat at-ta’irah), which literally translates to “the flying ball.”
الكرة الطائرة رياضة جماعية ممتعة
al-kurat at-ta’irah riyadah jamaiyya mumtia.
Volleyball is a fun team sport.
6. Tennis in Arabic: تنس (Tennis)
Tennis name in Arabic is quite straightforward: تنس (tennis). Just like in English!
أحب مشاهدة مباريات التنس في ويمبلدون
‘uhibbu mushāhadat mubārayāt at-tennis fī wimbildūn.
I love watching tennis matches at Wimbledon.
7. Handball in Arabic: كرة اليد (Kurat Al-Yad)
Handball in Arabic is called كرة اليد (kurat al-yad), meaning “ball of the hand.”
كرة اليد رياضة سريعة ومثيرة
kurat al-yad riyadah sari`a wa muthirah.
Handball is a fast and exciting sport.
8. Table Tennis in Arabic: تنس الطاولة (Tennis At-Taawilah)
Table tennis is called تنس الطاولة (tennis at-taawilah) in Arabic, which translates to “tennis of the table.”
لعبت تنس الطاولة مع أخي أمس
laibt tennis at-ṭāwilah maa ‘akhī ‘ams.
I played table tennis with my brother yesterday.
9. Cycling in Arabic: ركوب الدراجات (Rukoob Ad-Darrajaat)
Cycling is called ركوب الدراجات (rukoob ad-darrajaat) in Arabic, meaning “riding bicycles.”
ركوب الدراجات رياضة مفيدة للصحة
rukoob ad-darrajāt riyadah mufīdah lil-ṣiḥḥa.
Cycling is a healthy sport.
10. Running in Arabic: الجري (Al-Jari)
Running is called الجري (al-jari) in Arabic.
أجري كل صباح
Ajri kull ṣabāḥ
I run every morning.
Arabic Sports Vocabulary Chart
To help you keep track of all the exciting sports vocabulary we’ve covered, here’s a handy chart for your reference:
| English Translation | Arabic Word | Transliteration |
| Sport | رياضة | Riyadah |
| Game | لعبة | Lu’bah |
| Team | فريق | Fariq |
| Player | لاعب | Laa’ib |
| Match | مباراة | Mubaaraah |
| Win | فوز | Fawz |
| Loss | خسارة | Khasarah |
| Goal | هدف | Hadaf |
| Football (Soccer) | كرة القدم | Kurat Al-Qadam |
| Basketball | كرة السلة | Kurat As-Salah |
| Swimming | سباحة | Sebahah |
| Horse Riding | ركوب الخيل | Rukoob Al-Khayl |
| Falconry | الصقارة | As-Siqarah |
| Volleyball | الكرة الطائرة | Al-Kurat At-Ta’irah |
| Tennis | تنس | Tennis |
| Handball | كرة اليد | Kurat Al-Yad |
| Table Tennis | تنس الطاولة | Tennis At-Taawilah |
| Cycling | ركوب الدراجات | Rukoob Ad-Darrajaat |
| Running | الجري | Al-Jari |
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Conclusion
Mastering Arabic sports vocabulary is a fantastic way to connect with the culture and join conversations on one of the most popular topics in the Arab world. Whether you’re cheering for a local football team or describing your own fitness routine, having these essential terms—from fariq (team) to hadaf (goal)—bridges the gap between simple language learning and real-life social interaction.
Practice these words by incorporating them into your daily routine or using them the next time you watch a match with friends. While learning these terms is a great starting point, the journey to fluency is even more rewarding when you expand into grammar and everyday conversation.
