Sports and hobbies in Chinese
The Chinese word for "sports and hobbies" is 运动 (yùn dòng). Below are 41 Chinese words for sports and hobbies, each with pinyin, English and its level in the new HSK 3.0 word list. They cover HSK 1 to HSK 6, in the order a learner meets them.
Sports and Hobbies HSK 2 lesson
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | HSK 3.0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 打篮球 | dǎ lán qiú | to play basketball | – |
| 唱歌 | chàng gē | to sing a song | – |
| 跳舞 | tiào wǔ | to dance | 2 |
| 游泳 | yóu yǒng | swimming | 2 |
| 跑步 | pǎo bù | to run | 2 |
| 踢 | tī | to kick | 2 |
| 运动 | yùn dòng | to exercise; sport | 2 |
| 旅游 | lǚ yóu | trip; to travel | 2 |
| 玩 | wán | to play | 1 |
| 休息 | xiū xi | rest; to rest | 1 |
Nature and Sport HSK 3 lesson
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | HSK 3.0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 风 | fēng | wind | 3 |
| 海 | hǎi | sea, ocean | 3 |
| 黄色 | huáng sè | yellow | 3 |
| 草地 | cǎo dì | lawn, grass, meadow | 3 |
| 开花 | kāi huā | to bloom, to flower | 3 |
| 养 | yǎng | to keep, raise (a pet, plants) | 3 |
| 动物园 | dòng wù yuán | zoo | 3 |
| 大熊猫 | dà xióng māo | giant panda | 3 |
| 球场 | qiú chǎng | pitch, court, playing field | 3 |
| 体育馆 | tǐ yù guǎn | gym, sports hall, indoor stadium | 3 |
| 运动会 | yùn dòng huì | sports meet, sports day | 3 |
Sports & leisure HSK 4 lesson
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | HSK 3.0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 乒乓球 | pīng pāng qiú | table tennis | 4 |
| 羽毛球 | yǔ máo qiú | badminton | 3 |
| 网球 | wǎng qiú | tennis | 3 |
| 赢 | yíng | to win | 4 |
| 输 | shū | to lose | 4 |
| 散步 | sàn bù | to take a walk | 4 |
| 活泼 | huó po | lively / vivacious | 4 |
| 聊天 | liáo tiān | to chat | – |
| 开玩笑 | kāi wán xiào | to joke / to kid | 4 |
| 逛 | guàng | to stroll / browse | 4 |
Competition, Fitness & Timing HSK 5 lesson
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | HSK 3.0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 激烈 | jī liè | intense (competition/fighting) | 5 |
| 浇 | jiāo | to pour liquid (e.g. water flowers) | 5 |
| 角色 | jué sè | role | 5 |
| 精力 | jīng lì | energy | 5 |
| 救 | jiù | to save, to rescue | 5 |
| 决赛 | jué sài | finals (of a competition) | 5 |
| 空间 | kōng jiān | space; room | 5 |
| 空闲 | kòng xián | idle, free time | 6 |
| 立即 | lì jí | immediately (formal, written) | 5 |
| 立刻 | lì kè | immediately (colloquial, spoken) | 5 |
Every word links to its dictionary entry, with audio, example sentences and stroke order. The words are grouped by the GraphChinese lesson that teaches them, so a few in each group belong to the lesson and sit a little outside the topic.
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Frequently asked questions
How do you say "sports and hobbies" in Chinese?
运动 (yùn dòng), meaning "sport; exercise". The most common words in this topic are 打篮球 (dǎ lán qiú, to play basketball), 唱歌 (chàng gē, to sing a song), 跳舞 (tiào wǔ, to dance), 游泳 (yóu yǒng, swimming).
How many Chinese words for sports and hobbies do I need?
This page lists 41, from HSK 1 to HSK 6. The 10 at the top are enough to start; the rest follow level by level.
What do the HSK levels on this page mean?
Each word shows where the new HSK 3.0 word list places it, from level 1 to the 7-9 band. A dash means the word is taught in the course and is not on the HSK 3.0 list. HSK 3.0, complete.
How do I pronounce these words?
The pinyin beside each word gives the sound and the tone. Each word links to its dictionary entry, where you can hear it. If the tone marks are new to you, start with the four tones, explained.
GraphChinese teaches these words in dependency order, with audio, and only moves on when each one is proven. The whole course, HSK 0 through HSK 6, is $49 once for lifetime access.
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