French from the Beginning: Sports and Physical Activities Vocabulary ⚽🏃♀️🏋️♂️
Sports and physical activities are a big part of daily life in France — from football matches to cycling in the countryside.
If you’re just starting out with French, learning sports vocabulary will help you join conversations, follow events, and talk about your own favorite activities.
This guide covers the most useful French words for sports and physical activities, with English translations and simple example sentences.
🏟️ General Sports Vocabulary
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Le sport – sport
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Un match – match, game
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Un joueur / une joueuse – player
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Une équipe – team
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L’entraîneur – coach
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Le terrain – field, court
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Un stade – stadium
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L’arbitre – referee
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Un spectateur / une spectatrice – spectator
👉 Example: L’équipe joue un match au stade.
(The team is playing a match at the stadium.)
⚽ Popular Sports in French
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Le football (le foot) – soccer / football
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Le basketball (le basket) – basketball
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Le tennis – tennis
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Le rugby – rugby
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Le cyclisme – cycling
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La natation – swimming
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Le ski – skiing
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Le golf – golf
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Le handball – handball
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Le volley-ball (le volley) – volleyball
👉 Example: Je joue au tennis avec mes amis le week-end.
(I play tennis with my friends on the weekend.)
🏋️♀️ Physical Activities Vocabulary
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Courir – to run
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Faire du jogging – to go jogging
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Faire de la marche / marcher – to walk
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Faire du vélo – to ride a bike
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Faire de la randonnée – to go hiking
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Faire du yoga – to do yoga
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Faire de la musculation – to do weight training
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Faire du sport – to exercise / to play sports
👉 Example: Je fais du vélo tous les matins.
(I ride my bike every morning.)
🥋 Other Sports and Activities
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La danse – dance
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Les arts martiaux – martial arts
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La boxe – boxing
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L’équitation – horse riding
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L’escalade – climbing
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Le surf – surfing
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Le patinage – skating (ice or roller)
👉 Example: Ma sœur fait de la danse classique.
(My sister does classical dance.)
💬 Useful Phrases
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Quel est ton sport préféré ? – What is your favorite sport?
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Je fais du sport trois fois par semaine. – I do sports three times a week.
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Il adore regarder le football à la télévision. – He loves watching football on TV.
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Nous faisons de la randonnée en montagne. – We go hiking in the mountains.
🎯 Practice Activity
👉 Write 3–5 short sentences in French using sports vocabulary. For example:
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Je fais du jogging le matin.
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Mon frère joue au basket avec ses amis.
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Nous allons nager à la piscine.
✅ Conclusion
By learning this French vocabulary list for sports and physical activities, beginners will be able to talk about their hobbies, follow sports conversations, and join in group activities.
These French sports words are essential for everyday life and travel.
If you enjoyed this, check out more of our French basics vocabulary lists to build your knowledge step by step.