Common Usage & Traps
- 足球 — soccer; football
- 篮球 — basketball
- 打球 — to play ball
- 看球 — to watch a ball game
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玩足球踢足球For soccer, Chinese uses 踢 (kick), not 玩 (play).
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打足球踢足球Soccer is played with feet, so the verb is 踢 (kick), not 打 (hit).
球
Origin & Mnemonic:
A fine jade or resonant jade stone. A ball, sphere, or round object; ball games. Jade (王/𤣩) beside seeking (求): a round treasure you hunt for.
Why do Chinese say 踢足球 but 打篮球?
The verb depends on how you play the ball: 踢 (kick) for soccer, 打 (hit) for basketball.
In Chinese, different sports take different verbs based on the main action. 踢 means 'to kick', so it pairs with 足球 (soccer). 打 means 'to hit/strike', so it pairs with 篮球 (basketball). Using the wrong verb sounds unnatural.
| Sport | Natural Verb | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| 足球 (soccer) | 踢足球 | 打足球 |
| 篮球 (basketball) | 打篮球 | 踢篮球 |
What is the difference between 球 and 求?
球 means 'ball', while 求 means 'to seek' — they look similar but have different radicals.
球 has the jade radical (王) on the left, indicating a physical object (a ball). 求 has no radical and means 'to seek' or 'to request'. They are pronounced the same (qiú) but are unrelated in meaning.
| Character | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 球 | ball | 足球 (soccer) |
| 求 | to seek | 要求 (to request) |
Appears in Stories 1 story
In this dialogue, two people chat while waiting outside a cinema. You'll hear common phrases for talking about hobbies, sports, and movie preferences.
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Ａ：你喜欢踢 足球 和打 篮球 吗？
Questions & Discussion 0 questions
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