der  Sport

A2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ʃpɔʁt/

🤸 What exactly does "der Sport" mean?

Der Sport (masculine) generally refers to physical activities undertaken for fitness, competition, or simply pleasure. It encompasses a wide variety of disciplines, from team sports to individual exercises.

• Meaning 1: Physical activity according to specific rules, often in competition (e.g., Fußball - football, Leichtathletik - athletics).
• Meaning 2: The entirety of such activities as a social phenomenon or a school subject.
• Meaning 3: (Colloquial, often ironic) A strenuous or tedious activity (e.g., "Das Treppensteigen ist mein täglicher Sport." - "Climbing stairs is my daily sport.").

The word Sport only takes the masculine article der. 🚨 Be careful not to use it with other genders.

📐 Grammar of "der Sport" in Detail

The noun "Sport" is masculine. Here are the declension tables:

* The plural "Sporte" is archaic or technical and rarely used. Usually, the plural form "Sportarten" (types of sport) or a paraphrase is used.

Example Sentences 📝

• Nominative: Der Sport ist gut für die Gesundheit. (Sport is good for health.)
• Genitive: Die Regeln des Sports sind klar definiert. (The rules of the sport are clearly defined.)
• Dative: Er widmet sich voll und ganz dem Sport. (He dedicates himself completely to sport.)
• Accusative: Sie treibt gerne Sport. (She likes doing sports.)
• Plural (typical): Es gibt viele verschiedene Sportarten. (There are many different types of sport.)

💡 How is "Sport" used?

"Sport" is a very common word in German.

• General Fitness & Health: People often talk about "Sport treiben" or "Sport machen" (to do sports) to express physical activity. Example: "Ich sollte mehr Sport machen." (I should do more sports.)
• Competitions & Disciplines: It refers to organized sports competitions and specific disciplines. Example: "Fußball ist ein beliebter Sport in Deutschland." (Football is a popular sport in Germany.)
• School Subject: Sport (often called Schulsport) is a common school subject, like P.E. (Physical Education). Example: "Heute haben wir zwei Stunden Sport." (Today we have two hours of P.E./sport.)
• Figurative Meaning: As mentioned, it can be used ironically for strenuous activities. Example: "Das war ja wieder ein Sport, die Kinder ins Bett zu bringen." (Getting the children to bed was quite a sport again.)

Related verbs: "Sport treiben", "Sport machen".

Distinction: While "Sport" describes the activity or field, "der Sportler" / "die Sportlerin" refers to the person who does sports (athlete).

🧠 Mnemonics for "der Sport"

For the article: Think of traditionally masculine images associated with sports: DER athlete, DER fighter, DER strongman – hence, DER Sport.

For the meaning: Imagine someone getting S(weaty), P(owerful), O(ften), R(unning), T(raining) – that’s SPORT!

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms of Sport

⚠️ Caution: Although Bewegung can be a synonym, not all movement is Sport (e.g., walking to work is Bewegung, but not necessarily Sport).

😄 A Little Joke about Sport

German: Fragt der Trainer seine Mannschaft: "Wer von euch glaubt, er könne ein Spiel allein entscheiden?" Meldet sich der Torwart: "Ich, Trainer!"

English: The coach asks his team: "Which one of you thinks he can decide a game all by himself?" The goalkeeper raises his hand: "Me, coach!"

📜 Poem about Sport

German:
Der Ball fliegt hoch, das Netz es zittert,
Der Schweiß auf Stirnen, leicht verbittert
Nach knappem Punkt, doch Freude siegt,
Wenn Fairness in der Waage liegt.
Ob Lauf, ob Sprung, ob Spiel im Team,
Der Sport erfüllt den Lebenstraum.
Gesundheit, Ehrgeiz, Miteinand',
Vereint im sportlichen Verband.

English:
The ball flies high, the net does quiver,
The sweat on brows, slightly bitter
After a close point, but joy prevails,
When fairness tips the scales.
Be it run, or jump, or team game's gleam,
Der Sport fulfills the lifelong dream.
Health, ambition, side by side,
United where the athletes stride.

❓ Little Riddle

German:
Ich brauch' mal Regeln, mal nur Kraft,
Hab' oft 'nen Ball, schaff' Leidenschaft.
Man treibt mich gern', allein, zu zweit,
Für Fitness oder Wettkampfzeit.
Wer bin ich? (Lösung: Der Sport)

English:
Sometimes I need rules, sometimes just might,
Often have a ball, ignite passion's light.
People like to do me, alone or paired,
For fitness goals or contests prepared.
What am I? (Solution: Der Sport)

ℹ️ More about the Word "Sport"

• Etymology: The word "Sport" was borrowed in the 19th century from English ("sport"), which in turn comes from the Old French "desport" (pleasure, diversion).
• Compound Words: "Sport" is a very productive base word for compounds in German:
  • Sportart: (type of sport) a specific discipline (e.g., Fußball, Tennis)
  • Sportplatz: (sports field/ground) place for sports activities
  • Sportler/Sportlerin: (athlete) person who does sports
  • Sportkleidung: (sportswear) clothing for sports
  • Sportverein: (sports club) organization for people doing sports
  • Wintersport / Sommersport: (winter/summer sports) categorization by season
• Idiom: "Mord ist kein Sport" (literally: "Murder is not a sport") - means that something is a serious matter and not a game.