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El fútbol (football) is huge in Spain and the country is home to some of the world's biggest and most successful clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid.
The national team does pretty well too!
Some well-known Spanish personalities from other sports include Rafael Nadal (tennis), Fernando Alonso (Formula 1) and Pau Gasol (basketball).
Here are some different sports to get you started:
| el alpinismo | climbing |
| las artes marciales | martial arts |
| el atletismo | athletics |
| el baloncesto | basketball |
| el boxeo | boxing |
| el ciclismo | cycling |
| el críquet | cricket |
| el esquí | skiing |
| la equitación | horse riding |
| el fútbol | football |
| la gimnasia | gymnastics |
| la natación | swimming |
| el patinaje | skating |
| el piragüismo | canoeing |
| el tenis | tennis |
| el voleibol | volleyball |
| la vela | sailing |
| el rugby | rugby |
| los deportes gaélicos | gaelic games |
| el judo | judo |
| el kárate | karate |
| el bádminton | badminton |
| el footing | jogging |
| el balonmano | handball |
| la pesca | fishing |
| el tenis de mesa | table tennis |
| el hockey sobre hielo | ice hockey |
| el buceo | scuba diving |
| el golf | golf |
| el waterpolo | waterpolo |
| el surfing | surfing |
| el windsurfing | windsurfing |
| el alpinismo |
| climbing |
| las artes marciales |
| martial arts |
| el atletismo |
| athletics |
| el baloncesto |
| basketball |
| el boxeo |
| boxing |
| el ciclismo |
| cycling |
| el críquet |
| cricket |
| el esquí |
| skiing |
| la equitación |
| horse riding |
| el fútbol |
| football |
| la gimnasia |
| gymnastics |
| la natación |
| swimming |
| el patinaje |
| skating |
| el piragüismo |
| canoeing |
| el tenis |
| tennis |
| el voleibol |
| volleyball |
| la vela |
| sailing |
| el rugby |
| rugby |
| los deportes gaélicos |
| gaelic games |
| el judo |
| judo |
| el kárate |
| karate |
| el bádminton |
| badminton |
| el footing |
| jogging |
| el balonmano |
| handball |
| la pesca |
| fishing |
| el tenis de mesa |
| table tennis |
| el hockey sobre hielo |
| ice hockey |
| el buceo |
| scuba diving |
| el golf |
| golf |
| el waterpolo |
| waterpolo |
| el surfing |
| surfing |
| el windsurfing |
| windsurfing |
You may also refer to el deporte (sport), el ejercicio (exercise) or la actividad física (physical activity).
The key verbs that are used to talk about sport are jugar (to play a sport), practicar (to practise/do/take part in a sport) and hacer (to do).
It is important to know how to use these in the past, present and future tenses:
| Past | Present | Future |
| jugué al tenis (I played tennis) | juego al tenis (I play tennis) | voy a jugar/jugaré al tenis (I am going to play/I will play tennis) |
| practiqué el atletismo (I did athletics) | practico el atletismo (I do athletics) | voy a practicar/practicaré el atletismo (I am going to do/I will do athletics) |
| hice la natación (I went swimming) | hago la natación (I go swimming) | voy a hacer/haré la natación (I am going to go/I will go swimming) |
| Past | jugué al tenis (I played tennis) |
|---|---|
| Present | juego al tenis (I play tennis) |
| Future | voy a jugar/jugaré al tenis (I am going to play/I will play tennis) |
| Past | practiqué el atletismo (I did athletics) |
|---|---|
| Present | practico el atletismo (I do athletics) |
| Future | voy a practicar/practicaré el atletismo (I am going to do/I will do athletics) |
| Past | hice la natación (I went swimming) |
|---|---|
| Present | hago la natación (I go swimming) |
| Future | voy a hacer/haré la natación (I am going to go/I will go swimming) |
Other useful verbs for talking about sports are:
| andar/caminar | to walk |
| bailar | to dance |
| correr | to run |
| escalar | to climb |
| esquiar | to ski |
| ganar | to win |
| ir al gimnasio | to go to the gym |
| marcar (un gol) | to score (a goal) |
| nadar | to swim |
| participar | to participate |
| patinar | to skate |
| perder | to lose |
| saltar | to jump |
| hacer ejercicio/deporte | to do exercise/sport |
| entrenar | to train |
| pescar | to go fishing |
| navegar | to sail |
| competir | to compete |
| montar a caballo/en bicicleta | to ride a horse/bike |
| empatar | to draw |
| andar/caminar |
| to walk |
| bailar |
| to dance |
| correr |
| to run |
| escalar |
| to climb |
| esquiar |
| to ski |
| ganar |
| to win |
| ir al gimnasio |
| to go to the gym |
| marcar (un gol) |
| to score (a goal) |
| nadar |
| to swim |
| participar |
| to participate |
| patinar |
| to skate |
| perder |
| to lose |
| saltar |
| to jump |
| hacer ejercicio/deporte |
| to do exercise/sport |
| entrenar |
| to train |
| pescar |
| to go fishing |
| navegar |
| to sail |
| competir |
| to compete |
| montar a caballo/en bicicleta |
| to ride a horse/bike |
| empatar |
| to draw |
You may also want to say how often you take part in certain sports:
| a menudo | often |
| a veces | sometimes |
| diariamente | daily |
| nunca | never |
| siempre | always |
| regularmente | regularly |
| de vez en cuando | from time to time/once in a while |
| todos los días/cada día | every day |
| raramente | rarely |
| dos veces a la semana | twice a week |
| cada semana | every week |
| por la mañana/tarde/noche | in the morning/afternoon/evening |
| cada mañana/tarde/noche | every morning/afternoon/evening |
| después del colegio | after school |
| antes del colegio | before school |
| a menudo |
| often |
| a veces |
| sometimes |
| diariamente |
| daily |
| nunca |
| never |
| siempre |
| always |
| regularmente |
| regularly |
| de vez en cuando |
| from time to time/once in a while |
| todos los días/cada día |
| every day |
| raramente |
| rarely |
| dos veces a la semana |
| twice a week |
| cada semana |
| every week |
| por la mañana/tarde/noche |
| in the morning/afternoon/evening |
| cada mañana/tarde/noche |
| every morning/afternoon/evening |
| después del colegio |
| after school |
| antes del colegio |
| before school |
These young people are posting on social media about how much sport they do.
PacoJuego al tenis regularmente con mis amigos en las canchas que hay cerca del colegio. Es mi deporte favorito porque puedes trabajar todo el cuerpo. Sin embargo, odio el boxeo porque es un deporte muy violento. También voy a la pista de hielo cada día y allí me gusta practicar el patinaje.
LanaDespués de mis exámenes, me gustaría aprender a practicar las artes marciales, como el judo o el karate, porque me fascinan y creo que son una forma excelente de mantenerte en forma. Para mí es muy importante hacer deporte, así que me gusta salir a hacer footing diariamente por el parque y a montar en bici, por la montaña, cada fin de semana.
JordiTengo que admitir que no hago mucho deporte. Solamente practico el atletismo una vez a la semana en el colegio durante las clases de educación física. También voy al polideportivo para nadar de vez en cuando, pero no soy un buen nadador.
Question
Read the social media posts and note two sports that each person does, where and how often they do them. Write your answers in English.
Paco
| Sport | Where | How often |
| tennis | tennis courts (near school) | regularly |
| ice skating | ice rink | every day |
| Sport | tennis |
|---|---|
| Where | tennis courts (near school) |
| How often | regularly |
| Sport | ice skating |
|---|---|
| Where | ice rink |
| How often | every day |
Be careful as Paco mentions el boxeo (boxing), but does not say that he boxes, in fact, he says that he hates it!
Lana
| Sport | Where | How often |
| jogging | park | daily |
| cycling | mountain | every weekend |
| Sport | jogging |
|---|---|
| Where | park |
| How often | daily |
| Sport | cycling |
|---|---|
| Where | mountain |
| How often | every weekend |
Lana says that she wants to take up martial arts after her exams. She does not say that she does this sport.
Jordi
| Sport | Where | How often |
| athletics | school | once a week |
| swimming | sports centre | from time to time |
| Sport | athletics |
|---|---|
| Where | school |
| How often | once a week |
| Sport | swimming |
|---|---|
| Where | sports centre |
| How often | from time to time |
Jordi says no hago mucho deporte (I don't do much sport) but make sure that you look for the correct answers in what else he says.
