Sport and exercise (AQA GCSE Spanish): Revision Notes
Sport and exercise
Essential vocabulary
Understanding sports and exercise vocabulary is crucial for discussing your active lifestyle in Spanish. Here's a comprehensive table of key terms you'll need:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el deporte | sport |
| el ejercicio | exercise |
| el equipo | team, equipment |
| el partido | match |
| el/la jugador/a | player |
| el baloncesto | basketball |
| el fútbol | football |
| la bicicleta | bicycle, bike |
| la piscina | swimming pool |
| la copa | cup, trophy |
| el miembro | member |
| el estadio | stadium |
| estar en forma | to be fit |
| dar un paseo | to go for a walk |
| correr | to run |
| jugar | to play |
| practicar | to practise |
| montar | to ride |
| nadar | to swim |
| la ropa de deporte | sportswear |
| la natación | swimming |
| caminar | to walk |
Learning Tip: Practice these vocabulary words in context by creating sentences about your own sports activities. This will help you remember both the vocabulary and how to use it naturally in conversation.
Grammar focus: irregular first person verbs
When discussing sports and exercise, you'll frequently use irregular verbs in the first person present tense. These verbs change their stem or have completely different forms when conjugated with "yo" (I).
Key irregular verbs for sports
Regular pattern verbs:
- hago (I do/make) - from hacer
- salgo (I go out) - from salir
- veo (I watch/see) - from ver
- voy (I go) - from ir
Radical-changing verbs: These verbs change their vowel in the stem:
- prefiero (I prefer) - from preferir (e→ie)
- puedo (I can) - from poder (o→ue)
- juego (I play) - from jugar (u→ue)
- quiero (I want) - from querer (e→ie)
Critical Grammar Rule: These irregular first person forms are essential for talking about sports activities. Unlike regular verbs, these don't follow the standard "-o" ending pattern and must be memorised individually.
Different verb constructions with activities
Spanish uses specific verb constructions depending on the type of activity you're discussing:
Worked Example: Verb Construction Patterns
With ball sports (use juego + al):
- Juego al baloncesto (I play basketball)
- Juego al vóleibol (I play volleyball)
- Juego al tenis (I play tennis)
With general exercise activities (use hago):
- Hago ejercicio (I do exercise)
- Hago deporte (I do sport)
- Hago natación (I do swimming)
With locations (use voy + a + la/al):
- Voy a la piscina (I go to the swimming pool)
- Voy al gimnasio (I go to the gym)
- Voy al estadio (I go to the stadium)
With equipment/vehicles (use monto + en):
- Monto en bicicleta (I ride a bicycle)
- Monto a caballo (I ride a horse)
Pronunciation Tip: Remember that 'j' in Spanish is pronounced like the 'h' in "house" - so "juego" sounds like "HWAY-go".
Useful flexible phrases
These expressions will help you talk about your sports routine and preferences naturally:
Expressing past and present habits:
- Antes practicaba... pero ahora hago... (Previously I used to practise... but now I do...)
Explaining changes:
- Dejé de ir a... porque... (I stopped going to... because...)
Expressing future intentions:
- En el futuro tengo la intención de... (In the future I intend to...)
These flexible phrases are particularly useful in speaking and writing tasks where you need to discuss changes in your lifestyle or compare different time periods.
Example sentences
Worked Example: Using Sports Vocabulary in Context
Present tense:
- Hago ejercicio todos los días en el gimnasio. (I exercise every day at the gym.)
- Juego al fútbol con mis amigos los sábados. (I play football with my friends on Saturdays.)
- Prefiero nadar porque es muy relajante. (I prefer swimming because it's very relaxing.)
Past tense:
- Antes practicaba natación, pero ahora prefiero correr. (I used to practise swimming, but now I prefer running.)
- Dejé de ir al gimnasio porque me parecía muy aburrido. (I stopped going to the gym because I found it very boring.)
Future tense:
- En el futuro tengo la intención de hacer más deporte. (In the future I intend to do more sport.)
Translation practice
Spanish to English:
- Me gusta correr y este sábado empiezo un nuevo programa de ejercicio.
- Voy al gimnasio tres veces por semana porque quiero estar en forma.
English to Spanish: 3. I play basketball every Tuesday and I go swimming on Fridays. 4. I prefer cycling because it's more interesting than running.
Answers:
- I like running and this Saturday I'm starting a new exercise programme.
- I go to the gym three times a week because I want to be fit.
- Juego al baloncesto todos los martes y voy a nadar los viernes.
- Prefiero montar en bicicleta porque es más interesante que correr.
Key Points to Remember:
- Use juego al + sport name for ball games (juego al fútbol, al tenis)
- Use hago + activity for general exercise (hago natación, hago ejercicio)
- Irregular first person verbs are essential: hago, salgo, veo, voy, prefiero, puedo, juego, quiero
- Voy a la/al + location when talking about going somewhere to exercise
- Flexible phrases help you discuss changes in your sports routine over time