Translation and Meaning of: スポーツ - supo-tsu

The Japanese word 「スポーツ」 (supo-tsu) is an adaptation of the English term "sports" and refers to competitive physical activities that involve a set of rules or norms. This expression is used broadly, encompassing a variety of popular sports, from more traditional ones like soccer and basketball to other modalities like swimming and athletics. The use of katakana indicates that it is a word of foreign origin, common in a language like Japanese, where many modern words have been incorporated from English.

The etymology of 「スポーツ」 (supo-tsu) can be traced back to normative English, which is the original source of most expressions related to recreational activities in various contemporary languages. In the Japanese context, katakana is widely used for imported words, especially those that describe new or unknown concepts, as is the case with sports. This phenomenon of "katakanaization" illustrates the ability of the Japanese language to adapt and integrate new ideas into its vocabulary.

Use and Popularity of 「スポーツ」

Sports are an important part of Japanese culture, with significant events such as the World Cup and the Olympics attracting huge attention.
In many schools, sports activities are a mandatory part of the curriculum, promoting physical health and teamwork among students.
Traditional sports modalities, such as sumo, also coexist with Western sports, showcasing a rich diversity in sports practice.

In this diversity, the expression 「スポーツ」 (supo-tsu) can also be combined with other terms to form expressions like 「スポーツカー」 (supo-tsu kā), which means "sports car," or 「スポーツマン」 (supo-tsu man), which refers to an "athlete." This demonstrates how the word has adapted and become an essential part of the modern Japanese lexicon, illustrating the intersection between culture and language.

Vocabulary

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Synonyms and similar words

運動 (Undō) - General physical activity
スポーツ競技 (Supōtsu kyōgi) - Competições esportivas
アスレチック (Asurechikku) - Athletics activities or physical exercises
フィジカルアクティビティ (Fijikaruakutibiti) - Atividades físicas
スポーツ選手 (Supōtsu senshu) - Atleta
スポーツマン (Supōtsuman) - Sports practitioner (usually refers to men)
スポーツウェア (Supōtsuwear) - Roupas esportivas
スポーツ用品 (Supōtsuyōhin) - Equipamentos esportivos
スポーツショップ (Supōtushoppu) - Loja de artigos esportivos
スポーツバー (Supōtsubā) - Themed sports bar
スポーツイベント (Supōtsu ibento) - Evento esportivo
スポーツフェスティバル (Supōtsu fesutibaru) - Festival esportivo
スポーツ大会 (Supōtsu taikai) - Torneio esportivo
スポーツクラブ (Supōtsu kurabu) - Clube esportivo
スポーツチーム (Supōtsu chīmu) - Time esportivo
スポーツトレーニング (Supōtsu torēningu) - Treinamento esportivo
スポーツマッサージ (Supōtsu massēji) - Sports massage
スポーツ栄養学 (Supōtsu eiyōgaku) - Sports Nutrition
スポーツ心理学 (Supōtsu shinrigaku) - Sports psychology
スポーツ医学 (Supōtsu igaku) - Medicina esportiva
スポーツジム (Supōtsu jim) - Academia

Related words

スポーツカー

supo-tsuka-

Carro esportivo

ナイター

naita-

Set under lights (eg baseball) (illuminated: NIGHTER); nighttime game

タオル

taoru

(hand towel

スキー

suki-

esquiar

野外

yagai

fields; surroundings; outdoors; suburbs

枚

mai

Counter for flat objects (e.g. sheets of paper)

How to Write in Japanese - (スポーツ) supo-tsu

See below a step-by-step guide on how to write the word by hand in Japanese. (スポーツ) supo-tsu:

Example Sentences - (スポーツ) supo-tsu

See below some example sentences:

陸上競技は私の一番好きなスポーツです。

Rikujō kyōgi wa watashi no ichiban sukina supōtsu desu

Atletismo é meu esporte favorito.

陸上競技 - Atletismo
は - Topic particle
私 - I
の - Possessive particle
一番 - Número um
好き - Like
な - Partícula de adjetivo
スポーツ - Esporte
です - to be (polite form)

レースは私の好きなスポーツです。

Rēsu wa watashi no sukina supōtsu desu

Running is my favorite sport.

The race is my favorite sport.

レース - Corrida
は - Topic particle
私の - Meu
好きな - Favorito
スポーツ - Esporte
です - is

スポーツカーは速くてカッコいいです。

Supōtsukā wa hayakute kakkoi desu

The sports car is fast and cool.

スポーツカー - This is the term in Japanese for "sports car".
は - This is the Japanese character "wa", which is used to indicate the topic of the sentence. In this case, "sports car" is the topic.
速くて - This is an adjective in Japanese that means "fast". The particle "te" is used to connect adjectives in Japanese.
カッコいい - This is an adjective in Japanese that means "cool" or "stylish".
です - This is the verb "to be" in Japanese, which is used to indicate the existence or quality of something.

私はスポーツが苦手です。

Watashi wa supōtsu ga nigate desu

I'm bad in sports.

I'm not good in sports.

私 (watashi) - personal pronoun that means "I"
は (wa) - particle that indicates the topic of the sentence, in this case "I"
スポーツ (supootsu) - Katakana word meaning "sports"
が (ga) - particle that marks the subject of the sentence, in this case "sports"
苦手 (nigate) - adjective that means "not being good at something", "having difficulty with something"
です (desu) - verb "to be" in present tense