How To Say “Basketball” In Different Languages

Blog
20 May 2024
By Sarah Angela Almaden
Japanese House
FB Basketball Lomas Tampico: Angel Saldierna

I don’t really play basketball. But when I do (which is like very rare), I think of the song “Get’cha Head in the Game” from High School Musical (HSM 1 not 2 or 3). I think of the song as if it’s my motivational anthem to keep my head in this balling sports game even if I don’t make a shot. Then I try to fake right and break left because that’s what the song says. It’s a really good tip, you know. So when you gotta play B-ball, remember to keep your head in the game. And don’t be afraid to shoot the outside J. That means to really go for it, shoot your shot, even if it’s a long-distance shot as in a jump shot.

  • English: basketball (bas-ket-bal)
  • Dutch: het basketbal (het bah-sket-bal)
  • German: der Basketball (der bah-sket-bal)
  • French: le basket (luh bah-sket), le basket-ball (luh bah-sket)
  • Italian: il basket (eel bah-sket)
  • Spanish: el baloncesto (el bah-lon-seh-stoh), el basquetbol (el bah-sket-bol)
  • Filipino: basketbol (bah-sket-bol)
  • Indonesian: basket (bah-sket)
  • Japanese: バスケットボール, basukettobōru, (bah-soo-keh-toh-boh-roo)
  • Swahili: mpira wa vikapu (m-pee-rah wah vee-kah-poo)
  • Esperanto: korbopilko (kor-bo-peel-ko)
  • Korean: 농구 (nohng-goo)
  • Mandarin Chinese: 篮球, lánqiú (lan-chyo)
  • Turkish: basketbol (bah-sket-bol)
  • European Portuguese: o basquetebol (oo bash-keh-teh-bol)
  • Finnish: koripallo (koh-ree-pahl-loh)
  • Swedish: basket (bah-sket)
  • Norwegian: basketball (bah-sket-bahl)
  • Polish: koszykówka (ko-shee-koov-kah)
  • Ukrainian: баскетбол (bas-ket-BOL)
  • Vietnamese: bóng rổ (bahng roh)
  • Russian: баскетбол (bas-ket-BOL)
  • Brazilian Portuguese: o basquete (oo bah-SKEH-chee)