How To Say “Basketball” In Different Languages

I don’t really play basketball. But when I do (which is very rare), I think of the song “Get’cha Head in the Game” from High School Musical. I think of the song as 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, even if it’s a long-distance shot.

“Basketball” Around the World

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