体育

• Pinyin: tǐ yù
• Hanzi breakdown: 体 = 亻(person) + 本 (root/origin) — the body as the root of a person; 育 = 亠 (lid) + 月 (flesh) — to nurture, to raise

Meaning

Physical education; sports. The practice of physical exercise and athletic activities.

Refers to both formal physical education classes (体育课) and sports in general. Commonly appears in compounds: 体育老师 (PE teacher), 体育场 (stadium), 体育馆 (gymnasium), 体育运动 (sports/athletics). Used in both school and general contexts.

Examples

1. 我最喜欢的课是体育课。 My favourite class is PE.
2. 他是我们学校的体育老师。 He is our school's PE teacher.
3. 体育对身体健康很重要。 Physical education is very important for health.

Usage Guide

Context: school, sports, health, daily life

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 今天下午有体育课。(There is PE class this afternoon.)
• 你喜欢什么体育运动？(What sports do you like?)

Don't Say

• 我做了体育 (Don't say 做体育 to mean doing sports — say 做运动 or 上体育课; 体育 is more of an abstract concept or subject name than an activity you do)

Origin & History

体 (tǐ, body) + 育 (yù, to nurture/educate). Together they mean the nurturing or education of the body through physical activity.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal