足球

• Pinyin: zú qiú
• Hanzi breakdown: 足 = pictograph of a foot; 球 = 王 (jade radical) + 求 (to seek), originally referring to a jade ball, now meaning any ball

Meaning

Football; soccer. The sport played by kicking a ball into a goal.

Refers to association football (soccer), the most popular sport worldwide. In China, 足球 always means soccer, not American football. Despite China's national team having limited international success, football is hugely popular among fans. The word can refer to both the sport itself and the ball used to play it.

Examples

1. 他从小就喜欢踢足球。 He has liked playing football since he was little.
2. 今天晚上有一场精彩的足球比赛。 There is an exciting football match tonight.
3. 我们学校的足球队每周训练三次。 Our school's football team trains three times a week.

Usage Guide

Context: sports, everyday, hobbies

Tone: casual

Do Say

• 你喜欢看足球比赛吗？(Do you like watching football matches?)
• 周末我们一起去踢足球吧。(Let's go play football together this weekend.)

Don't Say

• 我们用手打足球。(Don't use 打 with 足球 — the correct verb is 踢 (kick); 打 is used with 篮球, 乒乓球, etc.)

Origin & History

足 (foot) + 球 (ball). Literally 'foot ball,' a direct description of the sport played primarily with the feet.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal