World cup commentary vocab

[Tomsima]

This year is the first time I've sat down and comfortably watched sport with chinese commentary. Its turned out to be really fun and easy listening practice, lots and lots of repetition. Its also provided really easy small talk with random people, and has helped me finally field the unending stream of questions relating to the premier league over here.

 

Aside from getting used to the Chinese pronunciation of players names, the most difficult thing that prevented me from watching was the idea that commentary was too quick, and the terminology too technical. Its not, its really clear, repetitive, can be pretty funny at times. As its the World Cup right now, below is a basic vocab list I wrote up for anyone who wants to try it in Chinese this time round. Some words you may already know, and its more just for the sake of using the right word in the correct context:

 

Positions/People

 

門將    keeper

防守    defender

後衛    defender, full back

中衛    centre-half

前衛    midfielder

中鋒    centre-forward

前鋒    attacker

教練    coach

主帥    coach, manager

球員    player

球隊    team

球迷    (football) fans

球星    football star (eg. c羅, 梅西)

人浪    Mexican wave

首發陣營/陣容    starting line up

 

Skills/Types of Play

 

犯規    foul

帽子戲法    hat trick

傳球    pass, through ball

頭球    header

任意球    free kick

鏟球    sliding tackle

點球    penalty

角球    corner

擲界外球    throw in

烏龍球    own goal

撲球    save

穿襠過人    nutmeg (pass ball between opponents legs)

控球    control (of the ball)

丟球    lose the ball

定位球    'place kick' (ie. free kick, corner, penalty), set piece

死球 dead ball, 'out'

發門球    take goal kick

打偏     shoot wide

逼抢 - close down and snatch (the ball)

橫傳    cross pass

打門    to shoot at the goal

射門    to shoot

拿球    get the ball

 

Rules/Strategy

 

戰術    strategy, play

越位    offside

反擊    counterattack

突破    break through (the defense)

假摔    to simulate, dive

配合    (pron pei4he2) cooperation, well-organised

比分    the score

打平    to draw

上半場    first half

下半場    second half

(中場)休息    half time

黃牌    yellow card

紅牌    red card

出綫    pass the qualifying rounds

加時賽    overtime

換人    substitution

點球大戰    penalty shootout

補時...分鐘    xx minutes of added time

進攻    attack

摆大巴 "park the bus", play defensively

倒脚 'keep possession', knocking the ball about in short easy passes to keep control and slow the game down or maybe in front of a packed opposition defence looking for an opening.

人墻    the wall

空档 - space (between players).

 

Pitch related

 

球場 the pitch; stadium

球門  the goal

球門柱  the post

球門橫梁  the bar

底綫    goal line, end line

中綫    halfway line

邊綫    side line

禁區    penalty area

中場    (in the) midfield

 

Match/Tournament related

 

一場    a match (MW)

球賽    match

衛冕    defend the title

衛冕冠軍    defending champions

小組    group (stage)

八分之一決賽    the last sixteen

十六強    the last sixteen

八强    the last eight (quarters)

四强    the last four (semis) (nb 二强 is not in use)

決賽 the final

奪冠    win the title

冷門     unexpected winner

賭球    sports betting

賽程    competition schedule
資格賽    qualifying contest, qualifying rounds
轉會    transfer

 

 

Welcoming any and all additions to this list!

Edited July 15, 2018 at 11:02 AM by Tomsima
edited for updated vocab list

[大肚男]

Goodclist, but I did not see:

 

进攻 attack

黑马 Dark horse (I think in today's Russia win against Spain)

[Tomsima]

further:

 

發門球    take goal kick
打偏     shoot wide
控球    control (of the ball)
突破    break through (the defense)
假摔    to simulate, dive
球星    football star (eg. c羅, 梅西)
補時...分鐘    xx minutes of added time

[abcdefg]

Thanks, I've been watching some of the games too. Your lists will be helpful, since I'm not really a 球迷, just interested in the opportunity the world cup affords to watch the highest level of a fine professional sport. 

 

vocab word = 球迷 = football fan

 

------------------------------- 

Edit: I see now you already had that easy one. 

 

Don't believe I saw 啦啦队, the cheering section. 

[BearXiong]

Nice list!

 

8 hours ago, Tomsima said:

穿球    pass, through ball

This would be more like through ball, right? A regular pass would be 传球.

 

Couple of others from the top of my head:

逼抢 - close down and snatch (the ball)

空档 - space (between players).

 

[Wendy_Ting]

黄油手 butter fingers

人浪     Mexican wave

冷门     unexpected win

伪球迷 plastic fans

[Jim]

要回家来，要回家来，足球回家来

Essential vocabulary for any England supporter

[Tomsima]

30 (…50)年的痛苦?

[Tomsima]

additional vocab pt.3

 

首發陣營    starting line up
賭球    sports betting
底綫    goal line, end line
中綫    halfway line
邊綫    side line
禁區    penalty area
橫傳    cross pass

八分之一決賽    last 16

[Luxi]

I haven't compared the list in this blog that just appeared, but it adds a few useful practice phrases: 

Chinese World Cup Vocabulary

 

 

 

[Tomsima]

additional vocab pt. 4

 

穿襠過人    nutmeg (pass ball between opponents legs)
奪冠    win the title
冷門     unexpected winner
丟球    lose the ball
定求/定位球    free kick (not as common as 任意球)
四强    the last four (semis)
八强    the last eight (quarters)
十六強    the last sixteen
(nb 二强 is not in use)

[Publius]

5 minutes ago, Tomsima said:

定位球    free kick (not as common as 任意球)

定位球 includes 角球 corner kick. Technically, kick-off, goal kick, penalty kick are also 定位球.

 

Another term is 死球 dead ball, that is, when the ball is not in play, either because it has passed the side lines/end lines or the match has been stopped after a foul.

[Jim]

三猫, a jocular reference to the England team as they are assumed to be  like the Chinese national side (国足) i.e. destined to disappoint and thus not really lions.

摆大巴 -- "park the bus" -- play very defensively, usually in the hopes of keeping a stronger team at bay when you don't think you'd beat them in a free-flowing contest, perhaps attempting to hit them on the break at times.

倒脚 - knocking the ball about in short easy passes to keep control and slow the game down or maybe in front of a packed opposition defence looking for an opening.

[Tomsima]

@Publius Added, thanks for the correction. I admit I did not check a dictionary, was just going off commentary and had heard it for free kicks except for once for 'penalty' and assumed he just misspoke 點球

[Jim]

I suppose the closest equivalent is "set plays" for 定位球, includes free-kicks and corners but not throw-ins or penalties IIRC.

 

ETA Oops, missed that Publius said it includes penalties.

[Tomsima]

Good spot nonetheless, edited in 'set piece' as a potential translation  (although I feel like 定位球 might not necessarily include the tactical connotation...)

 

also, loving the massive debate going on at the moment on weibo etc. 'what does its coming home mean!?'

[Tomsima]

Last entry as its the final this evening (unless I pick up any more useful phrases in the commentary tonight...)

 

拿球    get the ball
賽程    competition schedule
資格賽    qualifying contest, qualifying rounds
轉會    transfer

[Jim]

Competition related there's the Golden Ball (ETA better known as the Ballon d'Or) 金球奖 (best player of tournament) and Golden Boot 金靴奖 (top scorer). Missed if best goalie was golden gloves. 

[Tomsima]

34 minutes ago, Jim said:

Missed if best goalie was golden gloves. 

It is, 金手套

[Jim]

Kept seeing the Chinese national team being referred to in comments sections as 白斩鸡, a kind of tender sliced chicken dish; I'm used to the general mockery of the team so thought it was a play on words but it seems to have come from comments a Taiwanese TV pundit made on the unimpressive physique of one of China's strikers resembling the soft flesh of a cooked chicken: http://k.sina.com.cn/article_2306880600_89803458001008nl5.html?cre=tianyi&mod=pcpager_spt&loc=2&r=9&doct=0&rfunc=85&tj=none&tr=9