to train
Loading your saved state.
to train
To do physical exercises regularly in order to improve fitness, build muscle, or prepare for an athletic competition.
Sie trainiert dreimal pro Woche im Fitnessstudio für den Marathon.
She trains three times a week at the gym for the marathon.
'Trainieren' (to train) ends in '-ieren'. Many verbs with this ending come from other languages and are always regular in German. This means that the past participle is formed with '-t' (trainiert) and without 'ge-'.
Er hat gestern zwei Stunden lang trainiert.
He trained for two hours yesterday.
Two important nouns are derived from the verb 'trainieren' (to train): 'das Training' (the activity of practicing/training) and 'der Trainer' / 'die Trainerin' (the person who trains someone).
Ein guter Trainer ist für das Training einer Mannschaft unerlässlich.
A good coach is essential for a team's training.
The exact meaning of 'trainieren' (to train) often depends on the object. Without an object or with a body part as the object, it is about sports. With a skill as the object, it is about practicing. With a person or team as the object, it means 'to instruct' or 'to coach'.
Ich trainiere gerade meine Ausdauer.
I'm currently training my endurance.
When you train for a specific goal or competition, the preposition 'für' is used followed by the accusative. This construction describes the purpose of the training.
Die Athletin trainiert für die Olympischen Spiele.
The athlete is training for the Olympic Games.
to play
'spielen' and 'trainieren' can both have to do with sports. Use 'spielen' when you play a sport, especially games with rules such as soccer, tennis, or basketball. 'trainieren' emphasizes practice and preparation: you want to get better, stronger, or faster. Learners may confuse the words because training often involves playing too. As a practical rule: with 'spielen', the game itself is the focus; with 'trainieren', improvement is the focus.
Er trainiert dreimal pro Woche, weil er beim nächsten Lauf schneller sein möchte.
He trains three times a week because he wants to be faster in the next race.
Nach der Schule spielt Max mit seinen Freunden Fußball.
After school, Max plays soccer with his friends.