der Volleyball
volleyball
A team sport in which two teams hit a ball over a high net.
EXAMPLE
Im Sportunterricht spielen wir diese Woche Volleyball.
In PE class, we're playing volleyball this week.
der Volleyball
volleyball
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Meanings
der Volleyball
volleyball
The ball used for the sport of the same name.
EXAMPLE
Der Volleyball hat nicht genug Luft, wir müssen ihn aufpumpen.
The volleyball doesn't have enough air; we need to pump it up.
Usage tips
Context clue
You can tell whether the sport or the ball is meant from the verb. 'Volleyball spielen' (to play volleyball) refers to the sport. Verbs like 'haben' (to have), 'kaufen' (to buy), or 'aufpumpen' (to pump up) refer to the ball.
EXAMPLE
Wir spielen jeden Sommer am Strand Volleyball.
We play volleyball at the beach every summer.
Article pattern
The article is 'der,' just like with 'der Ball' (the ball). This pattern applies to most ball sports and balls in German, for example 'der Fußball' (football/soccer ball), 'der Basketball' (basketball), or 'der Tennisball' (tennis ball).
EXAMPLE
Der Volleyball landete im Netz.
The volleyball landed in the net.
Word composition
'Volleyball' is a loanword from English and is made up of 'Volley' (a hit before the ball touches the ground) and 'Ball' (ball).
EXAMPLE
Volleyball ist ein beliebter Teamsport.
Volleyball is a popular team sport.
Compare with
Volleyball vs Beachvolleyball
beach volleyball
Volleyball generally refers to the team sport played with a ball and a high net. Beachvolleyball is a particular version of it that is played on sand, typically with two people per team. When the sport specifically takes place on sand, Beachvolleyball is the more precise term.
Volleyball
In der Sporthalle spielen die beiden Mannschaften Volleyball.
The two teams are playing volleyball in the gym.
Beachvolleyball
Auf dem Sandplatz spielen zwei Zweierteams Beachvolleyball.
Two teams of two are playing beach volleyball on the sand court.
In real life
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