01
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
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
01 / 02
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 Handball
handball
'Handball' and 'Volleyball' are both team sports with a ball, and both words can also refer to the ball itself. That is why they are easy to confuse. The most important difference is in the game: in handball, the players throw the ball into a goal. In volleyball, the players hit the ball over a high net. So if you are talking about goals, throws, and an indoor court, 'Handball' usually fits. If it is about a net, bumping, or spiking, 'Volleyball' fits.
Volleyball
Im Sportunterricht schlugen die Schüler den Volleyball über das Netz.
In PE class, the students hit the volleyball over the net.
Handball
Beim Handball warf Max in der letzten Minute das entscheidende Tor.
In the handball game, Max scored the decisive goal in the last minute.
In real life
Loading video examples...