Are you a football fan learning Chinese?
Whether you’re watching the World Cup, following a Chinese football discussion, or simply want to understand what Chinese fans are saying during a match, learning a few football terms can make watching the game much more fun.
You don’t need to learn complicated Chinese.
Start with the words and phrases you are most likely to hear during a football match, from 进球 (jìn qiú) for “goal” to 越位 (yuè wèi) for “offside” and 绝杀 (jué shā) for a last-minute winner.
This guide introduces useful Chinese football terms and phrases, with Pinyin, Chinese characters, and English meanings.
If you want structured speaking practice, consider booking a free 1-on-1 trial class with a native Chinese teacher.
Chinese Football Phrases When Your Team Loses
Losing is part of football. Sometimes your team loses normally, sometimes they get knocked out, and sometimes an underdog suddenly beats a much stronger team.
Here are three Chinese football expressions that are useful when talking about surprising or disappointing results.
Bào lěng
爆冷
Upset / Surprise win
爆冷 describes a surprising result, especially when a weaker or less-favored team beats a stronger team.
For example, if a team that nobody expected to win suddenly defeats one of the tournament favorites, Chinese football fans may call it a 爆冷.
Example:
Zhè chǎng bǐsài bào lěng le!
这场比赛爆冷了！
This match was a huge upset!
This is a useful term to know when following Chinese football news, social media, or match discussions.
Jué shā
绝杀
Last-minute winner
绝杀 refers to a decisive goal scored at the very end of a match, giving one team the winning result.
Imagine the score is tied and your team scores in the final seconds.
That’s a 绝杀.
Example:
Zuìhòu yī fēnzhōng juéshā!
最后一分钟绝杀！
A last-minute winner!
It’s one of the most exciting expressions you’ll hear in Chinese football conversations.
Dǎ liǎn le
打脸了
Proven wrong
Literally, 打脸 means “to slap someone in the face.” In everyday Chinese, however, 打脸了 means that someone’s prediction or statement has been proven wrong.
For example, someone says:
“Team A will definitely win.”
Then Team A loses.
A Chinese fan might jokingly say:
Dǎ liǎn le!
打脸了！
You were proven wrong!
This expression isn’t limited to football. It’s common in everyday Chinese and online conversations as well.
2.Chinese Football Terms You Need During a Match
If you’re watching football in China, these three terms are especially important because they describe common situations during a game.
Yuè wèi
越位
Offside
越位 means “offside.”
When a player is called offside, you might hear someone say:
Tā yuè wèi le!
他越位了！
He’s offside!
This is one of the most important football terms to recognize when listening to Chinese commentary.
Diǎn qiú
点球
Penalty kick
点球 means “penalty kick.”
When a team is awarded a penalty, fans may react with:
Diǎn qiú! Jìn le!
点球！进了！
Penalty! It’s in!
The word 球 (qiú) means “ball,” and you’ll see it in many Chinese football terms.
Jiā shí sài
加时赛
Extra time
加时赛 means “extra time.”
If a knockout match is still tied after regular time, the game may go into extra time.
You could say:
Yào dǎ jiāshí sài le!
要打加时赛了！
We’re going to extra time!
3.6 Chinese Phrases to Join a Football Conversation
Knowing technical football vocabulary is useful, but if you want to join a conversation with Chinese football fans, you’ll also need some natural reactions.
These six phrases are short, expressive, and easy to use.
Tài kěxī le!
太可惜了！
Too bad!
Use this when a player misses a goal or almost scores.
For example, a player takes a great shot but hits the post.
Tài kěxī le!
太可惜了！
Too bad!
Zhège qiú piàoliang!
这个球漂亮！
Nice play!
Use this when you see a great shot, pass, or piece of play.
Here, 漂亮 (piàoliang) doesn’t simply mean “beautiful.” In this context, it means something like “great” or “excellent.”
Cáipàn yǒu wèntí ba?
裁判有问题吧？
Something’s wrong with the ref, right?
When fans disagree with a referee’s decision, this is one way to complain.
裁判 (cáipàn) means “referee.”
The ending 吧 (ba) makes the statement sound softer and invites agreement.
Hǎo qiú!
好球！
Nice one!
This is probably one of the easiest football phrases to remember.
You can use 好球！ when you see a great shot, pass, save, or other impressive play.
Jìn le!
进了！
It’s in!
Your team scores?
This is the phrase to shout.
进了！ is short, natural, and extremely useful when watching football with Chinese speakers.
Duìfāng qiúduì tài qiáng le!
对方球队太强了！
The other team is too strong!
If your team is losing, this is a humble and safe reaction.
对方 (duìfāng) means “the other side” or “opponent,” while 球队 (qiúduì) means “football team.”
4.World Cup Chinese Vocabulary You Need to Know
If you’re following the World Cup in Chinese, you’ll need to know the names of the different stages of the tournament.
These terms are especially useful when watching Chinese sports news or reading match coverage.
Shìjièbēi
世界杯
World Cup
世界杯 means “World Cup.”
世界 (shìjiè) means “world,” and 杯 (bēi) means “cup.”
This is the key term you’ll see and hear everywhere during the tournament.
Xiǎo zǔ sài
小组赛
Group stage
小组赛 means “group stage.”
During this stage, teams compete within their groups before the tournament moves into the knockout rounds.
Táo tài sài
淘汰赛
Knockout stage
淘汰赛 means “knockout stage.”
Unlike the group stage, the stakes are much higher: lose, and you’re out.
Sì fēn zhī yī juésài
四分之一决赛
Quarter-finals
四分之一决赛 means “quarter-finals.”
This is the stage with the final eight teams.
The winners advance to the semi-finals.
Bàn juésài
半决赛
Semi-finals
半决赛 means “semi-finals.”
At this stage, four teams remain, and the winners move on to the final.
Juésài
决赛
Final
决赛 means “final.”
It’s the last match of the tournament, where the winner takes the trophy.
5.6 Chinese Football Action Words
Finally, let’s look at some of the most useful Chinese football action words.
These verbs describe what players actually do during a match, so they’re especially useful when listening to football commentary.
Kāi qiú
开球
Kick off
开球 means “kick off.”
It can refer to the start of the match or the restart after a goal.
Chuán qiú
传球
Pass
传球 means “to pass the ball.”
For example:
Tā chuán qiú le.
他传球了。
He passed the ball.
Dài qiú
带球
Dribble
带球 means to control and move with the ball.
It’s commonly used when describing a player carrying or dribbling the ball forward.
Shè mén
射门
Shoot
射门 means “to shoot.”
You’ll hear this word frequently when a player attempts to score.
Pū jiù
扑救
Save
扑救 refers to a goalkeeper stopping a shot.
An impressive goalkeeper save can be described using 扑救.
Jìn qiú
进球
Goal
进球 means “goal” or “to score.”
When the ball goes into the net, you can shout:
Jìn le!
进了！
It’s in!
Quick tip: Notice that all these terms end with 球 (qiú – ball). Once you know 球, you can easily guess that these are all ball-related actions!
How to Learn Chinese Through Football
Football is actually a great way to learn practical Chinese because the same words and expressions appear repeatedly.
Instead of memorizing vocabulary from a list, try learning Chinese through real match situations.
For example:
A player shoots.
射门！
Shè mén!
Shoot!
The goalkeeper makes a save.
扑救！
Pū jiù!
Save!
The ball goes into the net.
进了！
Jìn le!
It’s in!
Your team scores in the final seconds.
绝杀！
Jué shā!
Last-minute winner!
This kind of context makes vocabulary easier to remember because you’re connecting the Chinese word with an action or emotion.
Want to Understand Football in Chinese?
You don’t need advanced Chinese to enjoy a football match in Chinese.
Start with a few essential football terms, listen for them during matches, and gradually add more expressions to your vocabulary.
The next time you’re watching the World Cup, or any football match in Chinese, listen for words like 越位, 点球, 进球, 加时赛, 绝杀, and 爆冷.
You’ll start understanding much more than you expect.
Want to learn more real Chinese through everyday topics?
Sign up for a free 1-on-1 Chinese lesson and start learning the Mandarin people actually use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Are these phrases only useful during the World Cup?
A: Not at all! Football is played and discussed year-round in China. These phrases work for any match, any season.
Q2: I’m a beginner. Can I use these phrases?
A: Absolutely. All the phrases are simple and easy to memorize. Even if you only learn a few, you’ll impress your Chinese friends.
Q3: How do I pronounce the tones correctly?
A: Listening to native speakers is the best way. Our videos (and our lessons) include clear pronunciation guidance.
Q4: What if I don’t know much about football?
A: No problem! These phrases are useful even if you’re just watching with friends. Plus, you’ll learn the basics along the way.
