play a sport

Meaning

'Play a sport' means to participate in a competitive athletic game or activity, typically one that involves a ball, a team, or specific rules (like soccer, tennis, or basketball). It is a fundamental, neutral collocation in English.

Examples

• Did you play a sport when you were in high school?

  Did you play a sport when you were in high school?

• I don't play a sport regularly, but I enjoy going for runs on the weekend.

  I don't play a sport regularly, but I enjoy going for runs on the weekend.

• It is important for children to play a sport to stay active and make friends.

  It is important for children to play a sport to stay active and make friends.

• My brother wants to play a sport, so he is signing up for the local baseball league.

  My brother wants to play a sport, so he is signing up for the local baseball league.

• She loves to play a sport, especially soccer and volleyball.

  She loves to play a sport, especially soccer and volleyball.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I make a sport every Saturday.

  ✓ I play a sport every Saturday.

  In English, we do not use 'make' with sports. We 'play' sports (for team games/ball games) or 'do' sports (for general physical activities like gymnastics).

• ✗ He practices a sport like basketball.

  ✓ He plays a sport like basketball.

  While you can 'practice' to improve your skills, the general activity of participating in a sport is expressed as 'play a sport'.

Related Expressions

Practice

• Do you ___? Yes, I play basketball on weekends.

  💡 Participate in an athletic game

  Show answer

  play a sport

• It's healthy for kids to ___ rather than just playing video games.

  💡 Engage in physical games like soccer or tennis

  Show answer

  play a sport