How to say ping pong in other languages
In Spanish it is tenis de mesa (or ping-pong); in French, tennis de table; in German, Tischtennis. In Chinese it is 乒乓球 (pīngpāngqiú), from the "ping pong" sound itself, and in Japanese it is 卓球 (takkyū), "table ball". Almost every language uses one of these three kinds of names.
In this article
Table tennis is played all over the world, and every language has found its own way to name it. If you travel, watch international matches or are just curious, you will notice that almost all the names follow three ideas: "table tennis", "table ball" or the sound "ping pong".
Below is how to say ping pong in more than 15 languages, with a rough pronunciation and what each name means.
Quick reference table
| Language | Name of the sport | Rough pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spanish | tenis de mesa / ping-pong | "TEH-nees deh MEH-sah" | table tennis |
| French | tennis de table / ping-pong | "teh-NEES duh TAH-bluh" | table tennis |
| Italian | tennistavolo / ping pong | "ten-nees-TAH-vo-lo" | table tennis |
| German | Tischtennis | "TISH-ten-is" | table tennis |
| Dutch | tafeltennis | "TAH-ful-ten-is" | table tennis |
| Swedish | bordtennis | "BOORD-ten-is" | table tennis |
| Polish | tenis stołowy | "TEH-nees stoh-WOH-vih" | table tennis |
| Turkish | masa tenisi | "mah-SAH teh-nee-see" | table tennis |
| Russian | настольный теннис | "nah-STOL-nee TEH-nis" | table tennis |
| Portuguese | tênis de mesa / pingue-pongue | "TEH-nees jee MEH-zah" (Brazil) | table tennis |
| Chinese | 乒乓球 (pīngpāngqiú) | "ping-pahng-chyo" | ping-pong ball |
| Japanese | 卓球 (takkyū) | "TAHK-kyoo" | table ball |
| Korean | 탁구 (takgu) | "TAHK-goo" | table ball |
| Vietnamese | bóng bàn | "bong bahn" | ball table |
| Arabic | كرة الطاولة (kurat al-tawila) | "KOO-rat at-TAH-wee-lah" | ball of the table |
Pronunciations are rough guides for English speakers.
Family 1: "table tennis"
Most European languages follow the official English name, table tennis, adopted after "Ping-Pong" became a registered trademark in the early 1900s (see table tennis vs ping pong). In each language, the name is simply "table" + "tennis":
- Tisch (German), tafel (Dutch), bord (Swedish) and masa (Turkish) all mean "table".
- In French, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese the word order flips, but the idea is the same.
In these languages, "ping-pong" lives on as the casual name, just like in English. In French, a table tennis player is a pongiste, a word built from "ping-pong". And Spanish even has its own adapted spelling, pimpón, listed in the Royal Spanish Academy's dictionary.
Ping pong in Spanish: useful words
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| ping pong / table tennis | ping-pong, tenis de mesa |
| paddle | raqueta, or pala in Spain |
| ball | pelota |
| table | mesa |
| net | red |
| serve | saque, servicio |
| spin | efecto |
| "I play ping pong" | "Juego al ping-pong" |
Family 2: "table ball"
In Japan the sport is 卓球 (takkyū). The first character means "table" and the second means "ball". Korean 탁구 (takgu) comes from the same characters with Korean pronunciation. Vietnamese bóng bàn and Arabic kurat al-tawila follow the same logic: "ball" + "table".
Family 3: the "ping pong" sound
Chinese went with the sound. 乒乓 (pīngpāng) imitates the noise of the ball, just like the English "ping pong", and 球 (qiú) means "ball". In China this is both the official and the everyday name, so nobody there sees a difference between "ping pong" and "table tennis".
A fun connection: the 球 in 乒乓球 is the same character many people link to the "cho" shout players use. The story is in why table tennis players say "cho".
And in English?
English has both: table tennis is the official name and ping pong is the everyday one, especially in the US. The spelling questions, hyphen or no hyphen and when to capitalize, are covered in ping pong or ping-pong. If you play with Brazilian or Portuguese speakers, the table tennis terms in Portuguese guide will help.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say ping pong in Spanish?
Tenis de mesa. People also say ping-pong, and the Royal Spanish Academy's dictionary lists the adapted spelling pimpón.
How do you say ping pong in Chinese?
乒乓球 (pīngpāngqiú). 乒乓 imitates the sound of the ball and 球 means "ball".
How do you say ping pong in Japanese?
卓球 (takkyū), which literally means "table ball".
How do you say ping pong in French?
Tennis de table, or ping-pong in everyday speech. A player is a pongiste.
How do you say table tennis in German?
Tischtennis. Tisch means "table".