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Manhattan Mandarin

Baseball in China and Almost All the Baseball Words You Need in Mandarin!


In 2008, while studying in Shanghai with CET, I was lucky enough to play and 'intern' with the Shanghai Golden Eagles. As a part of the CET Shanghai program, we needed to find an internship during our semester abroad. I was lucky enough to 'intern' with the pro team in Shanghai, which really meant I just got to play baseball while my classmates were at a desk:). As we continue to build our vocab lists, I recalled not knowing a single word of baseball vocab going into the job and thought why not put that together with a little intro on the baseball landscape in China. Enjoy!

-Jamie


Baseball, known as bàng qiú (棒球), has a growing presence in China, although it is not yet as popular as other sports like basketball or soccer. Baseball was first introduced to China in the late 1800s by American missionaries, and it gained some popularity in the early 20th century. However, the sport was suppressed during the Cultural Revolution and did not regain its popularity until the 1990s.

Currently, there are professional baseball leagues in China, including the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) and the Baseball Challenge League (BCL). The CPBL was established in 1989 and currently has four teams, while the BCL was established in 2017 and currently has six teams. Both leagues have Chinese and foreign players. In recent years, China has been making efforts to develop baseball and increase its popularity. The Chinese government has invested in baseball infrastructure, including building new baseball stadiums and training facilities. In addition, Major League Baseball (MLB) has been working to promote baseball in China, hosting baseball clinics and games in the country.

Despite these efforts, baseball still faces challenges in China. One of the biggest obstacles is the lack of understanding of the sport among the general public. Many Chinese people are not familiar with the rules of baseball and have not had the opportunity to watch the sport live. Another challenge is the competition from other popular sports in China, which attract more fans and receive more media coverage. With continued investment and promotion, it is possible that baseball could become a more popular sport in China in the future.



  1. 棒球 (bàng qiú) - baseball

  2. 投手 (tóu shǒu) - pitcher

  3. 打击 (dǎ jī) - batting

  4. 打者 (dǎ zhě) - batter

  5. 捕手 (bǔ shǒu) - catcher

  6. 游击手 (yóu jī shǒu) - shortstop

  7. 一垒手 (yī lěi shǒu) - first baseman

  8. 二垒手 (èr lěi shǒu) - second baseman

  9. 三垒手 (sān lěi shǒu) - third baseman

  10. 外野手 (wài yě shǒu) - outfielder

  11. 内野手 (nèi yě shǒu) - infielder

  12. 本垒打 (běn lěi dǎ) - home run

  13. 保送 (bǎo sòng) - walk

  14. 触击 (chù jī) - bunt

  15. 长打 (cháng dǎ) - extra base hit

  16. 打点 (dǎ diǎn) - RBI (run batted in)

  17. 失误 (shī wù) - error

  18. 全垒打 (quán lěi dǎ) - grand slam

  19. 绝杀 (jué shā) - walk-off hit

  20. 单打 (dān dǎ) - single

  21. 二垒打 (èr lěi dǎ) - double

  22. 三垒打 (sān lěi dǎ) - triple

  23. 中继投手 (zhōng jì tóu shǒu) - relief pitcher

  24. 先发投手 (xiān fā tóu shǒu) - starting pitcher

  25. 抢接 (qiǎng jiē) - diving catch

  26. 滚地球 (gǔn dì qiú) - ground ball

  27. 飞球 (fēi qiú) - fly ball

  28. 界外球 (jiè wài qiú) - ball

  29. 好球 (hǎo qiú) - strike

  30. 界内安打 (jiè nèi ān dǎ) - hit inside the baseline

  31. 外野安打 (wài yě ān dǎ) - hit to the outfield

  32. 打破纪录 (dǎ pò jì lù) - break a record

  33. 奥运会棒球比赛 (ào yùn huì bàng qiú bǐ sài) - Olympic baseball game

  34. 世界棒球经典赛 (shì jiè bàng qiú jīng diǎn sài) - World Baseball Classic

  35. 美国职业棒球大联盟 (měi guó zhí yè bàng qiú dà lián méng) - Major League Baseball (MLB)

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