deportista
nounCEFR B2
What does “deportista” mean in English?
a person who takes part in sport regularly, especially at a competitive level
Example sentences
Los deportistas de élite entrenan varias horas al día durante toda la temporada.
Elite athletes train for several hours a day throughout the season.
Perdió el partido, pero felicitó a su rival como un verdadero deportista.
He lost the match, but congratulated his rival like a true sportsman.
How to use it
El/la deportista (common-gender noun, invariable, like pianista or periodista) means 'athlete' or 'sportsperson'. Common collocations: un deportista de élite, ser buen/mal deportista (also figurative: to be a good/bad sport). Distinguish from atleta, which in Spanish usually refers specifically to track-and-field athletes.
Common mistake
Deportista (any athlete/sportsperson) is broader than atleta, which in everyday Spanish usually refers specifically to track-and-field competitors, not athletes in general.
Topics
Related B2 words
Reference
This entry’s teaching guidance follows Plan Curricular del Instituto Cervantes (Instituto Cervantes), B2 Nociones específicas: deporte y ocio.