‘篮球’ literally means ‘basket ball’—‘篮’ (lán) refers to a basket or hoop, and ‘球’ (qiú) means ball. Together, they name the sport played by shooting a ball through an elevated hoop. It is one of the most popular team sports in China and worldwide, commonly played in schools, parks, and professional arenas.

The word is always used as a compound noun and never split in normal usage. It can refer to the sport itself (e.g., 我喜欢打篮球), the physical object (e.g., 新买的篮球), or, less commonly, the basketball team (e.g., 校篮球队). Unlike English, Chinese doesn’t use articles, so ‘篮球’ stands alone without ‘a’ or ‘the’—context determines definiteness.