Meaning
sports; sporting
- athletic, sportive, sport-loving, active
- sports; casual
- sportsmanlike, sporting, fair (generous)
In a sentence
Luca è molto sportivo e corre ogni mattina.
Luca is very athletic and runs every morning.
Hai preso delle scarpe sportive per il viaggio?
Did you buy some sporty shoes for the trip?
Non è stato sportivo dopo la partita.
He wasn't sporting after the match.
Word forms (4)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| sportivo | masculine · singular |
| sportiva | feminine · singular |
| sportivi | masculine · plural |
| sportive | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- Use sportivo for people, attitudes, clothes, or cars. For the noun “sportsman/player,” say sportivo/sportiva only in some contexts; often atleta is clearer.
- It agrees in gender and number: sportivo, sportiva, sportivi, sportive. Learners often forget this with clothing and car descriptions.
- For “fair” or “good-natured in competition,” sportivo is common in speech. In formal contexts, leale or corretto may sound more precise.