jìn qiú: 进球 - To score a goal, a goal

• Keywords: how to say score a goal in Chinese, jin qiu meaning, 进球 pinyin, Chinese word for goal, soccer in Chinese, basketball in Chinese, Chinese sports vocabulary, score a point in Chinese, 进球 vs 射门, football vocabulary Chinese
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese sports term 进球 (jìn qiú), which means “to score a goal” or “a goal.” This page breaks down its meaning, cultural significance in China's passionate sports scene, and practical usage for sports like soccer (足球) and basketball (篮球). Discover how to use it in conversation with example sentences, and learn the crucial difference between 进球 (jìn qiú) (a successful goal) and 射门 (shè mén) (an attempt to shoot).

• Pinyin (with tone marks): jìn qiú
• Part of Speech: Verb, Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: To score a goal in a ball game; a goal that has been scored.
• In a Nutshell: 进球 (jìn qiú) is the electrifying moment of success in sports like soccer, hockey, or basketball. It's both the action of scoring (a verb) and the result itself (a noun). This word captures the universal excitement you feel when the ball goes into the net. It's the word commentators scream and fans cheer, equivalent to a thunderous “GOAL!” in English.

• 进 (jìn): This character means “to enter,” “to advance,” or “to go in.” You can picture it as moving forward `辶` into a gate or entrance. It signifies forward motion and successful entry.
• 球 (qiú): This character means “ball.” It's the standard character for any kind of ball used in sports, from a soccer ball to a basketball.
• When combined, 进球 (jìn qiú) literally translates to “enter ball” or “ball enters.” This simple and direct combination perfectly describes the action of a ball successfully entering the goal or net.

The term 进球 (jìn qiú) is a cornerstone of modern Chinese sports culture, which is dominated by the immense popularity of basketball and soccer. For millions of fans, hearing a commentator shout “进球了！” (Jìn qiú le! - “They scored!”) is a moment of pure, unadulterated joy. While the emotional reaction to a goal is universal, in China it's often magnified by a strong sense of collective and national pride. During international competitions like the World Cup or the Olympics, a single 进球 by the Chinese national team can ignite celebrations across the country, becoming a front-page news story and a trending topic on social media platforms like Weibo. This contrasts with the more individualistic or club-focused fandom often seen in the West. A 进球 for the national team isn't just a point in a game; it's a moment of shared national achievement and “face” (面子, miànzi) on the world stage.

进球 (jìn qiú) is used constantly in any context involving ball sports.

• Sports Commentary: This is its most common habitat. Announcers use it with high energy and excitement. The particle “了 (le)” is almost always attached to indicate the completion of the action: “进球了！”
• Conversations Among Fans: When watching a game with friends, you would shout “好球！进球！” (Hǎo qiú! Jìn qiú!) - “Great shot! Goal!”
• News and Analysis: Sports headlines and articles use 进球 as a noun to report on game results. For example: “梅西的最后一个进球” (Méixī de zuìhòu yīgè jìnqiú) - “Messi's final goal.”
• As a Noun vs. Verb: The word seamlessly switches between a verb and a noun.
  • Verb: 他进球了 (Tā jìn qiú le) - He scored a goal.
  • Noun: 这是一个漂亮的进球 (Zhè shì yīgè piàoliang de jìnqiú) - This is a beautiful goal.

• Example 1:
  • 哇！他进球了！比赛结束前最后一秒！
  • Pinyin: Wā! Tā jìn qiú le! Bǐsài jiéshù qián zuìhòu yī miǎo!
  • English: Wow! He scored a goal! In the last second before the game ended!
  • Analysis: This is a classic, excited exclamation. The particle 了 (le) is crucial here, indicating that the action of scoring has been completed.
• Example 2:
  • 这场比赛的比分是三比二，我们多一个进球。
  • Pinyin: Zhè chǎng bǐsài de bǐfēn shì sān bǐ èr, wǒmen duō yīgè jìnqiú.
  • English: The score of this game is three to two, we have one more goal.
  • Analysis: Here, 进球 is used as a noun, meaning “a goal” that can be counted.
• Example 3:
  • 作为一名前锋，他的任务就是进球。
  • Pinyin: Zuòwéi yī míng qiánfēng, tā de rènwù jiùshì jìn qiú.
  • English: As a forward, his job is to score goals.
  • Analysis: This sentence uses 进球 as a verb in an infinitive-like sense, describing a general responsibility or task.
• Example 4:
  • 你觉得哪个队会先进第一个球？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ juéde nǎge duì huì xiān jìn dì-yī gè qiú?
  • English: Which team do you think will score the first goal?
  • Analysis: This example shows how 进球 can sometimes be split by other words, like numbers or measure words. Here, “进 (jìn)” is the verb and “球 (qiú)” is the object.
• Example 5:
  • 守门员反应很快，所以他没进球。
  • Pinyin: Shǒuményuán fǎnyìng hěn kuài, suǒyǐ tā méi jìn qiú.
  • English: The goalkeeper reacted very quickly, so he didn't score a goal.
  • Analysis: This shows the negative form using “没 (méi)”. You use “没” for past negative actions, not “不 (bù)”.
• Example 6:
  • 这位球员整个赛季已经进了二十个球了。
  • Pinyin: Zhè wèi qiúyuán zhěnggè sàijì yǐjīng jìnle èrshí gè qiú le.
  • English: This player has already scored twenty goals this entire season.
  • Analysis: Another example of splitting 进球. “进了 (jìnle)” acts as the verb phrase, and “二十个球 (èrshí gè qiú)” is the object, specifying the number of goals.
• Example 7:
  • 这是一个非常关键的进球，它改变了比赛的走向。
  • Pinyin: Zhè shì yīgè fēicháng guānjiàn de jìnqiú, tā gǎibiànle bǐsài de zǒuxiàng.
  • English: This was a very crucial goal; it changed the direction of the match.
  • Analysis: 进球 is used as a noun, modified by the adjective “关键的 (guānjiàn de)” meaning “crucial.”
• Example 8:
  • 尽管他努力尝试，但他就是无法进球。
  • Pinyin: Jǐnguǎn tā nǔlì chángshì, dàn tā jiùshì wúfǎ jìn qiú.
  • English: Although he tried hard, he just couldn't score a goal.
  • Analysis: “无法 (wúfǎ)” means “unable to” or “no way to,” expressing an inability to perform the action of scoring.
• Example 9:
  • 孩子们在公园里踢足球，每次进球都会大声欢呼。
  • Pinyin: Háizimen zài gōngyuán lǐ tī zúqiú, měi cì jìn qiú dōu huì dàshēng huānhū.
  • English: The children are playing soccer in the park, and they cheer loudly every time someone scores a goal.
  • Analysis: This shows a repeated or habitual action. “每次 (měi cì)” means “every time.”
• Example 10:
  • 他的远射进球让所有观众都站了起来。
  • Pinyin: Tā de yuǎn shè jìnqiú ràng suǒyǒu guānzhòng dōu zhàn le qǐlái.
  • English: His long-shot goal made the entire audience stand up.
  • Analysis: Here, 进球 is used as a noun, part of a compound noun phrase “远射进球 (yuǎn shè jìnqiú)” meaning “long-shot goal.”

• 进球 (jìn qiú) vs. 射门 (shè mén): This is the most critical distinction for learners.
  • 进球 (jìn qiú): A successful goal. The ball is IN the net.
  • 射门 (shè mén): The act of shooting at the goal. An ATTEMPT.
  • A player can make many 射门 (shots), but only a few might become a 进球 (goal).
  • Correct: 他射门了，但是球被守门员扑住了，所以没进球。(Tā shè mén le, dànshì qiú bèi shǒuményuán pū zhù le, suǒyǐ méi jìn qiú.) - He took a shot, but the ball was saved by the goalkeeper, so he didn't score a goal.
  • Incorrect: 他进球了，但是没进。(Tā jìn qiú le, dànshì méi jìn.) - This is contradictory and makes no sense.
• 进球 (jìn qiú) vs. 得分 (dé fēn):
  • 进球 (jìn qiú): Specific to scoring by getting a ball into a goal or net (soccer, basketball, hockey).
  • 得分 (dé fēn): A general term for “to score a point” or “get points.” It can be used for any sport (tennis, volleyball, baseball) or even non-sport contexts like getting points on a test.
  • You can say a basketball player 得分 (scored points), and if they did it by shooting the ball through the hoop, you can also specifically say they 进球了. But you would not say a tennis player 进球了; you would only say they 得分了.

• 射门 (shè mén) - To shoot (at the goal); an attempt to score.
• 得分 (dé fēn) - To score points; a more general term than `进球`.
• 足球 (zúqiú) - Soccer, football. The most popular sport in the world.
• 篮球 (lánqiú) - Basketball. Extremely popular in China.
• 守门员 (shǒuményuán) - Goalkeeper (literally “guard-door-person”).
• 比分 (bǐfēn) - The score of a game (e.g., 2-1).
• 助攻 (zhùgōng) - An assist (literally “assist attack”).
• 球队 (qiúduì) - Sports team (for ball games).
• 赢 (yíng) - To win.
• 输 (shū) - To lose.