tennis

See also: Tennis

English

tennis player

Etymology

From Middle English tennys, teneys, tenis, from Old French tenez (second-person plural imperative of tenir (“to hold”)).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɛnɪs/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛnɪs
• Homophone: tenness

Noun

tennis (usually uncountable, plural tennises)

2. (sports) A sport played by two players (or four in doubles), who alternately strike the ball over a net using racquets.
   • 1935, George Goodchild, chapter 1, in Death on the Centre Court:

     “Anthea hasn't a notion in her head but to vamp a lot of silly mugwumps. She's set her heart on that tennis bloke […] whom the papers are making such a fuss about.”

3. (dated) A match in this sport.
   • 1918, Violet Hunt, The Last Ditch, page 95:

     We go about to parties in the daytime as usual, teas and tennises […]

4. (obsolete) An earlier game in which a ball is driven to and fro, or kept in motion by striking it with a racquet or with the open hand.
   • 1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):

     tennis-balls

   • 1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter 11, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volumes (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC:

     His easy bow, his good stories, his style of dancing and playing tennis, […] were familiar to all London.

Derived terms

• anti-tennis
• court tennis
• football tennis
• lawn tennis
• paddle tennis
• platform tennis
• real tennis
• ring tennis
• royal tennis
• soft tennis
• squash tennis
• table tennis
• table tennis table
• telly tennis
• tennis ball
• tennis bracelet
• tennis club
• tennis court
• tennis dress
• tennis elbow
• tennis player
• tennis polo
• tennis-racket
• tennis racket
• tennis racquet
• tennis shirt
• tennis shoe
• tennis wear
• text tennis
• tonsil tennis
• totem tennis
• wheelchair tennis

 

Descendants

• → Armenian: թենիս (tʻenis)
• → Arabic: تِنِس (tinis)
• → Asturian: tenis
• → Basque: tenis
• → Burmese: တင်းနစ် (tang:nac)
• → Catalan: tennis
• → Czech: tenis
• → Danish: tennis
• → Dutch: tennis
• → Finnish: tennis
• → French: tennis
• → Galician: tenis
• German: Tennis
  • → Estonian: tennis
• → Greek: τένις (ténis)
• → Greek: τένις (ténis)
• → Hebrew: טניס (ténis)
• → Hindi: टेनिस (ṭenis)
• → Hungarian: tenisz
• → Icelandic: tennis
• → Italian: tennis
• → Japanese: テニス (tenisu)
• → Korean: 테니스 (teniseu)
• → Latvian: teniss
• → Luxembourgish: Tennis
• → Malay: tenis
• → Northern Kurdish: tenîs
• → Norwegian: tennis
• → Persian: تنیس (tenis)
• → Polish: tenis
• → Portuguese: ténis, tênis (Brazil)
• → Romanian: tenis
• → Russian: те́ннис (ténnis)
  • → Kazakh: теннис (tennis)
• → Scottish Gaelic: teanas
• → Serbo-Croatian: ténis / те́нис
• → Slovene: tenis
• → Spanish: tenis
• → Swahili: tenisi
• → Swedish: tennis
• → Telugu: టెన్నిసు (ṭennisu), టెన్నిస్ (ṭennis)
• → Thai: เทนนิส (ten-nít)
• → Turkish: tenis
• → Ukrainian: те́ніс (ténis)
• → Uzbek: tennis
• → Walloon: tenisse
• → Welsh: tennis
• → Yiddish: טעניס (tenis)

Translations

sport played by two or four players with strung racquets

• Afrikaans: tennis (af)
• Albanian: tenis (sq) m
• Amharic: ተኒስ (tänis)
• Arabic: تَنِس m (tanis), تِنِس m (tinis), كُرَةُ المَضْرِب f (kuratu l-maḍrib), كُرَةُ المِضْرَب f (kuratu l-miḍrab)

  Gulf Arabic: تنس (tinis)

  Hijazi Arabic: تِنِس m (tinis)

• Armenian: թենիս (hy) (tʻenis)
• Asturian: tenis m
• Azerbaijani: tennis
• Bashkir: теннис (tennis)
• Bavarian: Tennis
• Belarusian: тэ́ніс m (ténis)
• Bengali: টেনিস (bn) (ṭeniś)
• Bulgarian: те́нис (bg) m (ténis)
• Burmese: တင်းနစ် (tang:nac)
• Carpathian Rusyn: те́ніс m (ténis)
• Catalan: tennis (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 網球／网球 (mong⁵ kau⁴)

  Mandarin: 網球／网球 (zh) (wǎngqiú)

• Czech: tenis (cs) m
• Danish: tennis (da) c
• Dutch: tennis (nl) n
• Esperanto: teniso
• Estonian: tennis (et)
• Finnish: tennis (fi)
• French: tennis (fr) m
• Galician: tenis (gl) m
• Georgian: ჩოგბურთი (ka) (čogburti)
• German: Tennis (de) n
• Greek: αντισφαίριση (el) f (antisfaírisi), τένις (el) n (ténis) (colloquial)
• Gujarati: ટેનિસ (ṭenis)
• Hausa: tanìs m
• Hebrew: טֶנִיס (he) m (tenis)
• Hindi: टेनिस (hi) (ṭenis)
• Hungarian: tenisz (hu)
• Icelandic: tennis (is) m
• Indonesian: tenis (id)
• Interlingua: tennis
• Irish: leadóg (ga) f
• Italian: tennis (it) m
• Japanese: テニス (ja) (tenisu), 庭球 (ja) (teikyū)
• Kannada: ಟೆನ್ನಿಸ್ (ṭennis)
• Kazakh: теннис (tennis)
• Khmer: តែន្និស (taennih)
• Korean: 테니스 (ko) (teniseu), 정구(庭球) (ko) (jeonggu)
• Kurdish:

  Northern Kurdish: tenîs (ku)

• Kyrgyz: теннис (tennis)
• Lao: ເຕັນນິສ (ten nit), ເທນນິດ (thēn nit), ເທັນນິດ (then nit)
• Latin: tenisia f
• Latvian: teniss (lv) m
• Lithuanian: tenisas m
• Macedonian: те́нис m (ténis)
• Malay: tenis
• Malayalam: ടെന്നീസ് (ṭennīsŭ)
• Maltese: tenis
• Marathi: टेनिस (ṭenis)
• Mongolian:

  Cyrillic: теннис (tennis)

• Navajo: jooł ałchʼįʼ abínídzílghałí
• Nepali: टेनिस (ṭenis)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: tennis (no) m

  Nynorsk: tennis m

• Palauan: tenis
• Pashto: تېنس m (tenís), ټېنس (ps) m (ṭenés)
• Persian: تنیس (fa) (tenis)
• Polish: tenis ziemny m anim, tenis (pl) m anim, biały sport m (literary)
• Portuguese: tênis (pt) m, ténis (pt) m
• Punjabi: ਖਿੱਦੋ-ਛਿੱਕਾ (khiddo-chikkā), ਗੇਂਦ-ਛਿੱਕਾ (genda-chikkā)
• Romanian: tenis (ro) n
• Russian: те́ннис (ru) m (tɛ́nnis)
• Sanskrit: लानम् (lānam)
• Scottish Gaelic: teanas m
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: те́нис m

  Roman: ténis (sh) m

• Sinhalese: ටෙනිස් (ṭenis)
• Slovak: tenis (sk) m
• Slovene: ténis (sl) m
• Spanish: tenis (es) m
• Swahili: tenisi
• Swedish: tennis (sv) c
• Tagalog: tenis
• Tajik: теннис (tg) (tennis)
• Tamil: வரிப்பந்தாட்டம் (varippantāṭṭam), வலைப்பந்து (valaippantu)
• Tatar: теннис (tennis)
• Telugu: టెన్నిస్ (ṭennis)
• Thai: เทนนิส (th) (ten-nít)
• Tibetan: ཏན་ནེ་སི་སྤོ་ལོ། (tan ne si spo lo)
• Tigrinya: ተኒስ (tänis)
• Turkish: tenis (tr)
• Turkmen: tennis
• Ukrainian: те́ніс m (ténis)
• Urdu: ٹینس (ṭenis)
• Uyghur: چويلا توپ (choyla top), تېننىس (tënnis)
• Uzbek: tennis (uz)
• Vietnamese: quần vợt (vi), ten-nít
• Walloon: tenisse (wa) m
• Yiddish: טעניס n (tenis)

Verb

tennis (third-person singular simple present tennises, present participle tennising, simple past and past participle tennised)

1. (intransitive, dated) To play tennis.
2. (transitive) To drive backward and forward like a tennis ball.
   • 1596 (date written; published 1633), Edmund Spenser, A Vewe of the Present State of Irelande […], Dublin: […] Societie of Stationers, […], →OCLC; republished as A View of the State of Ireland […] (Ancient Irish Histories), Dublin: […] Society of Stationers, […] Hibernia Press, […] [b]y John Morrison, 1809, →OCLC:

     they shall have Intelligence or Espial upon the Enemy, will so drive him from one side to another, and tennis him amongst them

See also

• table tennis or ping pong

Anagrams

• innest, nestin, sennit, sinnet, tensin

Catalan

Alternative forms

• tenis

Etymology

Borrowed from English tennis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic, Valencia) [ˈtɛn.nis]

Noun

tennis m (uncountable)

1. tennis

Further reading

• “tennis” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “tennis”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2024
• “tennis” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.

Danish

Etymology

From English tennis.

Noun

tennis c (definite singular tennissen or tennisen)

1. (uncountable, sports) tennis

Derived terms

• tennisbane
• tennisbold
• tennisketsjer

Further reading

• “tennis” in Den Danske Ordbog

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɛ.nɪs/, /ˈtɛ.nəs/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ten‧nis
• Rhymes: -ɛnɪs

Etymology 1

Borrowed from English tennis.

Noun

tennis n (uncountable)

1. tennis (sport)

Derived terms

• rolstoeltennis
• tafeltennis
• tennisarm
• tennisbaan
• tennisnet
• tennisracket
• tennissen
• tennisspeelster
• tennisspeler
• tennisveld

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

tennis

1. inflection of tennissen:
   1. first-person singular present indicative
   2. (in case of inversion) second-person singular present indicative
   3. imperative

Anagrams

• intens

Estonian

Etymology

From German Tennis.

Noun

tennis (genitive tennise, partitive tennist)

1. tennis

Finnish

Etymology

From English tennis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtenːis/, [ˈt̪e̞nːis̠]
• Rhymes: -enːis
• Syllabification^(key): ten‧nis

Noun

tennis

1. tennis

Declension

Inflection of tennis (Kotus type 39/vastaus, no gradation)
nominative		tennis	tennikset
genitive		tenniksen	tennisten tenniksien
partitive		tennistä	tenniksiä
illative		tennikseen	tenniksiin
		singular	plural
nominative		tennis	tennikset
accusative	nom.	tennis	tennikset
	gen.	tenniksen
genitive		tenniksen	tennisten tenniksien
partitive		tennistä	tenniksiä
inessive		tenniksessä	tenniksissä
elative		tenniksestä	tenniksistä
illative		tennikseen	tenniksiin
adessive		tenniksellä	tenniksillä
ablative		tennikseltä	tenniksiltä
allative		tennikselle	tenniksille
essive		tenniksenä	tenniksinä
translative		tennikseksi	tenniksiksi
abessive		tenniksettä	tenniksittä
instructive		—	tenniksin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of tennis (Kotus type 39/vastaus, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative tennikseni tennikseni accusative nom. tennikseni tennikseni gen. tennikseni genitive tennikseni tennisteni tenniksieni partitive tennistäni tenniksiäni inessive tenniksessäni tenniksissäni elative tenniksestäni tenniksistäni illative tennikseeni tenniksiini adessive tennikselläni tenniksilläni ablative tennikseltäni tenniksiltäni allative tennikselleni tenniksilleni essive tenniksenäni tenniksinäni translative tenniksekseni tenniksikseni abessive tenniksettäni tenniksittäni instructive — — comitative — tenniksineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative tenniksesi tenniksesi accusative nom. tenniksesi tenniksesi gen. tenniksesi genitive tenniksesi tennistesi tenniksiesi partitive tennistäsi tenniksiäsi inessive tenniksessäsi tenniksissäsi elative tenniksestäsi tenniksistäsi illative tennikseesi tenniksiisi adessive tennikselläsi tenniksilläsi ablative tennikseltäsi tenniksiltäsi allative tenniksellesi tenniksillesi essive tenniksenäsi tenniksinäsi translative tennikseksesi tenniksiksesi abessive tenniksettäsi tenniksittäsi instructive — — comitative — tenniksinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative tenniksemme tenniksemme accusative nom. tenniksemme tenniksemme gen. tenniksemme genitive tenniksemme tennistemme tenniksiemme partitive tennistämme tenniksiämme inessive tenniksessämme tenniksissämme elative tenniksestämme tenniksistämme illative tennikseemme tenniksiimme adessive tenniksellämme tenniksillämme ablative tennikseltämme tenniksiltämme allative tenniksellemme tenniksillemme essive tenniksenämme tenniksinämme translative tennikseksemme tenniksiksemme abessive tenniksettämme tenniksittämme instructive — — comitative — tenniksinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative tenniksenne tenniksenne accusative nom. tenniksenne tenniksenne gen. tenniksenne genitive tenniksenne tennistenne tenniksienne partitive tennistänne tenniksiänne inessive tenniksessänne tenniksissänne elative tenniksestänne tenniksistänne illative tennikseenne tenniksiinne adessive tenniksellänne tenniksillänne ablative tennikseltänne tenniksiltänne allative tenniksellenne tenniksillenne essive tenniksenänne tenniksinänne translative tennikseksenne tenniksiksenne abessive tenniksettänne tenniksittänne instructive — — comitative — tenniksinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative tenniksensä tenniksensä accusative nom. tenniksensä tenniksensä gen. tenniksensä genitive tenniksensä tennistensä tenniksiensä partitive tennistään tennistänsä tenniksiään tenniksiänsä inessive tenniksessään tenniksessänsä tenniksissään tenniksissänsä elative tenniksestään tenniksestänsä tenniksistään tenniksistänsä illative tennikseensä tenniksiinsä adessive tenniksellään tenniksellänsä tenniksillään tenniksillänsä ablative tennikseltään tennikseltänsä tenniksiltään tenniksiltänsä allative tennikselleen tenniksellensä tenniksilleen tenniksillensä essive tenniksenään tenniksenänsä tenniksinään tenniksinänsä translative tenniksekseen tennikseksensä tenniksikseen tenniksiksensä abessive tenniksettään tenniksettänsä tenniksittään tenniksittänsä instructive — — comitative — tenniksineen tenniksinensä

Synonyms

• verkkopallo (dated)

Derived terms

compounds

• minitennis
• pyörätuolitennis
• pöytätennis
• salkotennis
• tenniksenopettaja
• tenniksenpelaaja
• tennisasu
• tennishalli
• tenniskenkä
• tenniskenttä
• tenniskyynärpää
• tennismaila
• tennisottelu
• tennispaita
• tennispallo
• tennispelaaja
• tennissukka
• tennistossu
• tennistunti
• tennisturnaus

 

Further reading

• “tennis”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-03

French

Etymology

Borrowed from English tennis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tɛ.nis/ ~ /te.nis/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

tennis m (plural tennis)

1. (usually uncountable, sports) tennis
2. (countable, Europe, dated) sneaker

Derived terms

• tennis de table

Descendants

• → Persian: تنیس (tenis)

Further reading

• “tennis”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Icelandic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtʰɛnːɪs/
• Rhymes: -ɛnːɪs

Noun

tennis m (genitive singular tenniss, no plural)

1. tennis

Declension

Declension of tennis
m-s1	singular
	indefinite	definite
nominative	tennis	tennisinn
accusative	tennis	tennisinn
dative	tennis	tennisnum
genitive	tenniss	tennissins

Derived terms

• tennisolnbogi
• tennisspaði

Anagrams

• steinn

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from English tennis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɛn.nis/
• Rhymes: -ɛnnis
• Hyphenation: tèn‧nis

Noun

tennis m (invariable)

1. tennis

Related terms

• tennistavolo
• tennista
• tennistico

Further reading

• tennis in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Norwegian Bokmål

Noun

tennis m (definite singular tennisen) (uncountable)

1. (sports) tennis

Derived terms

• bordtennis
• tennisbane
• tennisspiller

Norwegian Nynorsk

Noun

tennis m (definite singular tennisen) (uncountable)

1. (sports) tennis

Derived terms

• bordtennis
• tennisbane

Swedish

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

tennis c

1. (uncountable, sports) tennis

Declension

Declension of tennis

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	tennis	tennis
	definite	tennisen	tennisens
plural	indefinite	—	—
	definite	—	—

Derived terms

• tennisarmbåge
• tennisbana
• tennisboll
• tennismatch
• tennisracket
• tennisspelare

References

• tennis in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• tennis in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• tennis in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

Anagrams

• nitens, sinnet

Welsh

Etymology

From English tennis.

Noun

tennis m or f (uncountable)

1. tennis

Mutation

Welsh mutation
radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
tennis	dennis	nhennis	thennis
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “tennis”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies