German Phrase
Welche Sportarten kann ich treiben?
Meaning
The sentence asks for a list of sports that the speaker is able to practice. It is a neutral, polite way to request recommendations or to check which activities are possible for you.
When to use
Use this question when you are at a gym, sports club, or talking with a friend about fitness options, and you want to know which sports are suitable or allowed for you.
✦Grammar Breakdown
WelcheSportartenkannichtreiben?
Welche (interrogative determiner)
‘Welche’ is used to ask about a plural noun and means ‘which’ or ‘what kind of’.
Sportarten (plural noun)
‘Sportarten’ is the plural of ‘Sportart’ (sport, type of sport) and takes the plural ending -en.
kann (modal verb können)
‘kann’ is the 1st‑person singular present of ‘können’ and expresses ability; it occupies the second position in a main clause.
ich (subject pronoun)
The personal pronoun ‘ich’ follows the modal verb in a question because the verb already occupies the second slot.
treiben (infinitive)
With a modal verb, the main verb stays in the infinitive at the end of the clause; ‘treiben’ means ‘to do/engage in (sports)’.
🗨In Conversation
Welche Sportarten kann ich treiben?
Which sports can I do?
Du kannst Schwimmen, Laufen und Yoga probieren.
You can try swimming, running, and yoga.
✕Common Mistakes
Kann ich treiben welche Sportarten?
In German the verb must stay in second position; the correct order is ‘Welche Sportarten kann ich treiben?’
Welche Sportarten kann ich machen?
‘machen’ is understandable but less idiomatic than ‘treiben’ when talking about sports.
Welche Sportarten kann ich zu treiben?
The preposition ‘zu’ is not used with modal verbs; the infinitive follows the modal directly.
↔Alternatives
Welche Sportarten darf ich ausüben?
Which sports am I allowed to practice?
Was für Sportarten kann ich machen?
What kind of sports can I do?
Welche Sportarten sind für mich geeignet?
Which sports are suitable for me?
Cultural Tip
In German the set phrase ‘Sport treiben’ is the most common way to talk about doing sports. ‘Sport machen’ is also understood but sounds a bit more colloquial. When you want to ask about permission rather than ability, use ‘darf ich … ausüben’. Remember that the modal verb (kann/darf) always comes right after the interrogative word, and the infinitive stays at the end of the sentence.