野球

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 野球 (やきゅう) is a noun referring to the sport of baseball.
• Basic usage: Use 野球をする for playing baseball and 野球の試合 when referring to a particular baseball game.
  • 放課後に友達と野球をした。 — I played baseball with friends after school.
  • 父はラジオで野球の試合を聞いている。 — My father is listening to a baseball game on the radio.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Sport and game expressions
  • 野球 alone names the sport, while 野球の試合 identifies a game. A person playing together can be marked with と.