球

球

"Ball" or "sphere."

Here, the word '球' is used as part of the compound noun '篮球', which means 'basketball', referring to the sport.

我今天下午要去打篮球。

This afternoon, I will go play basketball.

In this sentence, '球' refers to a ball as an object (specifically a rubber ball, '皮球'), used for recreational activities.

弟弟在公园里踢皮球玩。

My younger brother is playing with a rubber ball in the park.

Here, '球' is part of the term '地球', meaning 'Earth', describing the shape of our planet as a sphere.

地球是太阳系的一部分。

The Earth is part of the solar system.