How to Talk About Hobbies in English: A Beginner’s Guide

What Are Hobbies?

Hobbies are activities that people do in their free time for fun and relaxation. They are not work — they are things we enjoy! For example, playing football, reading books, or listening to music are all hobbies.

Simple Examples

Here are some everyday hobbies in English:

• Playing video games
• Cooking at home
• Watching films
• Drawing or painting
• Going for a walk
• Listening to music

The Key Elements of Hobbies in English

To talk about hobbies in English, you need to know three important things: vocabulary, verbs, and simple sentences. Let’s look at each one.

1. Vocabulary for Hobbies

Here is a list of common hobby words in English:

2. Verbs Used with Hobbies

In English, we often use specific verbs with hobbies. The most common ones are like, love, enjoy, and do. These verbs are followed by a noun or a verb ending in -ing.

• I like reading. ✓
• She loves cooking. ✓
• He enjoys swimming. ✓
• They do yoga every morning. ✓

Important: after ‘like’, ‘love’, and ‘enjoy’, we always use the -ing form of the verb.

3. Asking About Hobbies

In English, you can ask someone about their hobbies with simple questions:

• What do you do in your free time?
• What are your hobbies?
• Do you like sport?
• What do you enjoy doing?

A simple answer could be: ‘I like playing football and watching films.’

Why Talking About Hobbies in English Matters

Hobbies are a very important topic in everyday English. When you meet new people, one of the first questions is often ‘What do you do for fun?’ Knowing how to answer this question helps you make friends and feel more confident.

Hobbies are also a great way to practise English! For example, if you love cooking, you can read recipes in English. If you enjoy music, you can listen to English songs. Your hobbies become your language classroom!

Comparison with Other Languages

Let’s look at how English, French, and Spanish talk about hobbies:

In English and French, we can use ‘like + -ing’ or ‘like + infinitive’. However, in Spanish, we say ‘me gusta + infinitive’ — there is no -ing form used the same way. In English, using -ing after ‘like’, ‘love’, and ‘enjoy’ is the most natural and common choice.

Complete Example

Here is a short conversation between two people talking about their hobbies. This is a real example of how English sounds in everyday life:

• Anna: Hi Tom! What do you do in your free time?
• Tom: I love playing football and I enjoy cooking at home. What about you?
• Anna: I like reading books and I enjoy going to the cinema.
• Tom: Oh great! Do you like action films?
• Anna: Yes, I love them!

This conversation uses simple vocabulary and short sentences. You can use this as a model to talk about your own hobbies.

Key Points to Remember

• Hobbies are activities we do for fun in our free time.
• Use like, love, and enjoy + verb-ing to talk about hobbies.
• Common hobbies in English: reading, cooking, swimming, gardening, travelling.
• To ask about hobbies, say: ‘What do you do in your free time?’
• Practise English through your hobbies — it is the most enjoyable way to learn!

Sources

• Cambridge Dictionary — Hobbies and Free Time Vocabulary, available at: cambridge.org
• British Council — Learning English: Talking About Yourself, available at: britishcouncil.org
• Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English — Leisure and Recreation, Pearson Education.