🎓 Prepared by students from Boğaziçi University

What are Hobbies?

Hobbies are leisure activities that people enjoy doing in their free time. In French, hobbies are called 'loisirs', and they range from creative pursuits like painting to active sports like tennis. Learning hobby vocabulary is essential for describing interests and making conversation.

Short answer

Hobbies (loisirs in French) are recreational activities people do for enjoyment in free time. Common French hobbies include: la peinture (painting), la lecture (reading), le tennis (tennis), la musique (music), and le dessin (drawing).

Popular French Hobbies by Category

Creative & Artistic

•la peinture (painting)
•le dessin (drawing)
•la musique (music)
•la photographie (photography)

Physical & Active

•le tennis (tennis)
•la danse (dance)
•le football (soccer)
•la natation (swimming)

Step-by-step worked examples

What hobby do you practice if you enjoy painting?

You practice 'la peinture' (painting).
French sentence: J'aime la peinture. = I like painting.

How would you say 'I enjoy playing tennis' in French?

Tennis = le tennis (masculine noun).
Sentence: J'aime jouer au tennis. = I enjoy playing tennis.

Name one French hobby vocabulary word and use it in a sentence.

Example: le dessin (drawing).
Sentence: Je pratique le dessin chaque weekend. = I practice drawing every weekend.

Flashcards

Quick quiz

Q1.What is the French word for 'hobbies'?

Correct answer: B. 'Les loisirs' means hobbies/leisure activities. 'Travaux' = work, 'études' = studies, 'jeux' = games.

Q2.Which is a creative hobby in French?

Correct answer: B. 'Le dessin' (drawing) is creative. Natation = swimming, football = soccer, course = running — all physical.

Q3.How do you say 'I enjoy reading' in French?

Correct answer: B. 'J'aime la lecture' = I like/enjoy reading. The others mean dancing, sports, swimming.

Q4.Which hobby is masculine in French?

Correct answer: C. 'Le tennis' is masculine (le/un). Others are feminine: la peinture, la danse, la natation.

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Common mistakes

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Saying 'Je fais peinture' without article — Correct: 'Je fais de la peinture' = I do painting (need article + 'de')

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Confusing 'loisirs' (hobbies) with 'travail' (work) — Correct: 'Loisirs' = free-time activities; 'travail' = job/work

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Using 'la tennis' (feminine) for tennis — Correct: 'Le tennis' is masculine (le tennis, un tennis)

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Forgetting 'au' in 'jouer': 'jouer tennis' — Correct: 'Jouer au tennis' = to play tennis (au = à + le)

FAQ

What are hobbies called in French?

'Loisirs' or 'passe-temps'. Loisirs = leisure activities; passe-temps = pastime.

How do you describe your hobby in French?

Say 'Mon loisir préféré est...' (My favorite hobby is...) or 'J'aime...' (I like...) + hobby name.

What hobbies are masculine in French?

'Le tennis', 'le golf', 'le dessin', 'le volleyball'. Most sports and drawing are masculine.

How do you conjugate 'aimer' with hobbies?

Je/Tu/Il aime + hobby. Example: 'Je aime la musique' = I like music.