What are French Sports and Hobbies?
Sports and hobbies are essential vocabulary in French, used to describe leisure activities and pastimes. Knowing these words helps you talk about what you enjoy doing in everyday conversation.
French sports include le football (football), le tennis (tennis), la natation (swimming), and la danse (dance). Each noun has a gender — always use the correct article (le/la/les).
- •le football (soccer)
- •le tennis (tennis)
- •le volleyball (volleyball)
- •le basketball (basketball)
- •la natation (swimming)
- •la danse (dance)
- •le ski (skiing)
- •la lecture (reading)
Step-by-step worked examples
How do you ask someone 'What is your hobby?' in French?
Use 'Quel est ton hobby?' Or more naturally: 'Quel est ton loisir préféré?' Loisir = leisure, préféré = favorite
Say 'I play tennis' in French.
Use the verb 'jouer' (to play) + à + sport 'Je joue au tennis.' (Je = I, joue = play, au = à + le) Note: à + le = au (contraction)
Say 'I love swimming' in French.
'J'aime la natation.' J'aime = I love, la natation = swimming Note: natation is feminine (la)
Flashcards
Quick quiz
Q1.Which article goes with 'football'?
Q2.How do you say 'I play tennis' in French?
Q3.What is 'la danse'?
Q4.Which word means 'hobby' or 'leisure activity'?
The full card deck, worked steps and AI-tutor support for “What are French Sports and Hobbies?” are in Notek — study by hand before your exam.
Common mistakes
Je joue le tennis. — Correct: Je joue au tennis. — Use 'à' (à + le = au) with sports.
Je aime la natation. — Correct: J'aime la natation. — 'Je' + 'aime' = 'j'aime' (elision with vowel).
La football est mon sport. — Correct: Le football est mon sport. — Football is masculine (le), not feminine (la).
Je joue skiing. — Correct: Je fais du ski. — Use 'faire' (to do/make), not 'jouer', with skiing. 'Je fais du ski.'
FAQ
What are the main French sports vocabulary words?
Key sports: le football (soccer), le tennis, la natation (swimming), le ski, le basketball, le volleyball. Remember each has a gender (le/la) — always use the correct article.
How do you say 'I play a sport' in French?
Use 'jouer à': 'Je joue au tennis' (I play tennis). For skiing, use 'faire': 'Je fais du ski' (I do skiing). The construction depends on the sport.
What is the difference between 'jouer' and 'faire'?
'Jouer' (to play) + à is used with ball sports and games. 'Faire' (to do/make) + du/de la is used with other activities like skiing, swimming, or hobbies. 'Je joue au tennis / Je fais du ski.'
How do you ask what someone's hobby is?
Ask 'Quel est ton loisir préféré?' (What is your favorite hobby?) or 'Quel est ton hobby?' (What is your hobby?) — both work in conversation.