Talking About Hobbies and Interests in German
What is a Hobby?
A hobby is an activity that you like to do. You do your hobby in your free time. It is interesting and fun.
👉 The word hobby in German is das Hobby (plural: die Hobbys).
What are Interests?
Interests are things you find interesting or want to learn more about.
👉 The word interest in German is das Interesse.
Hobbies Vocabulary List
gern – with pleasure, like to
Freizeit – free time
spielen – to play
lesen – to read
hören – to listen
sehen – to see/watch
interessieren (sich) – to be interested (in)
For example:
Ich habe Interesse an Musik. – I have interest in music.
Ich interessiere mich für Musik/Kunst/Geschichte/Tiere. – I am interested in music/art/history/animals.
🎯 Popular Hobbies in Germany
Here are some typical hobbies with examples:
Hobby (German) | Meaning (English) | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
lesen | to read | Ich lese gern Bücher. (I like to read books.) |
Musik hören | to listen to music | Ich höre gern Musik. (I like to listen to music.) |
Fußball spielen | to play football (soccer) | Er spielt gern Fußball. (He likes to play football.) |
Gitarre spielen | to play guitar | Ich spiele gern Gitarre. (I like to play guitar.) |
Tischtennis spielen | to play table tennis | Wir spielen gern Tischtennis. (We like to play table tennis.) |
Brettspiele spielen | to play board games | Sie spielen gern Brettspiele. (They like to play board games.) |
schwimmen | to swim | Ich schwimme gern im Sommer. (I like to swim in summer.) |
Rad fahren | to ride a bike | Er fährt gern Rad. (He likes to ride a bike.) |
wandern | to hike | Am Wochenende wandere ich gern. (On weekends I like to hike.) |
kochen | to cook | Meine Mutter kocht gern. (My mother likes to cook.) |
fernsehen | to watch TV | Abends sehe ich gern fern. (In the evening I like to watch TV.) |
fotografieren | to take photos | Ich fotografiere gern. (I like taking photos.) |
How to Talk About Hobbies
You can say your hobby using several patterns.
Structure
Ich + verb + gern. (I like to …)
Mein Hobby ist + noun. (My hobby is …)
Examples
Ich spiele gern Gitarre. (I like to play guitar.)
Ich höre gern Musik. (I like to listen to music.)
Mein Hobby ist Kochen. (My hobby is cooking.)
Ich interessiere mich für Bücher. (I am interested in books.)
Questions
Was ist dein Hobby? (What is your hobby?)
Was machst du gern? (What do you like to do?)
Wofür interessierst du dich? (What are you interested in?)
Mini Dialogue About Hobbies
German | English |
|---|---|
Anna: Hallo! Wie geht’s? | Hi! How are you? |
Ben: Gut, danke! Und dir? | Good, thanks! And you? |
Anna: Auch gut. Sag mal, was ist dein Hobby? | Also good. Tell me, what is your hobby? |
Ben: Ich spiele gern Gitarre. Und du? | I like playing guitar. And you? |
Anna: Ich spiele gern Tischtennis und lese Bücher. | I like playing table tennis and reading books. |
Ben: Spielst du oft Tischtennis? | Do you play table tennis often? |
Anna: Ja, drei Mal pro Woche. Und du? | Yes, three times a week. And you? |
Ben: Ich spiele am Wochenende. | I play on the weekend. |
Anna: Super! Vielleicht spielen wir zusammen. | Great! Maybe we can play together. |
Ben: Gute Idee! | Good idea! |
💡 Tip for Beginners
✅ Practice your hobbies with small sentences.
You can talk about your hobbies like this:
Mein Hobby ist Musik. → My hobby is music.
Ich habe viele Hobbys. → I have many hobbies.
✅ Use: "Ich ___ gern." (I like to ___.)
Ich spiele gern Gitarre. → I like playing guitar.
✅ Talk with friends: "What is your hobby?" (Was ist dein Hobby?)