Talking About Hobbies｜French Conversation Phrases

When traveling or studying abroad, you will often be asked, “What are your hobbies?” Hobbies are a standard topic in self-introductions and small talk. They help expand conversations and create opportunities to find common interests.

Here, I will introduce the basic expressions for talking about hobbies in French and explain the grammar points you need to use them naturally.

Dialogue

A

Quels sont tes passe-temps ?
（What are your hobbies?）

B

J’aime lire et écouter de la musique.
（I like reading and listening to music.）

A

Tu fais du sport aussi ?
（Do you also play sports?）

B

Oui, je joue au tennis chaque semaine.
（Yes, I play tennis every week.）

A

Super ! Moi, je fais de la randonnée le week-end.
（Great! I go hiking on weekends.）

Grammar and Expression Points

1. Asking About Hobbies

There are several common ways to ask “What are your hobbies?” in French:

passe-temps literally means “pastime,” but in French it is commonly used to mean “hobby.”

Other casual expressions include:

“Qu’est-ce que tu aimes faire ?” is very natural in everyday conversation.

The English-derived word “hobby” is also used in French, especially by younger speakers, though it is more casual.

2. Expressing Your Hobbies

The standard phrase is “J’aime …” (I like …).

Grammar note: aimer (to like/love) is followed by the infinitive to mean “I like to ….”

You can also adjust intensity:

3. Talking About Sports and Musical Instruments

French uses different constructions depending on the activity:

Sports usually take “faire de”, while ball games take “jouer à”. Musical instruments take “jouer de”.

4. Adding Frequency for Specificity

Adding frequency makes your description more concrete:

5. Techniques for Extending the Conversation

To keep the exchange flowing, return the question to your partner:

Such follow-up questions make the conversation develop more naturally.

Summary

泉（Izumi）

Author

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