Talking About Hobbies and Interests in French

Learning how to talk about your hobbies and interests in French is important. It helps you make friends and join conversations. Let's break it down so it's easy to understand.

1. Important Words

Common Hobbies:

• Sports:

  • jouer au foot (to play soccer)
  • faire du vélo (to ride a bike)
  • faire du yoga (to do yoga)

• Arts and Crafts:

  • dessiner (to draw)
  • peindre (to paint)
  • faire de la poterie (to do pottery)

• Music:

  • écouter de la musique (to listen to music)
  • jouer de la guitare (to play the guitar)

• Reading and Writing:

  • lire (to read)
  • écrire des histoires (to write stories)

• Outdoor Activities:

  • faire de la randonnée (to hike)
  • aller à la plage (to go to the beach)

2. Sharing Likes and Dislikes

In French, it’s key to say what you like and don’t like when talking about hobbies. You'll use "j'aime" (I like) for things you enjoy, and "je n'aime pas" (I don't like) for things you don’t enjoy.

Examples:

• J’aime jouer au foot. (I like to play soccer.)
• Je n’aime pas faire de la poterie. (I don’t like to do pottery.)

3. Making Simple Sentences

When discussing your hobbies, keep in mind the simple order of words in French: subject + verb + object. Here are some examples:

• Positive Sentences:

  • Je joue au tennis. (I play tennis.)
  • Nous faisons du vélo. (We ride bikes.)

• Negative Sentences:

  • Je ne regarde pas la télévision. (I don’t watch television.)
  • Il ne chante pas bien. (He doesn’t sing well.)

4. Asking Questions

To ask about hobbies and interests, use simple questions. Here are a couple of ways to ask:

• Qu’est-ce que tu aimes faire? (What do you like to do?)
• Quels sports est-ce que tu pratiques? (What sports do you practice?)

Sample Answers:

• J’aime jouer au basket. (I like to play basketball.)
• Je fais de la natation. (I swim.)

5. Sharing Opinions and Choices

After talking about your hobbies, you may want to share your thoughts or favorite activities. You can say "pour moi" (for me) and "je préfère" (I prefer) to give your opinion.

Examples:

• Pour moi, faire du vélo est plus amusant que faire du yoga. (For me, riding a bike is more fun than doing yoga.)
• Je préfère écouter de la musique plutôt qu'apprendre une nouvelle langue. (I prefer listening to music rather than learning a new language.)

Conclusion

By learning these words and sentence types, you can easily talk about your hobbies and interests in French. Make sure to practice with friends to get better!