Everyone has hobbies that they enjoy doing in their free time. Maybe you're a gamer, a writer, or love playing sports with friends? Talking about hobbies with others is a great way to get to know them and to let them know who you are.

In the tables below, you'll find lots of phrases that will be useful when talking about hobbies. Check them out and improve your English skills!

Asking About Someone's Hobbies

In this table we have collected several useful questions that you can use to ask about somebody else's hobbies. Use them to start a conversation or to learn more about someone else!
What do you like to do in your free time?
What do you do for fun?
What kind of hobbies do you have?
What are your hobbies?
What are you interested in?
What are you into?
Do you play video games?
How do you usually pass the time?
How often do you read?
Have you ever tried skateboarding?
What do you like to do in your free time?
This is one of the most common ways to ask someone what kind of hobbies they have. Another way to form this question is What do you like to do in your spare time?. In general, both spare time and free time mean the same thing. To answer either of these questions, a person would simply say what they do in their free time. Here is an example I like reading books.
What are you into?
This is an English slang phrase, and is simply another way to ask What are you interested in?. You can use it to find out what kind of things somebody likes or what kind of things they like to do. Because this phrase is slang, you should only use it in very informal settings with close friends or family. An example response to this question is I'm into making music.
How do you usually pass the time?
This is an English idiom and is a casual way of asking someone how they spend a specific period of time. For example, let's say that you and a coworker have an hour-long break. You could ask them this question to find out what they do with their spare time. They might respond with something like I like to get a cup of coffee and sit in the park

Talking About Your Hobbies

Here you'll find lots of example phrases on how to talk about your own hobbies. Use them in your next conversation about hobbies and as an inspiration for your own sentences!
I like to play soccer in my free time.
I like watching TV.
I enjoy cooking.
I love to play guitar.
I'm interested in foreign languages.
I'm into horror movies.
I really like hiking.
I like to play soccer in my free time
One of the most common ways to tell someone about your hobbies is to say what you like to do in your free time. You can do this by using the sentence pattern I like to + ACTIVITY + in my free time. In response, someone might ask another question, like How long have you been playing soccer?.
I like watching TV
If someone asks you what you like to do in your spare time, you can respond by using the sentence pattern I like + ACTIVITY. Note that in this pattern, your verb has to be in the present-progressive tense, meaning watching, not watch. Somebody might respond to our example sentence by asking another question, like What's your favorite show?.
I love to play guitar
When you want to tell someone what you really like to do in your free time, you can use the sentence pattern I love to + ACTIVITY. In response, someone might ask more questions about your hobby, like Do you play in a band?.
I'm interested in foreign languages
To tell someone about your interests, you can use the sentence pattern I'm interested in + THING. By using this pattern, you could name just one thing, or you could list several things. A response to our example sentence might be a follow-up question like What languages do you speak?.
I'm into horror movies
If you are in an informal situation talking to friends and want to tell someone what you are interested in, then you can use the sentence pattern I'm into + THING. This is a slang construction, which means you probably shouldn't use this with your boss or in other formal contexts. In comparison, the sentence pattern I'm interested in + THING is much more neutral and can be used in every situation. A possible response to our example sentence is What's the scariest movie you've ever watched?.

Relax while Listening to the Phrases

Keep calm and learn English! Listen to the phrases again with relaxing background music. This will help you improve your listening skills and remember the phrases. Choose your favorite style, then kick back and relax!


Relax with Meditative Music



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Relax with the Sounds of Nature: Wind

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Phrases
Dialogue
Phrases
Dialogue
Dialogue

Practice & Record a Dialogue

Take the next step and use what you’ve learned! Check out this topic’s dialogue unit and practice the phrases in a variety of exercises. Test your knowledge and get ready for real life conversations!
What do you like to do in your free time?en
I like reading, and in the summer, I also enjoy hiking in the mountains.en
I really like reading too! What is your favorite book?en

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most essential English phrases for talking about hobbies?
  • What do you like to do in your free time?
  • What kind of hobbies do you have?
  • What are you interested in?
  • Do you play video games?
  • I like to play soccer in my free time.
  • I enjoy cooking.
  • I love to play guitar.
  • I'm interested in foreign languages.
How do I tell someone what I like to do as a hobby?
The following sentence patterns can be used to tell someone what you like to do as a hobby:

I like to + ACTIVITY + in my free time.
  • I like to play soccer in my free time.
  • I like to read in my free time.
  • I like to play video games in my free time.


I like + ACTIVITY.
  • I like watching TV.
  • I like writing stories.
  • I like playing soccer.


I love to + ACTIVITY.
  • I love to play guitar.
  • I love to listen to music.
  • I love to draw.
How do I talk about the things I'm interested in?
Here are two ways you can tell someone what you are interested in:

I'm interested in + THING.
  • I'm interested in foreign languages.
  • I'm interested in punk music.
  • I'm interested in history.


I'm into + THING.
  • I'm into horror movies.
  • I'm into video games.
  • I'm into classical music.

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