When you want to get to know someone, asking about their hobbies and interests is a great way to start. Talking about hobbies means you can share details about yourself and discover shared interests and free-time activities. In this blog post, we will discuss how to talk about your hobbies in English. We will provide you with some useful phrases that you can use to express your hobbies and interests.
Hobbies in English
Everyone has some kind of hobby or something they like to do in their free time. Some people like to learn foreign languages, some like to paint or draw, but it can also be something simple like watching movies or TV series, or playing video games. There are many different hobbies we could get involved in; they add fun and variety to our lives.
Some common hobbies
Cooking
Working out
Traveling
Painting
Photography
Chilling with friends
Eating out
Writing
Playing an instrument
Fishing
Blogging
Gardening
Drawing
Sewing
Talking about personal interests
We can share our personal interests with various steps that eventually help us to speak about ourselves and eventually build our personal communication material. These steps are:
Starting with simple sentences
We can do this by forming sentences like these:
I like to watch .
I love to go hiking .
I like to relax at home .
Adding more details
We can do this by forming sentences like these:
I go to the gym 3 times a week when I’m not too busy at work .
I go swimming maybe twice a month to relax and not spend too much money .
Add details
We can do this by adding additional information to our sentences like these:
I go to the gym down the street from my house after or before work if I’m not too busy.
I like to go to the park to do my paintings and drawings because it’s more relaxing.
I usually go to the beach in Antalya about once a month to get away from work.
Add more details
We can do this by adding additional information to our sentences like these:
I started going to the gym this year to improve my health
My best friend loves to hike so started going with her and I absolutely loved it
I’ve always loved traveling since I was very young, so I try to travel somewhere at least once a month
I used to play soccer in middle school and I haven’t stopped since then
Talking about the hobbies we don’t like
We can do this by adding additional information about why we don’t prefer to do these activities to our sentences like these:
I hate going to the gym because it’s too crowded but I like to workout outside or at home
I don’t like hiking because I always get lost, I’d rather go to the gym
Hobbies in English: Questions and Answers
When in a conversation, people might ask you about your hobbies and personal interest to get to know you more. These questions are extremely helpful to improve your English speaking skills. Here are the example questions:
Questions:
What are you into?
What are your hobbies/interests?
What do you do in your free time?
Do you have any hobbies?
What’s your favorite hobby?
Answers:
Answering these questions will help you get into the conversations and express yourself better by giving personal information and sharing things about yourself. Here are the example answers:
In my free time I…
When I have some spare time I…
When I get the time, I…
I relax by watching TV / listening to music, etc.
My hobbies are bird-watching / playing sports, etc.
I’m interested in (+ noun / gerund)
I’m keen on (+ noun / gerund)
I’m into (+ noun / gerund)
I enjoy (+ noun / gerund)
You can add “really” or “quite” after “I’m…” for emphasis:
“I’m really keen on football.”
“I’m really into music.”
Frequently Asked Questions About Talking about Hobbies and Interests in English
What are the examples of common hobbies?
Cooking
Working out
Traveling
Painting
Photography
What are hobbies?
Some people like to learn foreign languages, some like to paint or draw, but it can also be something simple like watching movies or TV series, or playing video games. There are many different hobbies we could get involved in; they add fun and variety to our lives.
What are example questions when talking about hobbies?
What are you into?
What are your hobbies/interests?
What do you do in your free time?
Do you have any hobbies?
What’s your favorite hobby?
How to speak English confidently?
Most English speakers will be happy to hear you use English, and they will be patient and helpful. Just like everything else, the more you practice speaking, the better you will be. Knowing this will help you speak confidently.
Talking about Hobbies and Interests in English: Would you like to put into practice what you have learned about Talking about Hobbies and Interests in English? If you wish, you can explore over 20,000 interactive video lessons on EnglishCentral, improve your vocabulary, and practice pronunciation. Alternatively, during live 1-on-1 English lessons, you can review what you have learned with your personal English tutor. How about signing up for EnglishCentral and starting to learn English right away?
