Hobbies in Traditional Chinese: 80+ Words & Phrases

Want to talk about what you do for fun in Traditional Chinese (繁體中文) without sounding like a textbook wrote your personality? Yep.

Below you’ll get high-utility hobby words, plus ready-to-steal phrases for small talk. Every item includes Traditional Chinese characters, pinyin (with tone marks), an English meaning, and a real example sentence.

Yak Snark: If you only memorize one sentence, make it “我很喜歡…” — it’s basically the duct tape of hobby conversations.

Starter pack: 8 hobbies you’ll actually say

Tap the 🔊 to hear Taiwan Mandarin (zh-TW). Audio uses Hanzi, not pinyin—because your browser is not a wizard.

看電影

kàn diànyǐng

watch movies

我週末喜歡看電影。

Wǒ zhōumò xǐhuān kàn diànyǐng.

I like watching movies on weekends.

聽音樂

tīng yīnyuè

listen to music

我通勤的時候會聽音樂。

Wǒ tōngqín de shíhòu huì tīng yīnyuè.

I listen to music when I commute.

旅行

lǚxíng

travel

我一年會旅行兩次。

Wǒ yìnián huì lǚxíng liǎng cì.

I travel twice a year.

運動

yùndòng

exercise / work out

我下班後會去運動。

Wǒ xiàbān hòu huì qù yùndòng.

I work out after work.

烹飪

pēngrèn

cook (more “cooking” than “heating noodles”)

我喜歡在家烹飪。

Wǒ xǐhuān zài jiā pēngrèn.

I like cooking at home.

讀書

dúshū

read / study (context decides)

睡前我會讀書半小時。

Shuìqián wǒ huì dúshū bàn xiǎoshí.

I read for half an hour before bed.

打電動

dǎ diàndòng

play video games

我朋友週五晚上會打電動。

Wǒ péngyǒu Zhōuwǔ wǎnshàng huì dǎ diàndòng.

My friend plays video games on Friday nights.

拍照

pāizhào

take photos

我出門旅行一定會拍照。

Wǒ chūmén lǚxíng yídìng huì pāizhào.

When I travel, I always take photos.

Useful hobby talk: phrases you can copy-paste

These are the lines that keep a conversation alive. Each one includes a ready example so you’re not left staring at your brain like it owes you money.

你的興趣是什麼？

Nǐ de xìngqù shì shénme?

What are your hobbies?

你的興趣是什麼？你喜歡做什麼？

Nǐ de xìngqù shì shénme? Nǐ xǐhuān zuò shénme?

What are your hobbies? What do you like to do?

我最大的興趣是…

Wǒ zuìdà de xìngqù shì…

My biggest hobby is…

我最大的興趣是拍照。

Wǒ zuìdà de xìngqù shì pāizhào.

My biggest hobby is taking photos.

我很喜歡…

Wǒ hěn xǐhuān…

I really like…

我很喜歡看影集。

Wǒ hěn xǐhuān kàn yǐngjí.

I really like watching TV series.

我對…很有興趣。

Wǒ duì… hěn yǒu xìngqù.

I’m really interested in…

我對園藝很有興趣。

Wǒ duì yuányì hěn yǒu xìngqù.

I’m really interested in gardening.

我最近迷上了…

Wǒ zuìjìn míshàng le…

Recently I got hooked on…

我最近迷上了烘焙。

Wǒ zuìjìn míshàng le hōngbèi.

Recently I got hooked on baking.

週末我通常會…

Zhōumò wǒ tōngcháng huì…

On weekends I usually…

週末我通常會去健行。

Zhōumò wǒ tōngcháng huì qù jiànxíng.

On weekends I usually go hiking.

有空的時候我會…

Yǒu kòng de shíhòu wǒ huì…

When I have time, I…

有空的時候我會看漫畫。

Yǒu kòng de shíhòu wǒ huì kàn mànhuà.

When I have time, I read comics.

你要不要一起…？

Nǐ yào bú yào yìqǐ…?

Do you want to… together?

你要不要一起去露營？

Nǐ yào bú yào yìqǐ qù lùyíng?

Do you want to go camping together?

我不太會，但想試試看。

Wǒ bú tài huì, dàn xiǎng shìshi kàn.

I’m not very good at it, but I want to try.

我不太會下棋，但想試試看。

Wǒ bú tài huì xiàqí, dàn xiǎng shìshi kàn.

I’m not great at chess, but I want to try.

這是我放鬆的方法。

Zhè shì wǒ fàngsōng de fāngfǎ.

This is how I relax.

聽音樂是我放鬆的方法。

Tīng yīnyuè shì wǒ fàngsōng de fāngfǎ.

Listening to music is how I relax.

我正在學…

Wǒ zhèngzài xué…

I’m currently learning…

我正在學彈吉他。

Wǒ zhèngzài xué tán jítā.

I’m currently learning to play guitar.

我想把它當成長期嗜好。

Wǒ xiǎng bǎ tā dāngchéng chángqí shìhào.

I want to make it a long-term hobby.

我想把園藝當成長期嗜好。

Wǒ xiǎng bǎ yuányì dāngchéng chángqí shìhào.

I want to make gardening a long-term hobby.

Quick language hack: 做 vs. 玩 vs. 打

做 is “do/make” (做手工, 做甜點). 玩 is “play” (玩桌遊, 玩拼圖). 打 shows up with lots of sports/games (打籃球, 打麻將, 打牌). You don’t need a grammar lecture—just copy the patterns.

More hobby vocabulary (grouped, so your brain doesn’t rage-quit)

Creative hobbies & making stuff

Traditional	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH)	Translation (EN)
畫畫	huàhuà	draw / paint	我下雨天會在家畫畫。 Wǒ xiàyǔtiān huì zài jiā huàhuà.	On rainy days, I draw at home.
素描	sùmiáo	sketching	我最近在學素描人物。 Wǒ zuìjìn zài xué sùmiáo rénwù.	Recently I’m learning figure sketching.
書法	shūfǎ	calligraphy	我每週練一次書法。 Wǒ měi zhōu liàn yí cì shūfǎ.	I practice calligraphy once a week.
做手工	zuò shǒugōng	do crafts	我喜歡做手工送朋友。 Wǒ xǐhuān zuò shǒugōng sòng péngyǒu.	I like making crafts to give friends.
編織	biānzhī	knitting / weaving	冬天我會編織圍巾。 Dōngtiān wǒ huì biānzhī wéijīn.	In winter, I knit scarves.
縫紉	féngrèn	sewing	我會縫紉，所以衣服破了不怕。 Wǒ huì féngrèn, suǒyǐ yīfú pò le bú pà.	I can sew, so torn clothes don’t scare me.
做陶	zuò táo	pottery	我週末去工作室做陶。 Wǒ zhōumò qù gōngzuòshì zuò táo.	I go to a studio to do pottery on weekends.
插花	chāhuā	flower arranging	我學插花是為了放鬆。 Wǒ xué chāhuā shì wèile fàngsōng.	I learn flower arranging to relax.
剪影片	jiǎn yǐngpiàn	edit videos	我會剪影片做旅行回憶。 Wǒ huì jiǎn yǐngpiàn zuò lǚxíng huíyì.	I edit videos to keep travel memories.
寫小說	xiě xiǎoshuō	write fiction	我晚上會寫小說一小段。 Wǒ wǎnshàng huì xiě xiǎoshuō yì xiǎoduàn.	At night I write a short bit of fiction.

Music & performance

Traditional	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH)	Translation (EN)
彈吉他	tán jítā	play guitar	我正在學彈吉他。 Wǒ zhèngzài xué tán jítā.	I’m learning guitar.
彈鋼琴	tán gāngqín	play piano	我小時候學過彈鋼琴。 Wǒ xiǎoshíhòu xué guò tán gāngqín.	I learned piano when I was young.
拉小提琴	lā xiǎotíqín	play violin	她每週都會拉小提琴。 Tā měi zhōu dōu huì lā xiǎotíqín.	She plays violin every week.
打鼓	dǎ gǔ	play drums	我想學打鼓，但鄰居可能不想。 Wǒ xiǎng xué dǎ gǔ, dàn línjū kěnéng bù xiǎng.	I want to learn drums, but my neighbors probably don’t.
唱歌	chànggē	sing	我洗澡的時候會唱歌。 Wǒ xǐzǎo de shíhòu huì chànggē.	I sing when I shower.
跳舞	tiàowǔ	dance	她下班後會去跳舞課。 Tā xiàbān hòu huì qù tiàowǔ kè.	She goes to a dance class after work.
去KTV	qù KTV	go to karaoke	我們週末常常去KTV。 Wǒmen zhōumò chángcháng qù KTV.	We often go to karaoke on weekends.
看表演	kàn biǎoyǎn	watch a performance	我喜歡看現場表演。 Wǒ xǐhuān kàn xiànchǎng biǎoyǎn.	I like watching live performances.
去演唱會	qù yǎnchànghuì	go to a concert	我一年會去兩次演唱會。 Wǒ yìnián huì qù liǎng cì yǎnchànghuì.	I go to concerts twice a year.
練習樂器	liànxí yuèqì	practice an instrument	我每天會練習樂器十分鐘。 Wǒ měitiān huì liànxí yuèqì shífēnzhōng.	I practice an instrument for 10 minutes a day.

Sports & movement

Traditional	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH)	Translation (EN)
跑步	pǎobù	run / jogging	我早上會去公園跑步。 Wǒ zǎoshàng huì qù gōngyuán pǎobù.	I go running in the park in the morning.
健身	jiànshēn	work out / fitness	我一週健身三次。 Wǒ yì zhōu jiànshēn sān cì.	I work out three times a week.
瑜伽	yújiā	yoga	我做瑜伽讓肩膀放鬆。 Wǒ zuò yújiā ràng jiānbǎng fàngsōng.	I do yoga to relax my shoulders.
游泳	yóuyǒng	swim	夏天我喜歡去游泳。 Xiàtiān wǒ xǐhuān qù yóuyǒng.	In summer, I like going swimming.
騎腳踏車	qí jiǎotàchē	ride a bike	我週末會騎腳踏車到河邊。 Wǒ zhōumò huì qí jiǎotàchē dào hébiān.	On weekends, I bike to the riverside.
打籃球	dǎ lánqiú	play basketball	我們下班後會去打籃球。 Wǒmen xiàbān hòu huì qù dǎ lánqiú.	We go play basketball after work.
打羽毛球	dǎ yǔmáoqiú	play badminton	我跟同事每週打羽毛球。 Wǒ gēn tóngshì měi zhōu dǎ yǔmáoqiú.	I play badminton with coworkers weekly.
打網球	dǎ wǎngqiú	play tennis	他最近開始打網球。 Tā zuìjìn kāishǐ dǎ wǎngqiú.	He recently started playing tennis.
爬山	páshān	climb a mountain	天氣好我們就去爬山。 Tiānqì hǎo wǒmen jiù qù páshān.	If the weather’s good, we go hiking up a mountain.
健行	jiànxíng	hiking (more “hike” than “walk”)	我喜歡在森林步道健行。 Wǒ xǐhuān zài sēnlín bùdào jiànxíng.	I like hiking on forest trails.

Games & media

Traditional	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH)	Translation (EN)
玩桌遊	wán zhuōyóu	play board games	我們聚會都會玩桌遊。 Wǒmen jùhuì dōu huì wán zhuōyóu.	At gatherings, we always play board games.
下棋	xiàqí	play chess / board chess games	我爸喜歡下棋。 Wǒ bà xǐhuān xiàqí.	My dad likes playing chess.
打麻將	dǎ májiàng	play mahjong	過年很多人會打麻將。 Guònián hěnduō rén huì dǎ májiàng.	During Lunar New Year, many people play mahjong.
玩拼圖	wán pīntú	do jigsaw puzzles	下雨天我會在家玩拼圖。 Xiàyǔtiān wǒ huì zài jiā wán pīntú.	On rainy days, I do puzzles at home.
打牌	dǎ pái	play cards	我們晚餐後會打牌。 Wǒmen wǎncān hòu huì dǎ pái.	We play cards after dinner.
看影集	kàn yǐngjí	watch TV series	我喜歡邊吃飯邊看影集。 Wǒ xǐhuān biān chīfàn biān kàn yǐngjí.	I like watching series while eating.
追劇	zhuī jù	binge / follow a show	我最近在追劇，睡得比較晚。 Wǒ zuìjìn zài zhuī jù, shuì de bǐjiào wǎn.	I’ve been bingeing shows lately, so I sleep later.
看漫畫	kàn mànhuà	read comics	我從小就愛看漫畫。 Wǒ cóngxiǎo jiù ài kàn mànhuà.	I’ve loved reading comics since I was little.
看動畫	kàn dònghuà	watch anime/animation	我週末會看動畫放鬆。 Wǒ zhōumò huì kàn dònghuà fàngsōng.	I watch anime/animation on weekends to relax.
玩角色扮演遊戲	wán juésè bànyǎn yóuxì	play RPGs	我喜歡玩角色扮演遊戲，劇情很重要。 Wǒ xǐhuān wán juésè bànyǎn yóuxì, jùqíng hěn zhòngyào.	I like RPGs; story matters a lot.

Outdoors & nature

Traditional	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH)	Translation (EN)
露營	lùyíng	camping	我們春天會去露營。 Wǒmen chūntiān huì qù lùyíng.	We go camping in spring.
釣魚	diàoyú	fishing	我爸清晨會去釣魚。 Wǒ bà qīngchén huì qù diàoyú.	My dad goes fishing at dawn.
野餐	yěcān	picnic	天氣好的時候我們會去野餐。 Tiānqì hǎo de shíhòu wǒmen huì qù yěcān.	When the weather is nice, we go on picnics.
觀星	guānxīng	stargazing	我想去山上觀星。 Wǒ xiǎng qù shānshàng guānxīng.	I want to go stargazing in the mountains.
賞鳥	shǎngniǎo	birdwatching	他帶望遠鏡去賞鳥。 Tā dài wàngyuǎnjìng qù shǎngniǎo.	He brings binoculars for birdwatching.
賞花	shǎnghuā	flower viewing	春天大家都去賞花。 Chūntiān dàjiā dōu qù shǎnghuā.	In spring, everyone goes flower viewing.
看夕陽	kàn xīyáng	watch the sunset	我喜歡在海邊看夕陽。 Wǒ xǐhuān zài hǎibiān kàn xīyáng.	I like watching sunsets by the sea.
去海邊	qù hǎibiān	go to the beach	夏天我常常去海邊。 Xiàtiān wǒ chángcháng qù hǎibiān.	In summer, I often go to the beach.
園藝	yuányì	gardening	園藝讓我心情變好。 Yuányì ràng wǒ xīnqíng biàn hǎo.	Gardening improves my mood.
養多肉	yǎng duōròu	grow succulents	我在陽台養多肉。 Wǒ zài yángtái yǎng duōròu.	I grow succulents on my balcony.

Food, home & nerdy builds

Traditional	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH)	Translation (EN)
烘焙	hōngbèi	baking	我週末會烘焙麵包。 Wǒ zhōumò huì hōngbèi miànbāo.	I bake bread on weekends.
做甜點	zuò tiándiǎn	make desserts	我生日會自己做甜點。 Wǒ shēngrì huì zìjǐ zuò tiándiǎn.	On my birthday, I make desserts myself.
泡咖啡	pào kāfēi	brew coffee	我早上喜歡自己泡咖啡。 Wǒ zǎoshàng xǐhuān zìjǐ pào kāfēi.	I like brewing my own coffee in the morning.
泡茶	pào chá	brew tea	我晚上會泡茶聊天。 Wǒ wǎnshàng huì pào chá liáotiān.	In the evening I brew tea and chat.
研究食譜	yánjiū shípǔ	study recipes	我喜歡研究食譜再自己改。 Wǒ xǐhuān yánjiū shípǔ zài zìjǐ gǎi.	I like studying recipes and then tweaking them.
種菜	zhòng cài	grow vegetables	我在陽台種菜，很療癒。 Wǒ zài yángtái zhòng cài, hěn liáoyù.	I grow veggies on the balcony—very soothing.
拼樂高	pīn Lègāo	build LEGO	我壓力大就會拼樂高。 Wǒ yālì dà jiù huì pīn Lègāo.	When I’m stressed, I build LEGO.
做模型	zuò móxíng	build models	我週末會做模型到很晚。 Wǒ zhōumò huì zuò móxíng dào hěn wǎn.	On weekends, I build models until late.
木工	mùgōng	woodworking	我想學木工，做一張小桌子。 Wǒ xiǎng xué mùgōng, zuò yì zhāng xiǎo zhuōzi.	I want to learn woodworking and make a small table.
3D列印	sān D lièyìn	3D printing	我用3D列印做小零件。 Wǒ yòng sān D lièyìn zuò xiǎo língjiàn.	I use 3D printing to make small parts.

Optional “say it nicer” variants

Traditional	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH)	Translation (EN)
興趣	xìngqù	interest / hobby	我的興趣是拍照。 Wǒ de xìngqù shì pāizhào.	My hobby is photography.
嗜好	shìhào	hobby (a bit more “habit/thing you’re into”)	我有個小嗜好：泡茶。 Wǒ yǒu gè xiǎo shìhào: pào chá.	I have a little hobby: brewing tea.
熱愛	rè’ài	be passionate about	他很熱愛運動。 Tā hěn rè’ài yùndòng.	He’s really passionate about exercising/sports.
迷上	míshàng	get hooked on	我迷上了看影集。 Wǒ míshàng le kàn yǐngjí.	I got hooked on watching TV series.
放鬆	fàngsōng	relax	我靠音樂放鬆。 Wǒ kào yīnyuè fàngsōng.	I relax with music.

Yak Snark: If someone says their hobby is “睡覺” (sleeping), don’t judge. Just nod and say “聽起來很舒服。” Your social life will survive.