Hobbies in French 50 Easy Words and Phrases for Beginners

Talking about hobbies is one of the easiest ways to sound like an actual human in French instead of a textbook wearing shoes. People ask about free time all the time: at school, at work, on dates, during language exchanges, and in those friendly little conversations before anyone knows what else to say.

The good news: French hobby vocabulary is very practical. A lot of it comes up with common verbs like aimer (to like), faire (to do), jouer (to play), and pratiquer (to practice). Learn a few hobby words, a few easy phrases, and suddenly you can say much more than “bonjour” and panic.

In this guide, you’ll learn 50 useful hobby words in French, 10 natural phrases, and the most common patterns for talking about what you like to do. If you want more beginner-friendly French, you can also explore French lessons here.

You do not need glamorous hobbies to sound interesting in French. You just need words for the hobbies you actually have.

Table of Contents

How To Talk About Hobbies In French

Before the big vocabulary list, here are the three most useful patterns:

J’aime… = I like…
Je fais… = I do…
Je joue à… = I play… (for games and many sports)

Examples:

J’aime la lecture. = I like reading.
Je fais du yoga. = I do yoga.
Je joue au tennis. = I play tennis.

A small grammar note that matters a lot: French often uses articles where English does not. So you usually say j’aime la musique, not just j’aime musique. French wants its little articles. It is clingy like that.

10 Useful French Phrases For Talking About Hobbies

French	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
Quel est ton passe-temps préféré ?	kel eh tohn pahs-tahn pray-fay-ray	What is your favorite hobby?	Quel est ton passe-temps préféré ? Moi, j’adore cuisiner.	What is your favorite hobby? Me, I love cooking.	Use ton with friends; use votre in polite situations.
J’aime lire.	zhem leer	I like reading.	J’aime lire le soir avant de dormir.	I like reading in the evening before sleeping.	After aimer, you can use an infinitive verb directly.
Je fais du sport.	zhuh feh du spor	I do sports / I exercise.	Je fais du sport trois fois par semaine.	I exercise three times a week.	Du is very common with sports and activities.
Je joue au tennis.	zhuh zhoo oh tehn-nees	I play tennis.	Le week-end, je joue au tennis avec des amis.	On weekends, I play tennis with friends.	Use jouer à for games and many sports.
Je pratique la danse.	zhuh pra-teek lah dahns	I practice dance / I do dance.	Depuis deux ans, je pratique la danse.	I’ve been doing dance for two years.	Pratiquer sounds a bit more formal than faire.
Pendant mon temps libre…	pahn-dahn mohn tahn leebr	In my free time…	Pendant mon temps libre, je regarde des films.	In my free time, I watch movies.	Very useful for conversations and writing.
Je m’intéresse à la photographie.	zhuh man-teh-res ah lah foh-toh-gra-fee	I’m interested in photography.	Je m’intéresse à la photographie depuis peu.	I’ve been interested in photography recently.	The apostrophe in m’intéresse is normal elision.
Je suis débutant(e).	zhuh swee day-boo-tahn(t)	I’m a beginner.	En guitare, je suis débutante, mais j’aime ça.	On guitar, I’m a beginner, but I like it.	Add -e in writing for a feminine speaker.
Je ne suis pas très sportif / sportive.	zhuh nuh swee pah tre spor-teef / spor-teev	I’m not very sporty.	Je ne suis pas très sportive, donc je préfère la lecture.	I’m not very sporty, so I prefer reading.	Classic negation: ne…pas.
Ça me détend.	sah muh day-tahn	It relaxes me.	Le dessin, ça me détend après le travail.	Drawing relaxes me after work.	Very natural for explaining why you like a hobby.

50 Easy Hobby Words In French

The table below gives you practical beginner vocabulary first: arts, sports, music, outdoor activities, and chill-at-home hobbies. These are the words you are most likely to use in real conversation.

French	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
la lecture	lah lek-toor	reading	La lecture m’aide à me détendre.	Reading helps me relax.	Feminine: la lecture.
l’écriture	lay-kree-toor	writing	J’aime l’écriture créative.	I like creative writing.	Starts with a vowel, so use l’.
le dessin	luh day-sanh	drawing	Je fais du dessin le dimanche.	I do drawing on Sundays.	Often used with faire.
la peinture	lah pehn-toor	painting	Ma sœur adore la peinture.	My sister loves painting.	Feminine noun.
la photographie	lah foh-toh-gra-fee	photography	Je m’intéresse à la photographie.	I’m interested in photography.	Very common in personal introductions.
la musique	lah moo-zeek	music	J’écoute de la musique tous les jours.	I listen to music every day.	With écouter, no preposition.
le chant	luh shahn	singing	Le chant me met de bonne humeur.	Singing puts me in a good mood.	Masculine noun.
la guitare	lah gee-tahr	guitar	Je joue de la guitare depuis un an.	I’ve been playing guitar for a year.	For instruments, use jouer de.
le piano	luh pya-no	piano	Mon grand-père joue du piano.	My grandfather plays the piano.	de + le = du.
la danse	lah dahns	dance	Je pratique la danse moderne.	I do modern dance.	Also common with faire de la danse.
le cinéma	luh see-nay-ma	cinema / film	J’adore le cinéma français.	I love French cinema.	Can refer to the art form, not just the building.
les films	lay film	movies	Je regarde souvent des films le soir.	I often watch movies in the evening.	Plural: les films.
les séries	lay say-ree	TV series	Mon hobby secret, c’est les séries policières.	My secret hobby is crime series.	Very common in everyday speech.
la cuisine	lah kwee-zeen	cooking	La cuisine est un de mes passe-temps préférés.	Cooking is one of my favorite hobbies.	Also means “kitchen” depending on context.
la pâtisserie	lah pah-tees-ree	baking / pastry making	Je fais de la pâtisserie avec ma mère.	I bake with my mother.	A very French-looking word, happily.
le jardinage	luh zhar-dee-nazh	gardening	Le jardinage me calme beaucoup.	Gardening calms me a lot.	Common hobby word for adults.
le bricolage	luh bree-koh-lazh	DIY / home repairs	Mon père aime le bricolage.	My father likes DIY.	Very common in France French.
la couture	lah koo-toor	sewing	Elle apprend la couture en ligne.	She is learning sewing online.	Useful for crafts vocabulary.
le tricot	luh tree-koh	knitting	Ma tante fait du tricot en hiver.	My aunt knits in winter.	Masculine noun.
les jeux vidéo	lay zhuh vee-day-oh	video games	Il aime les jeux vidéo de stratégie.	He likes strategy video games.	Plural phrase.
les échecs	lay-zay-shek	chess	Je joue aux échecs avec mon voisin.	I play chess with my neighbor.	Notice liaison in pronunciation.
les cartes	lay kart	card games / cards	On joue aux cartes après le dîner.	We play cards after dinner.	Often used in plural.
la randonnée	lah rahn-doh-nay	hiking	Nous faisons de la randonnée l’été.	We go hiking in summer.	Very common outdoor activity.
le camping	luh kahm-peeng	camping	Mes amis adorent le camping.	My friends love camping.	Borrowed-looking word, but normal French.
la pêche	lah pesh	fishing	Mon oncle fait de la pêche le matin.	My uncle goes fishing in the morning.	Do not confuse with la pêche = peach by context.
le vélo	luh vay-lo	cycling / bicycle	Je fais du vélo au parc.	I ride my bike in the park.	Can mean the bike itself too.
la natation	lah na-ta-syohn	swimming	La natation est bonne pour le dos.	Swimming is good for the back.	Formal noun; everyday speech also uses nager.
la course	lah koors	running	Je fais de la course avant le travail.	I go running before work.	Also means race or shopping in other contexts.
le jogging	luh zho-geeng	jogging	Le jogging, ce n’est pas pour moi.	Jogging is not for me.	Common and casual.
le yoga	luh yo-ga	yoga	Je fais du yoga pour me détendre.	I do yoga to relax.	Very useful beginner word.
la méditation	lah may-dee-ta-syohn	meditation	La méditation m’aide à me concentrer.	Meditation helps me focus.	Common in wellness topics.
le football	luh foot-bol	soccer / football	Mon frère joue au football.	My brother plays soccer.	In France, football means soccer.
le basket	luh bas-ket	basketball	Elle joue au basket au lycée.	She plays basketball in high school.	Short casual form of basket-ball.
le tennis	luh teh-nees	tennis	Je joue au tennis avec mon cousin.	I play tennis with my cousin.	Use au with jouer à + le.
le badminton	luh bad-meen-tohn	badminton	On fait du badminton le samedi.	We play badminton on Saturdays.	Often heard with faire in casual speech.
la musculation	lah moos-ku-la-syohn	weight training	Il fait de la musculation après les cours.	He does weight training after class.	Useful gym word.
la gymnastique	lah zheem-nas-teek	gymnastics	Ma fille aime la gymnastique.	My daughter likes gymnastics.	Feminine noun.
le voyage	luh vwah-yazh	travel	Le voyage est sa passion.	Travel is his passion.	More general than “trip.”
les promenades	lay proh-muh-nahd	walks	J’aime les longues promenades en ville.	I like long walks in the city.	Good soft, everyday hobby word.
la collection	lah koh-lek-syohn	collecting / collection	Sa passion, c’est la collection de timbres.	His hobby is stamp collecting.	Needs context for what is collected.
les timbres	lay tahnbr	stamps	Mon grand-père collectionne les timbres.	My grandfather collects stamps.	Classic hobby word.
les bandes dessinées	lay bahnd day-see-nay	comic books	Je lis des bandes dessinées françaises.	I read French comic books.	Often shortened to BD in speech.
le blog	luh blog	blogging / blog	Elle écrit un blog sur la mode.	She writes a blog about fashion.	Modern and straightforward.
les réseaux sociaux	lay ray-soh soh-syo	social media	Passer du temps sur les réseaux sociaux, ça compte un peu.	Spending time on social media kind of counts.	Not always called a hobby, but very real life.
l’apprentissage des langues	lah-prahn-tee-sazh day lahng	language learning	L’apprentissage des langues me passionne.	Language learning fascinates me.	Long phrase, but useful.
la lecture de mangas	lah lek-toor duh mahn-ga	reading manga	La lecture de mangas est très populaire.	Reading manga is very popular.	Great if your hobby is specific.
la décoration	lah day-koh-ra-syohn	decorating	J’aime la décoration intérieure.	I like interior decorating.	Useful home-related hobby word.
l’astronomie	las-troh-no-mee	astronomy	L’astronomie m’intéresse depuis l’enfance.	Astronomy has interested me since childhood.	Starts with a vowel, so l’.
le chant choral	luh shahn koh-ral	choir singing	Ma mère fait du chant choral.	My mother sings in a choir.	A bit more specific than le chant.
le théâtre	luh tay-ahtr	theater / acting	Je fais du théâtre à l’université.	I do theater at university.	Very common extracurricular hobby.
les sorties entre amis	lay sohr-tee ahn-tra mee	going out with friends	J’aime les sorties entre amis le week-end.	I like going out with friends on weekends.	Very natural conversational phrase.
les jeux de société	lay zhuh duh soh-syay-tay	board games	On adore les jeux de société quand il pleut.	We love board games when it rains.	Great everyday vocabulary.
la poterie	lah poh-tuh-ree	pottery	Elle commence la poterie cette année.	She is starting pottery this year.	Nice creative hobby word.

Useful Verbs That Go With Hobby Words

If you know the hobby word but not the verb pattern, your sentence can wobble a bit. Here are the main combinations beginners need:

Pattern	Meaning	French Example	English Translation	Learner Note
aimer + noun	to like something	J’aime la musique.	I like music.	Usually keep the article: la, le, les.
aimer + infinitive	to like doing something	J’aime lire.	I like reading.	Very easy and useful.
faire de / du / de la / de l’	to do an activity	Je fais du yoga.	I do yoga.	Use with many sports and activities.
jouer à + activity/game	to play a sport or game	Je joue au tennis.	I play tennis.	à + le = au, à + les = aux.
jouer de + instrument	to play an instrument	Elle joue du piano.	She plays piano.	de + le = du, de + la stays the same.
pratiquer + noun	to practice an activity	Il pratique la natation.	He practices swimming.	Slightly more formal or sporty.

Mini Examples You Can Reuse Right Away

J’aime la photographie parce que ça me détend. = I like photography because it relaxes me.
Je fais du vélo le week-end. = I ride my bike on weekends.
Je joue de la guitare depuis six mois. = I’ve been playing guitar for six months.
Pendant mon temps libre, je lis et je cuisine. = In my free time, I read and cook.
Je ne suis pas très sportif, mais j’aime les promenades. = I’m not very sporty, but I like walks.
Mon passe-temps préféré, c’est le dessin. = My favorite hobby is drawing.

Common Mistakes And Easy Fixes

Wrong: J’aime musique. Correct: J’aime la musique.
French usually keeps the article.
Wrong: Je joue la guitare. Correct: Je joue de la guitare.
Use jouer de for instruments.
Wrong: Je fais tennis. Correct: Je joue au tennis.
Tennis normally goes with jouer à.
Wrong: Je suis intéressé à la photo. Correct: Je m’intéresse à la photo / Je suis intéressé par la photo.
Two different structures.
Wrong: Je fais de le yoga. Correct: Je fais du yoga.
de + le = du.

A Quick Note On Pronunciation

A few hobby words have classic French pronunciation traps:

dessin sounds roughly like “day-sanh,” not “dess-in.”
peinture has that French nasal sound in the middle; just aim for “pehn-toor.” Good enough to start.
randonnée ends like “nay,” not “need.”
échecs often has liaison after les: les échecs sounds like “lay-zay-shek.”
j’aime and m’intéresse show elision: French drops the vowel before another vowel sound. Very normal, very French, very not optional.

If you want to get more comfortable using vocabulary in actual conversation, this conversational French guide is a smart next step.

Practice: Talk About Your Hobbies In French

Try answering these in French:

Quel est ton passe-temps préféré ?
Qu’est-ce que tu fais pendant ton temps libre ?
Tu joues d’un instrument ?
Tu fais du sport ?
Pourquoi tu aimes cette activité ?

Simple model answers:

Mon passe-temps préféré, c’est la lecture.
Pendant mon temps libre, je regarde des films et je fais du yoga.
Oui, je joue de la guitare.
Non, je ne suis pas très sportif.
J’aime cette activité parce que ça me détend.

Related French You’ll Actually Use

Hobbies often connect with feelings, opinions, and self-introductions. So if you want to say not just what you do, but how it makes you feel, learning emotions in French helps a lot.

And if you want to check whether this vocabulary is at your level, try the French placement test or the French vocabulary test. If you want to stay focused on this topic, you can also revisit this hobbies in French page.

Quick Reference Summary

Use J’aime + noun: J’aime la danse.
Use J’aime + infinitive: J’aime danser.
Use faire de / du / de la / de l’ for many activities: Je fais du yoga.
Use jouer à for sports and games: Je joue au tennis.
Use jouer de for instruments: Je joue du piano.
Keep articles with hobby nouns: la musique, le dessin, les films.

Yak takeaway: if you can say what you like doing in French, you can already hold a surprisingly normal conversation. Start with two or three hobbies you genuinely have, learn the right verb pattern, and repeat them until they feel easy. No fake love of pottery required. Unless you do love pottery. In that case, j’aime la poterie is ready and waiting.