When we meet new people, discussing hobbies and interests is a great way to learn more about each other. This lesson offers useful phrases and tips to talk about hobbies in English, helping you start engaging conversations and discover shared pastimes.
Previous Conversation Tip Lesson
Conversation in Restaurant in English
How to Say your Hobbies in English
Here are some phrases you can use to discuss hobbies.
Questions you can ask
- What do you like doing?
- What sort of hobbies do you have?
- What do you get up to in your free time?
How to reply
- 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 photography.
- I’m really into mathematics.
Talking about hobbies in more detail
You can give more information about your hobbies and interests:
- I like arts and crafts. I’m a creative / practical person, and like doing things with my hands.
- I’m an outgoing person, and like socializing / hanging out with friends.
- I enjoy being physically active, and spend a lot of time playing sports and team games.
Saying why you like your hobby
You can also explain why you spend time on your hobby to make the conversation longer and more interesting.
- I really enjoy going to the cinema because…
…it keeps me amused.
…it gets me out of the house, you know!
…it’s sociable. I’ve met lots of new people.
…it gives me something interesting to do with my time.
…it’s not very expensive, and anyone can do it!
- My hobbies are all creative…
… I’ve always enjoyed painting and drawing.
… Because my job is technical, it’s good to spend time doing something completely different.
… I enjoy spending time making things like clothes.
8 words for describing your hobbies
- creative
- fascinating
- practical
- cheap
- enjoyable
- relaxing
- different
- unusual
Like doing vs like to do
We use like + gerund (ing form) to talk about general likes:
- I like watching horror films.
We use like + infinitive to talk about more specific likes:
- I like to watch horror films at the weekend.
Conclusion
Ready to share your passions with the world? Use this lesson to practice talking about your hobbies in English. You’ll be surprised how much you can learn about others – and yourself – when you open up about what you love to do! So, next time you meet someone new, don’t hesitate to explore their hobbies and share your own – you might just find a new friend with similar interests!
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