45+ Easy Hobbies In French To Improve Your Vocabulary!

Would you like to know some hobbies in French? As part of the introduction, you are often asked what you like to do in your free time, and if you want to understand and reply correctly, it is useful to improve your vocabulary with hobby words.

In addition, if you ever visit a French-speaking country or interact with French speakers, knowing how to talk about hobbies in French can help you communicate better and connect with people who share similar interests.

Keep reading to learn the most common hobbies in French.

How Do You Say Hobbies In French?

In French, the word for “hobbies” is “les passe-temps” or “les loisirs“.

• “Les passe-temps” is more commonly used to refer to leisure activities, while
• “Les loisirs” is a broader term that can include hobbies, sports, and other leisure activities.

For example:

• Mes passe-temps préférés sont la lecture et la randonnée – My favorite hobbies are reading and hiking
• 🔊 Play Mes passe-temps préférés sont la lecture et la randonnée
• Les loisirs créatifs sont très populaires en France – Creative hobbies are very popular in France.
• 🔊 Play Les loisirs créatifs sont très populaires en France
• Pendant mon temps libre, j’aime regarder la télévision – In my spare time i like to watch TV
• 🔊 Play <strong>Pendant mon temps libre, j’aime regarder la télévision</strong>
• Quels sont tes loisirs? – What are your hobbies?
• 🔊 Play Quels sont tes loisirs

Indoor French Hobbies And Their Meaning

Learning vocabulary related to hobbies in French can help you expand your French vocabulary and practice using the language. In addition, knowing about French hobbies can help you understand more about French culture and popular activities there.

Moreover, if you are interested in working in fields related to hobbies, such as art, music, or sports, being able to talk about these topics can be a valuable skill. It may open up more opportunities for you.

Here are the most common indoor French hobbies:

For example:

• Faire de la lecture – Reading
• 🔊 Play Faire de la lecture
• Ils jouent aux cartes – They play cards
• 🔊 Play Ils jouent aux cartes
• Jouer aux jeux vidéos – Play video games
• 🔊 Play Jouer aux jeux vidéos

Outdoor French Hobbies And Their Meaning

If you are into outdoor hobbies or if you like to learn how to say them in French, here are some of the most common outdoor activities:

Sports That Can Be Hobbies In French

Most sports are practiced as hobbies. Here are some sports that people can do in their free time in French with their translations:

These are just a few examples; people can do many other sports and physical activities in their free time.

Example:

• J’aime jouer au tennis – I like to play tennis
• 🔊 Play J’aime jouer au tennis
• Il joue au football – He plays football
• 🔊 Play Il joue au football
• Faire du jogging – To jog
• 🔊 Play Faire du jogging
• Jouer au tennis est bon pour le corps – Playing tennis is good for the body
• 🔊 Play Jouer au tennis est bon pour le corps

How To Describe Which Hobby You Practice

To describe hobbies in French, you must use a different sentence structure with a different verb depending on the circumstances.

Describe A Hobby You Are Doing

When discussing a hobby you are doing or currently engaged in, and you can use the French verb “faire” (to do/make).

For example:

• Je fais du yoga – I do/make yoga
• 🔊 Play Je fais du yoga
• Nous faisons de la randonnée – We do/make hiking
• 🔊 Play Nous faisons de la randonnée
• Il fait de la photo – He does/makes photography
• 🔊 Play Il fait de la photo
• Elle fait du jardinage – She does/makes gardening
• 🔊 Play Elle fait du jardinage

So, “faire” is a versatile verb used to discuss various hobbies and activities.

Describe A Sport You Are Practicing

When talking about sports in French, you can use the verb “jouer au” (to play) or “pratiquer” (to practice), depending on the context.

Here are some examples of how to use these verbs in sentences:

• Je joue au basket-ball – I play basket
• 🔊 Play Je joue au basket-ball
• Nous pratiquons le football – We practice football
• 🔊 Play Nous pratiquons le football
• Elle pratique la gymnastique – She practices gymnastics
• 🔊 Play Elle pratique la gymnastique

So, “jouer” is typically used for team sports or games, while “pratiquer” is used for individual sports or activities that involve more practice or training.

Describe A Game You Are Playing

To say “I play a game” in French, you could use the following sentence structure:

Je joue à un jeu – I play a game

In summary:

• “je” means “I”
• “joue” means “play”
• “à” means “at/to”
• “un jeu” means “a game”

So, when you put it all together, “Je joue à un jeu” literally translates to “I play at/to a game” in English.

What Are The Most Common Hobbies Of French People?

French people have a wide variety of hobbies, but here are some of the most common ones:

1. Cuisine (cooking)
2. Jardinage (gardening)
3. Sports (various types, including football, basketball, handball, tennis, and pétanque)
4. Arts plastiques (plastic arts, including painting, drawing, and sculpture)
5. Musique (music, including playing instruments and attending concerts)
6. Lecture (reading)
7. Jeux de société (board games)
8. Randonnée (hiking)
9. Cinéma (movies)
10. Voyages (traveling)

Of course, this is not an exhaustive list, and many French people also enjoy other hobbies, such as photography, knitting, and dance. However, these are some of the most common and popular hobbies that you may find among the French population.

Would you like to add more words to your French vocabulary?

Learn French With The Ling App

Using the Ling app, you can also learn common words, take more advanced French lessons, and speed up your learning process.

Ling has all you need to advance in your language learning journey, regardless of your current level. You can use the app in the mobile version or use it from your computer.

Also, check out our great blog posts: Amazing French Slang Words and Basic French Pronouns.

There is no time to waste! Download the Ling app from the App Store or Play Store and continue your journey in learning more about the French language. See you in the next post!