How to Talk About Hobbies in Chinese Talking about hobbies is a fantastic way to break the ice, get to know someone better, and practice your Chinese in a fun, personal context. Whether you're meeting new friends, chatting with a language exchange partner, or just making small talk, knowing how to express your interests in Chinese will make your conversations much more engaging. Let's learn how to talk about hobbies in Chinese!
Asking About Hobbies The most common way to ask someone about their hobbies is:
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你的爱好是什么？ (Nǐ de àihào shì shénme?)
Meaning: What are your hobbies?
Usage: This is the standard and most direct way to ask.
Example: “你好，你的爱好是什么？” (Hello, what are your hobbies?)
You can also ask more casually:
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你平时喜欢做什么？ (Nǐ píngshí xǐhuān zuò shénme?)
Meaning: What do you usually like to do?
Usage: This is a more natural, conversational way to ask about someone's interests or what they do in their free time.
Example: “周末你平时喜欢做什么？” (What do you usually like to do on weekends?)
Expressing Your Hobbies The most straightforward way to state your hobbies is using "我的爱好是..." (Wǒ de àihào shì... - My hobby is...).
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我的爱好是 [Hobby]. (Wǒ de àihào shì [Hobby].)
Meaning: My hobby is [Hobby].
Example: “我的爱好是看电影。” (My hobby is watching movies.)
You can also use "我喜欢..." (Wǒ xǐhuān... - I like...) or "我爱..." (Wǒ ài... - I love...) for a more direct expression of preference.
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我喜欢 [Activity/Noun]. (Wǒ xǐhuān [Activity/Noun].)
Meaning: I like [Activity/Noun].
Example: “我喜欢打篮球。” (I like playing basketball.)
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我爱 [Activity/Noun]. (Wǒ ài [Activity/Noun].)
Meaning: I love [Activity/Noun]. (Stronger than 喜欢)
Example: “我爱听音乐。” (I love listening to music.)
Common Hobbies and Their Chinese Translations Here's a list of common hobbies you might want to talk about:
看电影 (kàn diànyǐng) – watching movies
看书 (kàn shū) – reading books
听音乐 (tīng yīnyuè) – listening to music
旅行 (lǚxíng) – traveling
运动 (yùndòng) – exercising / sports
打篮球 (dǎ lánqiú) – playing basketball
踢足球 (tī zúqiú) – playing soccer
游泳 (yóuyǒng) – swimming
跑步 (pǎobù) – running
玩游戏 (wán yóuxì) – playing games
画画 (huà huà) – drawing / painting
唱歌 (chàng gē) – singing
跳舞 (tiàowǔ) – dancing
做饭 (zuò fàn) – cooking
摄影 (shèyǐng) – photography
学习语言 (xuéxí yǔyán) – learning languages
园艺 (yuányì) – gardening
钓鱼 (diàoyú) – fishing
爬山 (pá shān) – hiking / mountain climbing
Expanding the Conversation Once you've shared your hobbies, you can ask follow-up questions to keep the conversation going:
你呢？ (Nǐ ne?) – How about you? (Simple and common)
你最喜欢 [Hobby] 吗？ (Nǐ zuì xǐhuān [Hobby] ma?) – Do you like [Hobby] the most?
你多久 [Activity] 一次？ (Nǐ duōjiǔ [Activity] yī cì?) – How often do you [Activity]?
Example: “你多久看一次电影？” (How often do you watch movies?)
你通常在哪里 [Activity]？ (Nǐ tōngcháng zài nǎlǐ [Activity]?) – Where do you usually [Activity]?
Example: “你通常在哪里跑步？” (Where do you usually run?)
你从什么时候开始 [Activity] 的？ (Nǐ cóng shénme shíhou kāishǐ [Activity] de?) – When did you start [Activity]?
Example: “你从什么时候开始学中文的？” (When did you start learning Chinese?)
Talking about hobbies is a natural and enjoyable way to practice your Chinese and connect with people. Don't be afraid to share your passions and ask about theirs!