Hobbies In French: 50+ Terms For Talking About Your Hobbies In French

When you're chatting with French speakers for the first time, one question almost always comes up: "Quels sont tes loisirs?" (What are your hobbies?). It's such a natural conversation starter, whether you’re making small talk with a colleague or getting to know your French exchange partner.

In this post, I'll walk you through 50+ essential French terms that’ll help you talk about your favorite pastimes like a natural. You’ll get everything from basic hobbies like reading and cooking to more specific activities like skateboarding and knitting. Plus, I'll share some simple sentence templates so you can start using these words in real conversations right away.

How To Say Hobbies In French?

In French, you have two main options for saying "hobbies": les passe-temps and les loisirs. "Les passe-temps" refers specifically to leisure activities you do to pass time, while "les loisirs" is broader and covers hobbies, sports, and any free-time activities. Both work perfectly in conversation, though "les loisirs" is slightly more common in everyday French.

Example sentences:

• Quels sont tes passe-temps préférés ? — What are your favorite hobbies?
• J'aime beaucoup mes loisirs du week-end. — I really enjoy my weekend hobbies.
• Mes passe-temps incluent la lecture et le jardinage. — My hobbies include reading and gardening.

How To Talk About Your Hobbies In French

Once you know the hobby vocabulary, you need the right phrases to express how you feel about them and when you do them. You'll want to know how to express your level of enthusiasm, talk about frequency, and mention whether you prefer doing activities alone or with others.

Likes and Dislikes: Like, Love, Enjoy

French has nuanced ways to express different levels of enthusiasm for your hobbies. The verb "aimer" (to like) is your foundation, but you can intensify it with "beaucoup" or go stronger with "adorer."

Another useful expression is "ça me plaît," which literally means "it pleases me" and sounds more natural than directly translating "I enjoy."

Pay attention to the constructions too since some verbs require "de" before the activity (like "j'adore faire de la cuisine"), while others don't.

• J'adore + hobby — I love/adore (strongest positive)
• J'aime beaucoup + hobby — I really like
• J'aime + hobby — I like
• Ça me plaît — I enjoy it/It pleases me

Examples:

• J'adore faire de la cuisine. — I love cooking.
• J'aime beaucoup jouer au tennis. — I really like playing tennis.
• La peinture, ça me plaît énormément. — I really enjoy painting.

Frequency

Talking about how often you pursue your hobbies adds depth to your conversations and helps others understand your commitment level. French speakers often mention frequency naturally when discussing pastimes—it's not just what you do, but how regularly you do it.

Notice that some expressions use "tous" (every) while others use "une fois" (once) or "deux fois" (twice) with time periods. These frequency markers usually come at the beginning or end of your sentence.

• Tous les jours — Every day
• Souvent — Often
• Parfois/Quelquefois — Sometimes
• Le week-end — On weekends
• Une fois par semaine — Once a week

Examples:

• Je lis tous les soirs. — I read every evening.
• Je fais du yoga deux fois par semaine. — I do yoga twice a week.
• Parfois, je joue de la guitare. — Sometimes I play guitar.

Solo or With Others

French speakers often clarify whether they prefer solitary hobbies or group activities, as this reveals personality and lifestyle preferences. The phrase "tout(e) seul(e)" emphasizes doing something completely alone, while "avec des amis" or "en groupe" shows the social aspect.

Remember to match the gender agreement—“tout seul" for men, "toute seule" for women. This social context is particularly important in French culture, where knowing whether someone is more of a solitary reader or a group sports enthusiast helps build connections.

Doing activities alone:

• Je fais ça tout(e) seul(e) — I do this alone
• C'est mon activité solitaire — It's my solo activity

Doing activities with others:

• Je fais ça avec des amis — I do this with friends
• On fait ça ensemble — We do this together
• C'est une activité en groupe — It's a group activity

Examples:

• Je peins toute seule, c'est relaxant. — I paint alone, it's relaxing.
• Nous jouons au football ensemble chaque samedi. — We play soccer together every Saturday.

French Vocabulary For Hobbies

Creative Activities

Creative pursuits are special in French culture, with painting and drawing being among the most cherished pastimes. France’s rich artistic heritage means that many French people grow up appreciating the visual arts, and art supplies are readily available in even small towns.

Photography has also surged in popularity, especially with social media culture, while traditional crafts like knitting and pottery remain beloved weekend activities.

Games

Board games and card games are incredibly popular in France, with many cafés specifically dedicated to gaming. Card games like belote and tarot also remain cultural staples, while video gaming has grown massively among younger generations, making "les jeux vidéo" one of the fastest-growing hobbies.

Sports And Physical Activities

Football (soccer) reigns supreme as France's most popular sport and hobby, with millions playing recreationally in local clubs and parks. The French are also passionate about cycling, thanks partly to the Tour de France's cultural impact, and you'll see people of all ages biking for leisure.

Music

Learning to play piano is the most popular musical hobby in France, with conservatories and private teachers widely available across the country. Guitar follows closely, especially among younger people who often start with acoustic before moving to electric. Singing, whether in choirs or solo, remains a cherished pastime, and many French people take pride in their musical education, viewing it as essential cultural development.

Other Popular Hobbies

Reading remains the most beloved leisure activity in France, with French people reading significantly more books per year than many other nationalities. Cooking is practically a national obsession—not just eating good food, but actually preparing it, with many people spending weekends perfecting recipes.

Practice Resources For Hobbies In French

French TV Shows And Movies

French films and series give you the most authentic hobby vocabulary because you see characters living their actual lives. When someone talks about their weekend pottery class or discusses their photography passion, you're getting real conversational patterns that textbooks can't teach.

Lingopie's interactive subtitles let you instantly click on any hobby term you don't recognize and save it to your personal vocabulary list. The platform's vast French content library includes everything from cooking shows to sports documentaries, so you can focus on genres that match your own interests—making the vocabulary more relevant and memorable.

French Music

French songs are vocabulary goldmines for hobbies because musicians naturally weave leisure activities into their lyrics about daily life and relationships. You'll hear terms repeated in catchy, rhythmic ways that stick in your memory far better than flashcards.

Plus, listening to French music while actually doing your hobbies (cooking to French pop or gardening to chanson) creates powerful memory associations that help vocabulary stick permanently.

French Short Stories

Lingopie's French short stories are particularly effective for hobby vocabulary because they often feature characters discussing their interests and pastimes in natural dialogue. These bite-sized narratives give you concentrated exposure to conversational French without the time commitment of full movies. You'll encounter hobby terms in realistic contexts, which helps you understand what the words mean and how to use them in conversations.

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Start Using Your French Hobby Vocabulary Today

Now you have the vocabulary and phrases to confidently talk about your hobbies in French. However, note that learning vocabulary is just the first step. The real learning happens when you start encountering these words in authentic French content.

Ready to put your hobby vocabulary into practice? Try Lingopie’s free trial and start watching French content that matches your interests. Whether you’re into trending French Netflix series, sports documentaries, or short stories about everyday French life, you'll be amazed at how quickly you pick up new expressions when you’re engaged with content you actually enjoy.

Give it a try now by clicking below!