How to Talk about Hobbies in German: A Comprehensive Guide

As you delve deeper into the German language, discussing hobbies and leisure activities is an excellent way to connect with others and expand your vocabulary. Whether you enjoy sports, arts and crafts, or outdoor adventures, expressing your interests in German adds depth to your conversations and cultural understanding. In this blog post, I'll teach you how to discuss hobbies in German, providing a diverse range of examples to inspire and engage German learners.

How to discuss hobbies in German

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Exploring Hobbies in German

1. Sports and Fitness:

• Fußball (Football/Soccer)

• Basketball

• Schwimmen (Swimming)

• Tennis

• Joggen (Jogging)

• Radfahren (Cycling)

• Klettern (Rock Climbing)

• Yoga

• Tanz (Dancing)

• Wandern (Hiking)

2. Arts and Crafts:

• Malen (Painting)

• Zeichnen (Drawing)

• Fotografieren (Taking photographs/pictures)

• Basteln (Crafting)

• Nähen (Sewing)

• Stricken (Knitting)

• Töpfern (Pottery)

3. Music and Performing Arts:

• Musik hören (Listening to music)

• Gitarre spielen (Playing the guitar)

• Klavier spielen (Playing the piano)

• Instrument lernen (Learning an instrument)

• Singen (Singing)

• Tanzen (Dancing)

• Theater (Theater)

• Musicals besuchen (Going to musicals)

• Konzerte besuchen (Attending concerts)

4. Outdoor Activities:

• Zelten/Camping (Camping)

• Angeln (Fishing)

• Segeln (Sailing)

• Surfen (Surfing)

• Skifahren (Skiing)

• Snowboarden (Snowboarding)

• Kajakfahren (Kayaking)

• Gartenarbeit (Gardening)

• Rudern (Rowing)

5. Indoor or Outdoor Activities:

• Lesen (Reading)

• Computerspiele spielen (Playing computer games)

• Karten spielen (Playing cards)

• Brettspiele/Gesellschaftsspiele spielen (Playing board games)

• Freunde treffen/besuchen (Meeting friends)

• Faulenzen (Chilling)

6. Cooking and Food:

• Kochen (Cooking)

• Backen (Baking)

• Grillen (Grilling)

• Weinverkostung (Wine tasting)

• Kochkurse besuchen (Attending cooking classes)

• Neue Rezepte ausprobieren (Trying new recipes)

• Essen gehen (Eating out)

• Street Food probieren (Trying street food)

• Internationale Küche entdecken (Exploring international cuisines)

....and of course: Reisen (Travelling). Learn how to ask and talk about holidays in German in another post.

How To Discuss Hobbies in German:

1. When discussing general preferences regarding nouns, use the verb mögen

2. When you love to do something, use the verb “lieben” with zu and the infinitive of the main verb at the end of your sentence because this verb triggers a so-called infinitive clause in German.

3. When you want to say that you like to do something, use the adverb gern.

4. When something is your favourite, use Lieblings- as a prefix and attach it to a noun.

Examples of Discussing Hobbies in German:

1. “Ich mag Tennis. Ich spiele es ziemlich oft.” (I like Tennis. I play it pretty often)

2. ”Mein Hobby ist Fotografie. Ich liebe es, Landschaften zu fotografieren.“ (My hobby is photography. I love to photograph landscapes.)

3. ”In meiner Freizeit spiele ich gerne Tennis mit meinen Freunden.“ (In my free time, I enjoy playing tennis with my friends.)

4. ”Ich stricke gerne in meiner Freizeit. Es entspannt mich und ich kann dabei kreativ sein.“ (I enjoy knitting in my free time. It relaxes me, and I can be creative.)

5. ”Zelten ist mein Lieblingshobby. Ich liebe es, in der Natur zu sein und am Lagerfeuer zu sitzen." (Camping is my favourite hobby. I love being in nature and sitting by the campfire.)

6. ”Ich habe vor kurzem angefangen, Klavier zu lernen. Es ist herausfordernd, aber auch sehr befriedigend.“ (I recently started learning to play the piano. It's challenging but also very rewarding.)

By discussing hobbies in German, you not only improve your language skills but also gain insight into German culture and lifestyle. Whether you're passionate about sports, arts, or culinary delights, expressing your interests in German enriches your language learning experience and opens up opportunities for meaningful conversations. So, immerse yourself in the world of German hobbies and let your interests shine! Viel Spaß (Have fun)!

You might also be interested in my related posts on how to introduce yourself in German, how to discuss daily routines in German, how to order a meal in German, essential German words and phrases to check into a hotel, and finally how to arrange appointments in German.