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Talking About Hobbies in Chinese Posted by sasha on Nov 8, 2021 in Grammar , Vocabulary

A great way to improve your Chinese is by talking about your hobbies (爱好 Ài hào). It’s more fun talking about what you like to do in your spare time than what you have to do at work or school. Plus, finding people who share the same hobbies as you gives you the chance to make new friends and have even more opportunities to practice speaking. In this post I’ll help you gain the confidence you need for talking about hobbies in Chinese.

我的爱好是旅行 (My hobby is traveling) 

Hobbies Vocabulary List

To get started, here’s a list of 25 vocabulary words for some typical hobbies. You can easily copy and paste it or even print it to study from:

做运动 听音乐 看书 旅行 上网 做饭 打篮球 踢足球 练太极 看电影 弹吉他 拉小提琴 唱歌 跳舞 看电视 游泳 潜水 滑雪 摄影 出去吃饭 爬山 画画 玩电子游戏 逛街 写博客 zuò yùn dòng tīng yīn yuè kàn shū lǚ xíng shàng wǎng zuò fàn dǎ lán qiú tī zú qiú liàn tài jí kàn diàn yǐng tán jí tā lā xiǎo tí qín chàng gē tiào wǔ kàn diàn shì yóu yǒng qián shuǐ huá xuě shè yǐng chū qù chī fàn pá shān huà huà wán diàn zǐ yóu xì guàng jiē xiě bó kè do excercise listen to music read a book travel go online/surf the web cook play basketball play football practice tai chi see a movie play guitar play violin sing dance watch TV swim scuba diving ski photography eat out climb mountains/hike draw play video games shop write a blog

Looking at this list of hobbies, you may notice a few things. For one, the Chinese words for “play basketball” and “play football” are different. For basketball, you use the verb 打. This is used for sports that you play with your hands, so you can also use it for ping pong, volleyball, tennis, and so on. Football uses the verb 踢 as you play it with your feet.

You’ll also notice that the verbs for “play guitar” and “play violin” are different. For guitar, you use 弹, while for the violin you use 拉. Which verb you use depends on the instrument and how you play it. You can use 弹 for instruments that you pluck or play, like the guitar or piano. Instruments that you use a bow for, like the violin or cello, use the verb 拉.

我们喜欢出去吃饭 (We like going out to eat) 

Asking and Answering About Hobbies

Now that you’ve got the vocabulary for some common hobbies, let’s learn how to ask and answer questions about them. Here are a few ways to do just that:

你的爱好是什么？ Nǐ de ài hào shì shén me? What are your hobbies?

我的爱好是… Wǒ de ài hào shì… My hobbies are…

你喜欢做什么？ Nǐ xǐ huān zuò shén me? What do you like to do?

我喜欢… Wǒ xǐ huān… I like…

你的兴趣是什么？ Nǐ de xìng qù shì shén me? What are your interests?

我的兴趣是… Wǒ de xìng qù shì… My interests are…

There’s another useful vocabulary word for you, as 兴趣 (interest) is another way to talk about things you like doing. Here are a few examples based on my own hobbies:

我的爱好是旅行，听音乐，和做运动。 Wǒ de ài hào shì lǚ xíng, tīng yīn yuè, hé zuò yùn dòng My hobbies are traveling, listening to music, and doing exercise.

我喜欢弹吉他和打篮球。 wǒ xǐ huān tán jí tā hé dǎ lán qiú I like playing guitar and basketball.

我的兴趣是摄影而且写博客。 wǒ de xìng qù shì shè yǐng ér qiě xiě bó kè My interests are photography and writing blogs.

You can also check out this post I wrote a few years ago about my hobbies for more reading practice. Now see if you can use the vocabulary list above and these sentence patterns to practice describing your own hobbies.

我的兴趣是摄影 (My interest is photography) Photo taken and used with permission from Sasha Savinov.

Follow-Up Questions

In order to become more fluent, you’ll want to be able to continue the conversation. That’s why it’s good to have some follow-up questions ready. Here are a few examples:

你多久踢一次足球？ Nǐ duō jiǔ tī yī cì zú qiú? How often do you play football?

我每个周末都踢足球。 Wǒ měi gè zhōu mò dōu tī zú qiú. I play football every weekend.

你去哪里跳舞？ Nǐ qù nǎ lǐ tiào wǔ? Where do you go dancing?

我常常去酒吧跳舞。 Wǒ cháng cháng qù jiǔ bā tiào wǔ I often go to bars to dance.

你跟谁看电影？ Nǐ gēn shéi kàn diàn yǐng? Who do you watch movies with?

我跟我的朋友们看电影。 Wǒ gēn wǒ de péng yǒu men kàn diàn yǐng I watch movies with my friends.

你什么时候上网？ Nǐ shén me shí hòu shàng wǎng? When do you go online?

我晚上的时候上网。 Wǒ wǎn shàng de shí hòu shàng wǎng I go online at night.

Hopefully this post helps you feel more comfortable talking about your hobbies in Chinese. Feel free to leave a comment below and let us know what yours are!

Build vocabulary, practice pronunciation, and more with Transparent Language Online. Available anytime, anywhere, on any device.

About the Author: sasha

Sasha is an English teacher, writer, photographer, and videographer from the great state of Michigan. Upon graduating from Michigan State University, he moved to China and spent 5+ years living, working, studying, and traveling there. He also studied Indonesian Language & Culture in Bali for a year. He and his wife run the travel blog Grateful Gypsies, and they're currently trying the digital nomad lifestyle across Latin America.

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Hobbies in Chinese: 35 Vocabulary Terms to Talk About Your Passions

Hobbies—or 爱好   (ài hào) in Chinese—are a way to express yourself, give you something to devote your time to, allow you to escape stressful situations and reconnect with yourself .

When learning Chinese , it only makes sense that you want to talk about the things you love doing. Learn 35 words and phrases to describe your hobbies in Chinese in this guide. We’ll also look at three example conversations that you can model in real life.

1. 游泳 (yóu yǒng) — swimming

2. 跑步 (pǎo bù) — running, 3. 唱歌 / 唱k (chàng gē/chàng k) — singing/karaoke, 4. 跳舞 (tiào wǔ) — dancing, 5. 运动 (yùn dòng) — working out/playing sports, 6. 听音乐 (tīng yīn yuè) — listening to music, 7. 看电影 (kàn diàn yǐng) — watching movies, 8. 旅游 (lǚ yóu) — traveling, 9. 逛街 (guàng jiē) — window shopping, 10. 出去吃 (chū qù chī) — going out to eat, 11. 玩（电脑）游戏 (wán [diàn nǎo] yóu xì) — playing video games, 12. 园艺 (yuán yì) — gardening, 13. 画画 (huà huà) — drawing/painting, 14. 做饭 (zuò fàn) — cooking, 15. 学外语 (xué wài yǔ) — learning languages, 16. 上网 (shàng wǎng) — surfing the internet, 17. 和朋友一起玩 (hé péng you yì qǐ wán) — hanging out with friends, 18. 看书 (kàn shū) — reading, 19. 写作 (xiě zuò) — writing, 20. 缝制 (féng zhì) — sewing, how to talk about hobbies in chinese, example conversations about hobbies in chinese, conversation #1: what are your hobbies, conversation #2: what do you do when you have free time, conversation #3: what’s your favorite activity, and one more thing....

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我喜欢在夏天去游泳。 (wǒ xǐ huān zài xià tiān qù yóu yǒng.) I like to go swimming in the summer.

我在高中时经常跑步。 (wǒ zài gāo zhòng shí jīng cháng pǎo bù.) I used to run a lot in high school.

今天晚上我想去唱K。 (jīn tiān wǎn shàng wǒ xiǎng qù chàng K.) I want to go sing karaoke tonight.

当我有空闲时间时，我喜欢和我的朋友一起跳舞。 (dāng wǒ yǒu kòng xián shí jiān shí, wǒ xǐ huān hé wǒ de péng yǒu yì qǐ tiào wǔ.) When I have free time, I like to dance with my friends.

我通常在有空闲时间时做运动。 (wǒ tōng cháng zài yǒu kòng xián shí jiān shí zuò yùn dòng.) I usually workout when I have free time.

我很无聊的时候一般就是听音乐。 (wǒ hěn wú liáo de shí hòu yì bān jiù shì tīng yīn yuè.) When I’m bored, I usually just listen to music.

明天和家人一起要看电影。 (míng tiān hé jiā rén yì qǐ yào kàn diàn yǐng.) I’m going to watch a movie with my family tomorrow.

我最喜欢做的事情是旅行。 (wǒ zuì xǐ huān zuò de shì qíng shì lǚ xíng.) My favorite thing to do is travel.

周末一般陪我朋友去逛街。 (zhōu mò yì bān péi wǒ péng yǒu qù guàng jiē.) I usually go window shopping with my friends on the weekends.

他最喜欢的爱好是出去吃饭。 (tā zuì xǐ huān de ài hào shì chū qù chī fàn.) His favorite hobby is going out to eat.

你一天到晚玩电脑游戏。 (nǐ yì tiān dào wǎn wán diàn nǎo yóu xì.) You play video games all day long.

我喜欢每天早上园艺。 (wǒ xǐ huān měi tiān zǎo shang yuán yì.) I like gardening every morning.

从小到大，我最喜欢的爱好就是画画。 (cóng xiǎo dào dà, wǒ zuì xǐ huān de ài hào jiù shì huà huà.) Since I was a child, my favorite hobby has been drawing.

我每天五点晚上给我家人做饭。 (wǒ měi tiān wǔ diǎn wǎn shàng gěi wǒ jiā rén zuò fàn.) I cook for my family at five o’clock every evening.

我开始学中文了因为学外语是我最喜欢的爱好。 (wǒ kāi shǐ xué zhōng wén le yīn wéi xué wài yǔ shì wǒ zuì xǐ huān de ài hào.) I started to learn Chinese because learning foreign languages ​​is my favorite hobby.

在家有空时通常就上网。 (zài jiā yǒu kòng shí tōng cháng jiù shàng wǎng.) I usually just surf the Internet when I have free time at home.

和朋友一起玩是我最喜欢的活动。 (hé péng yǒu yì qǐ wán shì wǒ zuì xǐ huān de huó dòng.) Hanging out with friends is my favorite activity.

我总是带着一本书，因为看书是我最喜欢的爱好。 (wǒ zǒng shì dài zhe yì běn shū, yīn wèi kàn shū shì wǒ zuì xǐ huān de ài hào.) I always bring a book with me because reading is my favorite hobby.

写作是我最喜欢的爱好。我已经写了三本书。 (xiě zuò shì wǒ zuì xǐ huān de ài hào. Wǒ yǐ jīng xiě le sān běn shū.) Writing is my favorite hobby. I have already written three books.

星期二，我和我的朋友们一起缝制。 (xīng qí èr, wǒ hé wǒ de péng yǒu yì qǐ féng zhì.) On Tuesday, I sew with my friends.

Now that you know how to say certain hobbies in Chinese, how do you make conversation about them? How do you ask someone what their hobbies are, or talk about what you like to do in your free time? Here are 15 phrases you’ll hear during these types of conversations.

Now that you know some useful words for hobbies and how to use them in sentences, let’s take a look at a few basic conversations about hobbies in Chinese.

A: 你好！请问，你的爱好是什么？ (nǐ hǎo! Qǐng wèn, nǐ de ài hào shì shén me?) Hello! May I ask, what are your hobbies?

B: 我的爱好是游泳、唱歌、还有跳舞！你呢？你的爱好是什么？ (wǒ de ài hào shì yóu yǒng, chàng gē, hái yǒu tiào wǔ! nǐ ne? nǐ de ài hào shì shén me?) My hobbies are swimming, singing and dancing! And you? What are your hobbies?

A: 我想想看 … 我的爱好是学外语、看电影、还有逛街！ (wǒ xiǎng xiǎng kàn… wǒ de ài hào shì xué wài yǔ, kàn diàn yǐng, hái yǒu guàng jiē!) Let me think… My hobbies are learning languages, watching movies and window shopping!

A: 请问，你有空的时候喜欢做什么？ (qǐng wèn, nǐ yǒu kòng de shí hou xǐ huān zuò shén me?) Excuse me, what do you like to do in your free time?

B: 我有空的时候一般出去吃饭，和朋友一起玩，还有看书。你呢？ (wǒ yǒu kòng de shí hou yì bān chū qù chī fàn, hé péng you yì qǐ wán, hái yǒu kàn shū. nǐ ne?) When I have free time, I usually go out to eat, hang out with friends and read. And you?

A: 我有空的时候喜欢运动、游泳、跑步什么的。 (wǒ yǒu kòng de shí hou xǐ huān yùn dòng, yóu yǒng, pǎo bù shén me de.) When I have free time, I like to play sports, swim, run, etc.

A: 你最喜欢做什么活动？ (nǐ zuì xǐ huān zuò shén me huó dòng?) What activity do you like to do most?

B: 我最喜欢的活动是听音乐、旅游、画画。你呢？ (wǒ zuì xǐ huān de huó dòng shì tīng yīn yuè, lǚ yóu, huà huà. nǐ ne?) My favorite activities are listening to music, traveling and painting. What about you?

A: 我也喜欢这些活动！ (wǒ yě xǐ huān zhè xiē huó dòng!) I also like those activities!

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With these new vocabulary words and phrases up your sleeve, I’m confident that you’re prepared to have meaningful conversations about doing the things you love.

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92 Hobbies in Chinese || Must-Know Vocabulary and Phrases to Level up Your Chinese

The ultimate guide to talking about hobbies in chinese || vocab, useful phrases and dialogues.

Whether you’re a budding chef, painting protégé or e-sports enthusiast, everyone has a hobby.

Learning to talk about hobbies is a super fun way to expand your vocabulary and gain some cultural insights at the same time .

It’s also a great topic of conversation to break the ice with a stranger in any language and Chinese is no exception!

In this blog, we’re going to give you a list of need-to-know vocab so that you’re all set to chat away in Chinese about how you spend your spare time.

We’re also going to throw in some useful phrases and questions to really get the ball rolling!

Now, let’s get learning…

Hobbies in Chinese || Useful Vocab and Phrases Hobbies in Chinese || Sports Hobbies in Chinese || Arts and Crafts Hobbies in Chinese || Music Hobbies in Chinese || Outdoor Activities Hobbies in Chinese || Miscellaneous and Common Hobbies Hobbies in Chinese || Example Dialogues Hobbies in Chinese || FAQs

Hobbies in Chinese || Useful Vocab and Phrases

First things first, if you’re going to talk about hobbies in Chinese it’d probably help if you knew how to say “hobby”

👉 In Chinese, hobby is 爱好 àihào, or alternatively, interest is 兴趣 xìngqù.

So to talk about your hobbies and interests, you could use the following sentences and just fill in the blanks!

我的爱好是… Wǒ de àihào shì… My hobbies are…

我的兴趣是… Wǒ de xìngqù shì… My interests are…

Let’s look at some complete examples:

我的爱好是踢足球。 Wǒ de àihào shì tī zúqiú. My hobby is playing football (or soccer for our American readers!)

我的兴趣是听音乐和唱歌。 Wǒ de xìngqù shì tīng yīnyuè hé chànggē. My interests are listening to music and singing.

Perhaps the simplest and easiest way of expressing what your hobbies are is using the structure 我喜欢… Wǒ xǐhuān … which means “I like…”. For example:

我喜欢画画。 Wǒ xǐhuān huà huà. || I like drawing. 我喜欢旅行。 Wǒ xǐhuān lǚxíng. || I like traveling 我喜欢打篮球。 Wǒ xǐhuān dǎ lánqiú. || I like playing basketball.

Alternatively, you could talk about what you like to do in your free time (空闲时间 kòngxián shíjiān) . That might look something like this:

我在空闲时间喜欢看电影 。 Wǒ zài kòngxián shíjiān xǐhuān kàn diànyǐng. In my spare time I like to watch movies.

Asking Questions

Conversation, however, is a two way street. So whilst it’s always nice to talk about ourselves, it’s generally advised to show interest in the person you’re chatting to at the same time!

So here’s some some questions you could use to ask about other people’s hobbies and interests:

你有什么爱好？ Nǐ yǒu shénme àihào? || What are your hobbies? 你有什么兴趣？ Nǐ yǒu shénme xìngqù àihào? || What are your interests? 你喜欢做什么？ Nǐ xǐhuān zuò shénme? || What do you enjoy doing? 你空闲时间喜欢做什么? Nǐ kòngxián shíjiān xǐhuān zuò shénme? || What do you like doing in your spare time?

PROTIP || if you’d like to steer the conversation a certain way, you could even ask specifically about a certain topic using the following structure:

你喜欢什么…? Nǐ xǐhuān shénme…? What ___ do you like?

For example:

你喜欢什么运动？ Nǐ xǐhuān shénme yùndòng? || What sports do you like? 你喜欢什么音乐？ Nǐ xǐhuān shénme yīnyuè? || What kind of music do you like?

These phrases should certainly be enough to get you started in a conversation all about hobbies!

Now, let’s get into more specific vocabulary…

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Hobbies in Chinese || Sports

Being able to talk about sports is a great way to bridge cultural gaps.

Whether that be talking about your favourite basketball team or discussing the best places to go for a swim or cycle, this topic can really be an ‘in’ to building connections and friendships in China.

So here’s a list of must-know sports vocabulary!

Note : some words, such as ‘basketball’ (篮球 lánqiú）require a verb, such as ‘play’ (打 dǎ). These verbs differ between sports and may follow different patterns than in English. To keep it simple, we’ve attached the appropriate verb, when needed, to each of these sports.

How many Chinese sports stars do you know? Learn some of these big names and you’ll take your Chinese small talk to the next level!

Hobbies in Chinese || Arts and Crafts

Ok aspiring Picassos out there, it’s your turn!

Artistic hobbies can vary greatly in different countries . For example, if you hear ‘paper cutting’, you might immediately think of making snowflakes or just those pesky little finger wounds!

But in China, paper cutting (剪纸 jiǎnzhǐ ) looks more like this…

So, even if you draw like you have two left hands, it’s worth learning a few arts and crafts words in Chinese so you can have the chance to learn about not only people’s hobbies, but the surrounding culture too.

Let’s take a look at all the vocab you’ll need to get you talking about creative hobbies in Chinese.

Hobbies in Chinese || Music

Whether you’re a fan of crafting performances for the big stage or just singing in the shower, music is a great way to bring people together.

Learning to talk about music will also help you delve even deeper into the world of modern Chinese pop culture.

Not to mention, KTV, or Chinese Karaoke , is a big deal in China and something you should know about !

Here’s an easy(ish) song we’d recommend, if you want to keep one up your sleeve – a song with no less 188 million Youtube views at that!

Once you’ve finished practicing your new stellar KTV performance, let’s take a look at some other music-related vocabulary you can use in China!

Hobbies in Chinese || Outdoor Activities 

Calling all adventurers!

With so much incredible scenery in China, it definitely makes sense to spend some time in the great outdoors, whether that be at China’s magnificent coastlines or breathtaking mountain ranges.

And on that note, here’s a list of outdoorsy hobbies in Chinese to spark some conversations with your local friends.

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Hobbies in Chinese || Miscellaneous Common Hobbies

A lot of our students like to respond to the question “你的 爱好 是什么?” ( what are your hobbies?) with “睡觉!” ( sleeping! ) but we’re not letting you get away so easily today!

Here’s a list of some of the more common hobbies in Chinese, ranging from bookworm favourites to night owl activies.

BONUS RESOURCES

If your hobby was on that list, you might want to check out one of these related articles:

• Chess in Chinese
• 10 Greatest Chinese Movies
• Top 24 Unmissable Chinese Dramas
• Best Chinese TV Shows for Practicing Mandarin
• How to Use Chinese Graded Readers
• Chinese Cooking Essentials
• Chinese Board Games PLUS Vocab

Hobbies in Chinese || Example Dialogues

Ok now let’s consolidate some of that new knowledge and see these hobby words in action.

Below are three dialogues for you to read, each accompanied by pinyin and English translations.

TOP TIP || read the whole dialogues before reading the English translations to really put your comprehension to the test!

A: 你有什么爱好？(Nǐ yǒu shénme ài hào?) B: 我喜欢听音乐和看电影。(Wǒ xǐhuān tīng yīnyuè hé kàn diànyǐng.) A: 很有趣！我喜欢画画和读书。(Hěn yǒuqù! Wǒ xǐhuān huàhuà hé dúshū.) B: 那我们可以一起画画或者去看电影。(Nà wǒmen kěyǐ yìqǐ huàhuà huòzhě qù kàn diànyǐng.) A: What are your hobbies? B: I like listening to music and watching movies. A: That’s interesting! I like painting and reading books. B: Then we can paint together or go watch a movie.

A: 你平时喜欢做什么？(Nǐ píngshí xǐhuān zuò shénme?) B: 我喜欢打篮球和跑步。(Wǒ xǐhuān dǎ lánqiú hé pǎobù.) A: 那听起来你很喜欢运动。(Nà tīng qǐlai nǐ hěn xǐhuān yùndòng.) A: What do you usually like to do? B: I like playing basketball and running. A: That sounds like you really enjoy sports.

A: 最近有什么新的爱好吗？(Zuìjìn yǒu shénme xīn de ài hào ma?) B: 是的，我最近开始学习弹吉他。(Shì de, wǒ zuìjìn kāishǐ xuéxí tán jítā.) A: 非常棒！学习音乐是很有意义的。(Fēicháng bàng! Xuéxí yīnyuè shì hěn yǒu yìyì de.) A: Do you have any new hobbies recently? B: Yes, I recently started learning to play the guitar. A: That’s great! Learning music is very meaningful.

And there we have it, a crash course into talking about hobbies in Chinese!

What’s your hobby? Let us know in the comments – bonus points for writing it in Chinese!

Hobbies in Chinese || FAQs

‘Hobby’ in Chinese is 爱好 ài hào.

If you’re not sure how to pronounce this, check out our pronunciation tool to help you get the hang of speaking Mandarin!

Useful phrases include “我喜欢…” (Wǒ xǐhuān…, meaning “I like…”), “我的爱好是…” (Wǒ de ài hào shì…, meaning “My hobby is…”), and “我经常做…” (Wǒ jīngcháng zuò…, meaning “I often do…”).

You can ask someone about their hobbies by using phrases like “你有什么爱好?” (Nǐ yǒu shénme ài hào?) meaning “What are your hobbies?” or “你喜欢做什么?” (Nǐ xǐhuān zuò shénme?) meaning “What do you like to do?”

Yes, some common verbs used with hobbies include “打” (dǎ, to play), “看” (kàn, to watch), “听” (tīng, to listen), and “学习” (xuéxí, to learn), depending on the activity.

Some traditional Chinese hobbies include practicing calligraphy, playing Chinese musical instruments, practicing Tai Chi, and engaging in Chinese painting.

There’s lots of ways!

To improve your vocabulary retention rate, you could use a flashcard app . For improving your conversational skills, you could take a class all about hobbies on our Flexi Classes platform.

To join a Chinese language learning community, you could also get involved in the LTL Discord channel, where you can access free Chinese language materials and chat away in Chinese with other learners!

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Conversation-业余爱好 (yèyú àihào) Hobbies

业余爱好 (Yèyú àihào) Hobbies

初级 (Chūjí) Beginner Level

Lily: Mài Ke, nĭ xĭhuan páshān ma? Lily: 迈克，你喜欢爬山吗？ Lily: Mike, do you like climbing mountains?

Mike: Nà dāngrán le, wǒ de àihào jiù shì páshān. Mike: 那当然了，我的爱好就是爬山。 Mike: Of course, my hobby is mountain climbing.

生词 (Shēngcí) Vocabulary:

业余爱好 (Yèyú àihào): n hobby

爬山 (Páshān): v to climb a mountain

中级 (Zhōngjí) Intermediate Level

Lily: Mài Ke, nĭ xiánshí dōu xĭhuan gàn xiē shénme ne? Lily: 迈克,  你闲时都喜欢干些什么呢？ Lily: Mike, what do you like to do during your spare time?

Mike: Wǒ a, wǒ de xìngqù àihào hěnduō o, zài méiyǒu kè de shíhou, wǒ xĭhuan kànshū, tīnggē, tiàowŭ, háiyǒu hěnduō tĭyù huódòng. Mike: 我啊，我的兴趣爱好很多哦，在没有课的时候，我喜欢看书、听歌、跳舞、还有很多体育活动。 Mike: Me, I have a lot of hobbies. I like reading, listening to songs, dancing and many physical activities.

Lily: Nà nĭ zuì xĭhuan de shì shénme ne? Lily: 那你最喜欢的是什么呢？ Lily: Then what’s your favorite?

Mike: Wǒ zuì xĭhuan de jiù shì páshān le, nà shì wǒ zuìdà de àihào. Mike: 我最喜欢的就是爬山了，那是我最大的爱好。 Mike: My favorite is mountain climbing. That’s my biggest hobby.

Lily: Wèishénme ne? Lily: 为什么呢？ Lily: Why is that?

Mike: Yīnwèi páshān kéyĭ shĭ wǒ de shēntĭ dédào duànliàn, bìngqiě wánquán de fàngsōng xīnqíng. Mike: 因为爬山可以使我的身体得到锻炼，并且完全地放松心情。 Mike: Because mountain climbing is a good workout for my body, and it also helps me de-stress.

看书(kànshū): v to read Learn How to Borrow Books in the Library Before “看书 (Kànshū).”

跳舞 (Tiàowŭ): v to dance

体育活动 (Tĭyù huódòng): n physical training, sports, activities How to Describe Different Sport Activities in Chinese?

锻炼 (Duànliàn): v to do physical training, to take exercise, to exercise

放松 (Fàngsōng): v to de-dress, to relax

高级 (Gāojí) Advanced Level

Lily: Hai, Mài Ke! Lily: 嗨，迈克！ Lily: Hi, Mike!

Mike: Nĭ hǎo a, Lìlì. Mike: 你好啊，莉莉。 Mike: Hello, Lily.

Lily: Nĭ jiàqī guò de zěnme yàng a, dōu gàn shénme le a? Lily: 你假期过的怎么样啊，都干什么了啊？ Lily: How was your holiday? What did you do?

Mike: Wǒ gēn bàba māma qù pá Huà Shān le, hěn yǒu yìsi. Mike: 我跟爸爸妈妈去爬华山了，很有意思。 Mike: I climbed Hua Mountain with my parents. It was very interesting.

Lily: Pá Huà Shān? Yídìng hěn lèi ba? Lily: 爬华山？一定很累吧？ Lily: Climbed Hua Mountain? You must be so tired, right?

Mike: En, shì hěn lèi, dànshì hěn duànliàn rén de yìzhì, gèng hékuàng páshān shì wǒ gēn bàba de gòngtóng àihào, suóyĭ wǒmen dōu wán de hěn kāixīn.   Nà nĭ ne? Mike: 嗯，是很累，但是很锻炼人的意志，更何况爬山是我跟爸爸的共同爱好, 所以我们都玩地很开心，那你呢？ Mike: Yes, it was very exhausting, but mountain climbing is helpful to exercise one’s will. Moreover, mountain climbing is a hobby my dad and I both have in common, so we had a really good time. What about you?

Lily: Wǒ ma, jìxù xuéxí xiǎo tíqín, nà yě shì wǒ zuì xĭhuan gàn de shìqíng. Měidāng wǒ yì lā qĭ xiǎotíqín, wǒ jiù huì wàngjì yìqiè,  jué dé zìjĭ shì zuì xìngfú de rén. Jiǎngjiǎng nĭmen páshān túzhōng yǒuqù de jīnglì ba! Lily: 我嘛，继续学习小提琴，那也是我最喜欢干的事情。每当我一拉起小提琴，我就会忘记一切，觉得自己是最幸福的人，讲讲你们爬山途中有趣的经历吧！ Lily: I continued to learn to play the violin, which is my favorite thing to do. Whenever I play the violin, I forget everything around me and feel like the happiest person in the world. Please tell me about your interesting experience on the way to the peak of Hua Mountain.

Mike: Hǎo a , páshān de guòchéng zhōng, wǒ kàndào le hǎoduō tiāoshāngōng, tiāo zhe jĭshí gōngjīn zhòng de dōngxi, yí bù bù cóng shānjiǎo pá shàng shāndĭng, xiāngdāng xīnkŭ, érqiě měi tàng jiù zhĭnéng zhuàn dé nà  jĭnyǒu de yì diǎndiǎn qián. Mike: 好啊，爬山的过程中，我看到了好多挑山工，挑着几十公斤重的东西，一步步从山脚爬上山顶，相当辛苦，而且每趟就只能赚得那仅有的一点点钱。 Mike: Ok, I saw many mount-carriers who carried several dozen kilograms of goods on the way up to the peak of Hua Mountain. It looked like rough work step by step all the way from the foot of the mountain to the peak. What’s more, those mount-carriers only earn a little money each time.

Lily: Shì ma? Nà nĭ méiyǒu hé tāmen jiāotán ma? Lily: 是吗？那你没有和他们交谈吗？ Lily: Really? Did you talk to them?

Mike: Dāngrán liáo le a,  cóng nàshi qĭ,   wǒ dǒng dé le rènhé yíjiàn shìqíng de chénggōng jiùshì guì zài jiānchí a! Mike: 当然聊了啊，从那时起，我懂得了任何一件事情的成功就是贵在坚持啊！ Mike: Of course I talked to them. From then on, I learned that the most important part to succeeding in anything is perseverance.

有意思 (Yǒu yìsi): adj amusing/fun/interesting What Is the Difference Between “有意思 (Yǒuyìsi)” And “有兴趣 (Yǒu Xìngqù)?”

意志 (Yìzhì): n will

共同的 (Gòngtóng de): adj common

坚持 (Jiānchí): v to drink until one is drunk

挑山工 (Tiāoshāngōng): n mount-carriers workers who carry several dozen kilograms of goods from the foot of the mountain to the peak .

相当 (Xiāngdāng): adv pretty, quite

贵 (Guì): adj expensive literally, but here it means the most important thing or the key point.

<<Back to Chinese Conversation Lessons General Chinese (Beginner Level)  General Chinese (Intermediate Level) 

More Learning Resources About Chinese Conversation: 讲价 (Jiăngjià) Bargaining 谈球赛 (Tán qiúsài）Talk about Sports Games 租房子 (Zū fángzi) Rent a house General Chinese (Beginner Level) General Chinese (Intermediate Level)

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Learn to Talk About Your Hobbies and Interests in Chinese

It will only take [est_time] to read this post!

Videos and audio lessons are brilliant for learning Chinese, especially when you’re on the go. You might already know how to say you already know how to say ‘ 我喜欢打篮球 ‘ (wǒ xǐ huan dǎ lán qiú) ‘I like to play basketball’ and really want to get to grips with the Chinese vocabulary of your hobbies, interests, and lifestyle choices, this is the place to start!

The video lessons listed in this article come from ChinesePod’s vault of video and audio files especially created for all Chinese levels, from Newbie to Advanced. I’ve labeled each lesson with their target level, but these are only a select few from each topic area, and there are plenty more to be found on Chinesepod.com . Also, just to let you know that there are affiliate links within this post, which means if you decide to upgrade to one of ChinesePod’s subscriptions, Written Chinese will get a small fee.

So, whether you’re a lover of music, a food connoisseur or a Trekkie, here are some lessons you can learn from our friends, ChinesePod! After all, you’re more than just a Chinese student…

1. 减肥达人 (jiǎn féi dá rén) Fitness Junkie

Getting into shape and eating healthy 健康 (jiàn kāng) is becoming an important lifestyle choice for many people. Not only can you learn the Chinese names of anatomical features 人体部位学名 (rén tǐ bù wèi xué míng), but also how to get your organic veggies 有机蔬菜 (yǒu jī shū cài). If you take part in a yoga class 瑜伽课 (yú jiā kè) learn the basics from breathing techniques to more difficult vocabulary like pose names. All in all, live a more zen life using the Chinese language!

Videos and Audio for Fitness Junkies

Buying Organic Food (Elementary) Discussing a Workout Plan (Intermediate) Hitting the Gym (Upper Intermediate) Yoga (Upper Intermediate)

2. 科幻爱好者 (kē huàn ài hào zhě) Sci Fi Enthusiast

If you love comic books 动漫 (dòng màn), superheroes 超级英雄 (chāo jí yīng xióng) and Star Trek 星际旅行 (xīng jì lǚ xíng) then you need to learn how to talk about your favorite characters 最喜欢的人物 (zuì xǐ huan de rén wù), plot spoilers 剧透 (jù tòu) or whether you prefer Deep Space 9 over Next Generation (yes, it’s a thing). Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten those of you obsessed with blood, guts, and TV shows like The Walking Dead 行尸走肉 (xíng shī zǒu ròu), there’s something for you too!

Videos and Audio for Sci-fi Fans

The Comic Book Convention (Intermediate) A Gamers Collectibles (Upper Intermediate) Star Trek (Upper Intermediate) 中西僵尸比一比 – The Difference between Chinese and Western Zombies (Advanced) 平行宇宙 – Parallel Universe (Advanced)

3. 手工爱好者 (shǒu gōng ài hào zhě) Art and Crafting Connoisseur

DIY 手工 (shǒu gōng), or do-it-yourself, has become a popular pastime recently and so it’s pretty essential that you know how to ask for wool 毛线 (máo xiàn), pipe cleaners 毛根 (máo gēn) and googly eyes. If you’re in China and have access to Taobao, those DIY-ers amongst you will have a field day!

You can also learn vocabulary to talk about works of art 美术 (měi shù) and traditional Chinese art 国画 (guó huà).

Videos and Audio for DIY-ers

Knitting (Intermediate) DIY with Electronics (Intermediate) The Art of Chinese Calligraphy (Upper Intermediate)

4. 乐迷 (yuè mí) Music Lovers

Learn to order concert tickets 音乐会票 (yīn yuè huì piào), buy an instrument 乐器 (yuè qì) or learn how to play guitar 弹吉他 (tán jí tā) – all in Chinese! Of course, you also need to know how to talk about different genres 类型 (lèi xíng) of music such as jazz 爵士乐 (jué shì yuè), pop and heavy metal 重金属 (zhòng jīn shǔ)!

Videos and Audio for Music Lovers

Music Lovers (Elementary) Lots of Music Instruments (Elementary) Jazz Music (Elementary) Learning to Play the Guitar (Intermediate) Booking Tickets for a Concert (Intermediate) Finding Live Music (Intermediate) Pop Music and Pop Culture (Intermediate) Piano Class (Upper Intermediate) Band Practice (Upper Intermediate) 音乐祭 – Music Festival (Advanced)

5. 书蠹 (shū dù) Bookworm

If you prefer to stay at home with a good book then you can also learn some great vocabulary words to talk about your favorite works of literature 文学 (wén xué)! You also need to give your opinions and be able to discuss the narrative 故事 (gù shi), characters, and whether you would recommend it to your bestie.

Videos and Audio for Bookworms

Romance of the Three Kingdoms (Intermediate) Buying a Book (Intermediate) That’s Not Literature (Upper Intermediate) 年轻人喜欢的书 – Books Liked by Young People (Advanced)

6. 园艺爱好者 (yuán yì ài hào zhě) Greenthumb

Some people love the outdoors 露天 (lù tiān) and enjoy spending the day in the park 公园 (gōng yuán), hiking a mountain 爬山 (pá shān）or camping 露营 (lù yíng). Whilst others enjoy the good life (there’s a nice idiom to describe this: 老婆孩子热炕头 (lǎo pó hái zi rè kàng tou) ) enjoy growing their own vegetables 蔬菜 (shū cài) and talking to their plants 花卉 (huā huì). Learn Chinese names of plants and flowers, tools, and other outdoorsy words to help you on your adventures.

Videos and Audio for Gardeners

Enjoying the Blossom (Elementary) Plants Need Watering (Elementary) The Good Life (Intermediate) Flowers and Bugs (Intermediate) Outdoor Survivors (Upper Intermediate)

7. 美食家 (měi shí jiā) Foodie

Some food lovers love to eat, others enjoy spending hours in the kitchen mastering a new dish. It’s important to know your ingredients 配料 (pèi liào), flavors 味道 (wèi dào) and most importantly, what tastes good! You can learn vocabulary for eating in a restaurant, buying from your local market 市场 (shì chǎng) and also how to make a certain dish 菜谱 (cài pǔ)! Your Chinese friends will definitely be willing to teach you special dishes 拿手菜 (ná shǒu cài) from their hometown!

Videos and Audio for Foodies

Chinese Street Food (All Levels) I Can’t Handle Spicy Food (Elementary) Christmas Dinner (Elementary) Organic Food (Intermediate) Is Home Cooking Safer? (Upper Intermediate)

8. 影迷 (yǐng mí) Movie Buff

Any film fan needs to know how to give their opinion about brilliant cinematography, scores 乐谱 (yuè pǔ) and wooden actors. You also need to know how to talk about whether you’re into romantic comedies 爱情喜剧 (ài qíng xǐ jù), fantasy 奇幻 (qí huàn) or Westerns. Finally, knowing some actors’ names in Chinese would definitely help your discussion. Did you see 约翰尼·德普 (yuē hàn ní dé pǔ), Johnny Depp, in that movie…?

Videos and Audio for Film Buffs

Movie Preference (Newbie) Finding a Seat at the Movies (Elementary) Animated Movies: East vs West (Intermediate) Movie Genres (Upper Intermediate)

9. 极客 (jí kè) Tech Savvy

If technology is your thing, then China (and speaking the lingo) is the place to be! Learn how to talk about computer hardware 硬体 (yìng tǐ), the internet 网络 (wǎng luò) and the skills 功底 (gōng dǐ) you need to use technology 技术 (jì shù). This vocabulary is also useful when coping with broken products 制品 (zhì pǐn) and upgrading ram 内存 (nèi cún)!

Videos and Audio for Technophiles

What’s That Website (Elementary) We Got Skills: 技能,技术,技巧 (Intermediate) Thinking Inside the Box (Intermediate) Cutting Edge Technology (Upper Intermediate)

10. 驴友 (lǘ yǒu) Seasoned Traveller

Many people who come to China love to travel 旅行 (lǚ xíng). They are the ones who find the deepest darkest locations of China and know how to get great deals for flights 机票 (jī piào), and where the best hostels 宿舍 (sù shè) and sightseeing spots 景区 (jǐng qū) are.

Videos and Audio for Travellers

Plane Ticket Prices (Elementary) Choosing a Room (Elementary) Travelling on the Cheap (Upper Intermediate) Extreme Tourism (Upper Intermediate)

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Different Hobbies in Chinese with Your Friends

• 1.1.1.1 How about movies?

Talk about hobbies in Chinese?

Having a hobby is very important to leading a well-balanced life. Pursuing a hobby can provide us with a refreshing break from the bustling life. Moreover, having some like-minded friends sharing common hobbies with us is awesome!

So, how do you like to spend your spare time? Some people also learn new languages in their free time. Talking about hobbies is also a big part of a good small talk. So, if you want to learn how to talk about different hobbies in Chinese language , simply sign up our free 1-1 trial class   and download our App ! Our professional tutors can teach you how to introduce yourself and will prepare you for talking about your hobbies with Chinese speaking people!

So, let’s have a look how a conversation about hobbies usually works!

Talking about hobbies

Talking about sports

Are you interested in other sports? Here you have a quick overview of some popular sports…

At language courses of TutorMandarin our tutors explain you, why you have to use different Chinese words/ characters for the English word “play”. Find out more and sign up for a free trial to learn Chinese online .

Talking about your favorite books

How about movies.

Learning Languages

We hope this conversation lesson will help you out next time when you wanna do some ice breaking conversation with new Chinese friends. And of course, we’d love to know more about you too, leave your comments down!

 Sign up our free trial to  learn Mandarin  and download the  Chinese App  for more  Chinese language  materials and to  learn Mandarin online .

Is online shopping your hobby? Let’s learn more conversation about it!

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How to talk about hobbies in Chinese

爱好 (Hobbies) is one of the first topics covered in beginner Mandarin textbooks. It's a nice entry lesson, but it's arguably rather too formal and stiff for daily conversation in any language. Can you remember the last time you asked a fellow English speaker their hobbies?

It turns out that it's not so common in Mandarin either. Native speakers don't tend to ask, "你的爱好是什么?" ("What are your hobbies?"), unless perhaps in an interview or on a blind date.

Below are a few alternative questions and answers that sound more natural to native-speaking ears:

你空余时间喜欢做什么？

nǐ kòngyú shíjiān xǐhuan zuò shénme?

What do you like to do in your free time?

nǐ zhōumò yībān zuò shénme?

What do you usually do on the weekends?

我喜欢 [学中文]。 

wǒ xǐhuan [xué zhōngwén].

I like [to study Chinese].

wǒ xǐhuān [shèyǐng].

I am interested in [photography].

我平时喜欢 [去健身或者看朋友们]。

wǒ píngshí xǐhuān [qù jiànshēn huòzhě kàn péngyǒumen].

I normally like [to go workout or see friends]. 

我平时 [就宅在家里看电影]。

wǒ píngshí [jiù zhái zài jiālǐ kàn diànyǐng].

I normally [just hang out at home watching movies].

我空余时间基本是 [玩游戏。我"中毒"了!]

wǒ kòngyú shíjiān jīběn shì [wán yóuxì. Wǒ "zhòngdú" le!]

I spend most of my free time [playing video games. I am addicted!]

有时候我喜欢 [跟朋友去爬山]。

yǒu shíhòu wǒ xǐhuān [gēn péngyǒu qù páshān].

Sometimes I like to [go hiking in the mountains with friends].

我什么空余时间都没有！我是一个工作狂！

wǒ shénme kòngyú shíjiān dōu méiyǒu! Wǒ shì yīgè gōngzuò kuáng!

I don't have any free time! I'm a workaholic!

wǒ xǐhuān chángshì xīnxiān shìwù.

I like to try doing new things.

有机会时 [我喜欢去旅游]。

yǒu jīhuì shí [wǒ xǐhuān qù lǚyóu].

When I have the opportunity [I like to go traveling].

Tell us how your spend your free time in the comments section!

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EVERYDAY EASY CHINESE

Making Chinese learning easy

Talk about your hobbies in Chinese

Updated: May 18, 2020

大家好！我是 Everyday Easy Chinese的何老师。

A first step to making friends in any country or culture is often to find common interests between you and your potential friend. In order to help you do this in Chinese, we will learn how to talk about our hobbies and interests today!

Here are a few common words and phrases that you will need to start talking about your interests and hobbies.

1. 爱好 : Hobby / Hobbies

2. 喜欢: To like

3. 做饭: To cook

4. 学外语: To learn foreign languages

5. 看电影: To watch movies

6. 看书: To read books

Chinese grammar isn't too different from English grammar so you'll normally follow the same sentence structure used in English. For example, in English, we will say “I like to cook” and in Chinese this will be “我(I) 喜欢(like) 做饭(to cook)”.

Let's have a look at a few bits of grammar that we may need to express our interests and hobbies.

1. 的: A possession particle (similar to ‘s)

2. 是: The verb 'To Be' (Am/are/is). It also means 'yes' if said by itself or in a different context.

3. 不: 'Do not'. It can also mean 'no' if said by itself or in a different context.

4. 因为..所以: 'Because…so'

5. 什么: What

Example Sentences

Let’s make some sentences with the above vocabulary and grammar.

1. 我不喜欢做饭。 I don’t like to cook.

2. 我的爱好是学外语。 My hobby is to learn foreign languages.

3. 我喜欢学中文。I like learning Chinese.

4. 你的爱好是什么？What is your hobby?

Practice Time!

How would you say….

1. My hobby is… 我的爱好是。。。

2. I like to…我喜欢

3. I don’t like to… 我不喜欢

4. What is your hobby? 你的爱好是什么？

Watch our Youtube video on hobbies and remember to subscribe for regular Chinese language and Culture lessons!

我是何老师。我喜欢跳舞，你的爱好是什么呢？

• Beginner Chinese

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