Want to make friendly small talk in English? A great topic is hobbies! In this lesson, you’ll learn easy words, useful verbs (like, love), simple questions, and polite answers to talk about what you enjoy. Practice as you go with quick exercises.

What is a hobby?

A hobby is an activity you do for fun in your free time. For example: reading, cooking, dancing.

We’ll start with common hobby words. Say them out loud and think: Do I like this?

Useful verbs: like, love, enjoy

To talk about hobbies, these verbs are very helpful:

• like: I like reading.
• love: She loves swimming.
• enjoy: We enjoy dancing.

You can use them with a noun (music, football) or with a -ing verb (reading, cooking). At A1, keep it simple:

• I like music. / I like reading.
• He loves football. / He loves playing football.

She music.

I playing tennis.

Do you swimming?

Frequency and time phrases

These words help say how often you do your hobby:

• always, often, sometimes, never

Time phrases:

• in the morning, after work, on weekends

Word order is simple:

• I often play games.
• She sometimes goes swimming.
• On weekends, we watch movies.

Ask and answer about hobbies

Here’s a simple mini-conversation you can copy.

A: What do you do in your free time? B: I like cooking. How about you? A: I love reading. B: Nice! Do you read every day? A: Sometimes. On weekends, I read a lot.

Try to notice the question forms and polite reactions: "How about you?" "Nice!"

Cultural note: small talk about hobbies

In English-speaking countries, people often use hobbies for friendly small talk. It’s common to ask:

• What do you do in your free time?
• Do you like [music/movies/sports]?
• What’s your favorite hobby?

Be positive and show interest:

• That sounds fun!
• Me too!
• I’m not really into football, but I like tennis.

"into" means "interested in": "I’m into cooking" = "I’m interested in cooking."

Common mistakes to avoid

I am like music. → I like music. Use like + noun, not be + like. She like swimming. → She likes swimming. Add -s for he/she/it in present simple. I love play tennis. → I love playing tennis. Love + -ing is natural. You can also say "I love to play tennis."

Your turn: simple practice

• Write 3 sentences about your hobbies. Use like/love and a frequency word.
  • Example: I like reading. I sometimes read in the morning. On weekends, I watch movies.
• Ask a friend: Do you like cooking? What do you do in your free time?
• Try a short chat:
  • A: What do you do in your free time?
  • B: I love swimming. How about you?
  • A: I’m into gardening.

Keep sentences short. Use words you know. Smile and be polite!

Quick review

• Vocabulary: reading, cooking, dancing, playing football, swimming, gardening, watching movies, listening to music, painting, gaming.
• Grammar: like/love + noun or + -ing; he/she/it takes -s (likes). Questions with Do/Does + base verb and short answers.
• Culture: small talk is friendly; use polite reactions (That sounds fun!, Me too!).

You’re ready to talk about your hobbies in English. Practice a little every day—language learning is a hobby too!