Italian A1: Hobbies & Free Time — mi piace, giocare a, andare al cinema

Imagine a sunny Saturday in Italy: you meet friends for un aperitivo, then vai al cinema, and on Sunday fai una passeggiata. In this post, you’ll learn the most useful Italian A1 phrases to talk about hobbies and free time — and you’ll practice right away with short, interactive exercises.

Core patterns for talking about hobbies

At A1, you don’t need complex grammar to talk about your free time. Use these simple frames:

  • Mi piace + infinitive: “I like to …”
  • Faccio + activity: “I do …”
  • Vado + place: “I go …”
  • Gioco a + sport: “I play (a sport)”
  • Suono + instrument: “I play (an instrument)”
Italian
Mi piace cucinare la sera.
I like to cook in the evening.

Mi cucinare la pasta.

Essential hobby vocabulary

Here are everyday activities you’ll hear in Italy. Read, repeat, and notice the patterns.

leggere
to read
verb
La sera mi piace leggere un libro.
In the evening I like to read a book.
guardare la TV
to watch TV
verb phrase
La domenica guardo la TV.
On Sundays I watch TV.
andare al cinema
to go to the movies
verb phrase
Il sabato vado al cinema con gli amici.
On Saturdays I go to the cinema with friends.
giocare a calcio
to play soccer
verb phrase
Il mio amico gioca a calcio.
My friend plays soccer.
fare sport
to do sports / to work out
verb phrase
Due volte a settimana faccio sport.
Twice a week I do sports.
suonare la chitarra
to play the guitar
verb phrase
Mio fratello suona la chitarra.
My brother plays the guitar.
cucinare
to cook
verb
Mi piace cucinare la pasta.
I like to cook pasta.
fare una passeggiata
to go for a walk
verb phrase
Dopo pranzo facciamo una passeggiata.
After lunch we go for a walk.

Cultural note: what Italians do in their free time

  • Calcio (soccer) is huge. You’ll hear “giocare a calcio” and “guardare la partita” (watch the match).
  • L’aperitivo (pre-dinner drinks with snacks) is a social ritual — great for “uscire con gli amici” (going out with friends).
  • La passeggiata (evening stroll) is common, especially in historic centers.
  • Many Italians love cinema and local festivals (“andare al cinema”, “andare a una festa”).

Keep these in mind when you chat about weekends!

fare presente Irregular
Pronoun Conjugation
io faccio
tu fai
lui/lei fa
noi facciamo
voi fate
loro fanno
🧠 Hobby patterns check
🔠 Put the words in order

Start with Il sabato… for habitual action

Talk about your routine

Use days and frequency words to keep it natural:

  • il sabato (on Saturdays)
  • la domenica (on Sundays)
  • ogni settimana (every week)
  • due volte a settimana (twice a week)

Combine with your hobby verbs.

Italian
La domenica vado al parco e faccio una passeggiata.
On Sundays I go to the park and take a walk.

Loro a calcio ogni domenica.

Mini-dialogue practice

Put the lines in the right order to arrange plans with a friend.

💬 Weekend plans
Sono andare al cinema. → Vado al cinema. Use the present of “andare”, not “essere + infinitive.” Gioco il calcio. → Gioco a calcio. Sports take “a”: giocare a + sport.
fine end settimana week
Italian
Il fine settimana esco con gli amici.
On the weekend I go out with friends.

Build your own sentences

Try these starters and finish them with your hobby:

  • Il sabato io…
  • Mi piace…
  • Con gli amici, noi…
  • La sera, vado…

Keep it short and use the patterns you learned.

🧠 Quick check: places and frequency

More handy words

  • uscire (to go out): Stasera esco con gli amici. (Tonight I’m going out with friends.)
  • viaggiare (to travel): In estate mi piace viaggiare. (In summer I like to travel.)
  • disegnare/dipingere (to draw/paint): Lei dipinge nel tempo libero. (She paints in her free time.)
  • ascoltare musica (to listen to music): Ascolto musica in treno. (I listen to music on the train.)

Notice how these fit the same patterns: “mi piace + infinitive”, “vado + place”, “faccio + activity”.

Summary and practice

You learned to:

  • Say what you like: Mi piace + infinitive.
  • Talk about activities: Faccio sport; Gioco a calcio; Suono la chitarra.
  • Describe where you go: Vado al cinema; Vado in palestra; Vado a casa.
  • Use days and frequency: il sabato, la domenica, ogni settimana, due volte a settimana.

Now, write three sentences about your weekend. Example:

  • Il sabato vado al cinema.
  • Mi piace cucinare la pizza.
  • La domenica faccio una passeggiata al parco.

Small, consistent practice is the key. Buono studio! And next time you’re in Italy, you’ll be ready to chat about your hobbies like a local.