Hobbies and Activities — Hobbys und Aktivitäten
| German | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|
| das Lesen | — | reading |
| das Zeichnen | — | drawing |
| das Malen | — | painting |
| die Fotografie | — | photography |
| das Kochen | — | cooking |
| das Gärtnern | — | gardening |
| das Spielen | — | gaming / playing |
| Filme schauen | — | watching films |
| das Wandern | — | hiking |
| das Tanzen | — | dancing |
| das Yoga | — | yoga |
| das Stricken | — | knitting |
| Schach spielen | — | playing chess |
| das Programmieren | — | programming |
| das Bloggen | — | blogging |
| das Basteln | — | crafting / DIY |
Tip In German, infinitives can be used as nouns (called Substantivierte Infinitive). They are always neuter (das): das Lesen (reading), das Kochen (cooking), das Wandern (hiking). This is a very common way to talk about hobbies in German.
Talking About Hobbies — Über Hobbys sprechen
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Ich lese gern. | I like reading. |
| Mein Hobby ist das Zeichnen. | My hobby is drawing. |
| Ich interessiere mich für Fotografie. | I am interested in photography. |
| Ich spiele gern Schach. | I like playing chess. |
Frequency expressions:
| German | English |
|---|---|
| jeden Tag | every day |
| einmal pro Woche | once a week |
| manchmal | sometimes |
| oft | often |
| selten | rarely |
| nie | never |
Real world: talking about free time in German
A typical conversation about hobbies: „Was machst du in deiner Freizeit?" (What do you do in your free time?) „Ich lese gern und male manchmal." (I like reading and I sometimes paint.) „Ich interessiere mich für Fotografie und gehe einmal pro Woche wandern." (I am interested in photography and I go hiking once a week.) Using gern after a verb is the most natural way to express liking an activity.
Practice Problems
Translate: I like hiking.
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Ich wandere gern. / Ich gehe gern wandern.
What gender do hobby nouns like 'das Lesen' always have?
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neuter (das) — substantivised infinitives are always neuter
How do you say 'once a week' in German?
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einmal pro Woche
How do you say 'I am interested in photography'?
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Ich interessiere mich für Fotografie.