{"id":94582,"date":"2024-05-14T11:45:03","date_gmt":"2024-05-14T15:45:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/hobbies-in-german\/"},"modified":"2025-06-20T03:26:15","modified_gmt":"2025-06-20T07:26:15","slug":"hobbies-in-german","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/german\/hobbies-in-german\/","title":{"rendered":"Hobbies in German"},"content":{"rendered":"

Do you know how to speak about your hobbies in German? <\/strong>Because knowing how to talk about your hobby in two<\/em> languages makes it even more interesting and you may even learn something new along the way.<\/p>\n

Keep reading to learn more about the activities Germans do in their free time and how to talk about your own favorite things to do.<\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Common German Verbs and Phrases to Talk About Hobbies<\/h2>\n

Here’s a very important word you’ll want to know for this post:<\/p>\n

das Hobby<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 hobby<\/p>\n

If you want the plural form, well that’s pretty easy:<\/p>\n

die Hobbies<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 hobbies<\/p>\n

To help you jump-start your vocabulary, let\u2019s take a look at a few of key German hobby words.<\/p>\n

Words for Popular Hobbies in German<\/h3>\n

Here are some popular hobbies and how you’d say them in German:<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
singen <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>to sing<\/td> malen <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>to paint<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ski laufen <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>to ski<\/td> reisen <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>to travel<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
bowlen <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>to bowl<\/td> n\u00e4hen <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>to sew<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
tanzen <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>to dance<\/td> zocken <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>to gamble<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
fischen <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>to fish<\/td> einkaufen <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>to shop<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
zeichnen <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>to draw<\/td> campen gehen <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>to camp<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
kochen <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>to cook<\/td> fotografieren <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>to photograph<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Additional Verbs for Talking About Hobbies<\/h3>\n

Obviously, the verbs you use to talk about your hobby are going to be specific to what you like to do. We recommend looking up the infinitive of your hobby in an online dictionary<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Some other verbs you might want to use together with a noun include:<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t
spielen <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>to play<\/td> schreiben <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>to write<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
auff\u00fchren <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>to perform<\/td> konkurrieren <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>to compete<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
sammeln <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>to collect<\/td> spielen <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>to play<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Poets might tell you:<\/p>\n

Ich schreibe<\/strong> die Zweizeiler. \u2014 <\/em>I write couplets.<\/p>\n

Or what if your sister competes in an event where she’ll dance? You\u2019d say:<\/p>\n

Meine Schwester konkurriert<\/strong> im Tanzturnieren.<\/em> \u2014 My sister competes in dance tournaments.<\/p>\n

These are just a few ways to talk about the hobbies you love to do.<\/p>\n

German Phrases for Describing Your Interests<\/h2>\n

Beyond describing what we actually like to do with action words, we can also talk about our hobbies in a more general way.<\/p>\n

Here are a few German phrases<\/a> you might consider memorizing to describe how you feel about your hobby:<\/p>\n

Ich ___ gerne.<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 I like to [verb conjugated in simple present].<\/p>\n

Ich mag ___.<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 I like [infinitive verb].<\/p>\n

Ich ___ ___ gut.<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 I [verb conjugated in simple present] [noun] well.<\/p>\n

Ich kann gut ___.<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 I\u2019m good at [noun] [infinitive verb].<\/p>\n

Here are some examples of the formulas above:<\/p>\n

Ich<\/strong> tanze gerne.<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 I like to dance.<\/p>\n

Ich mag<\/strong> kochen.<\/em> \u2014 I like cooking.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ich<\/strong> spiele Baseball gut.<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 I play baseball well.<\/p>\n

Ich kann gut<\/strong> Deutsch sprechen. \u2014 <\/em>I speak German well.<\/p>\n

Now, you may be wondering about the difference between saying, for example, “I like painting pictures” and “I like to paint pictures.” In German, it’s really about what you’re trying to express.<\/p>\n

For example, you’d say:<\/p>\n

Ich mag<\/strong>\u00a0Bilder malen. \u2014\u00a0<\/em>I like painting pictures.<\/p>\n

Ich<\/strong> male gerne<\/strong> Bilder. \u2014 <\/em>I like to paint pictures.<\/p>\n

Both sentences express that you like to paint pictures. However, subtle differences exist between the two: The first expresses that you like the act of painting pictures, while the second implies that you like painting pictures, rather than something else.<\/p>\n

You could just as easily say:<\/p>\n

Ich<\/strong> male gerne<\/strong> Landschaften. \u2014 <\/em>I like to paint landscapes.<\/p>\n

Like any language, it’s all about what you’re trying to express. You can get a better sense of how to speak more naturally by listening to German speakers talk to each other.<\/p>\n

Popular German Hobbies<\/h2>\n

Though the German people cannot be stereotyped into specific pastimes or hobbies, there are quite a few popular activities that they share with the rest of the world.<\/p>\n

Cooking and Drinking<\/h3>\n

Germans love to cook<\/a>. They bake breads and, of course, cook up some sausage for their guests, family members and friends. Good food is something almost anyone can enjoy.<\/p>\n

And to go with good food, Germans love their alcohol, specifically beer! Though, to be fair, for many, drinking is more of a lifestyle<\/a> than a pastime.<\/p>\n

Societal restrictions on drinking alcohol are much looser than you\u2019d find in the States, so many times it\u2019s more casual than anything else.<\/p>\n

Foreign Flicks and Crime Series<\/h3>\n

Like most of us, Germans love their TV shows<\/a> and movies<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Most Americans are exposed to few foreign films but in Germany, they\u2019re just as prevalent as domestic films. This gives the German audience a wider cultural view than you might find among American films.<\/p>\n

But, of course, both cultures\u2014and likely many others\u2014enjoy the thrills of dramatic TV shows. Germans love the TV show Tatort<\/em><\/a>, meaning \u201ccrime scene.\u201d There\u2019s nothing as satistfyingly suspenseful as figuring out a murder mystery.<\/p>\n

Traveling and Exploring<\/h3>\n

Germans also love to explore the world around them<\/a>. Whether it’s weekend trips or excursions to countries close by and far away, Germans are explorers and adventurers.<\/p>\n

Perhaps it\u2019s related to the proximity of many other cultures or just simply a case of wanderlust (did you know that this is derived from a German word?), but the itch to see new places and experience new things engulfs the German people.<\/p>\n

Sports and Fu\u00dfball<\/em> (Soccer)<\/h3>\n

But one of the biggest hobbies consuming die Deutschen<\/em> (the Germans) is soccer, and by that we mean Fu\u00dfball.<\/em><\/p>\n

The Bundesliga<\/em> Fantasy Manager<\/a> is a soccer program similar to that of U.S. Fantasy Football leagues. If you ever want to dabble in the world of German soccer, this a great place to start.<\/p>\n

The word Bundesliga<\/em>\u00a0translates to \u201cfederal league\u201d in German. Mention it to probably any German you meet and they\u2019ll know exactly what you\u2019re talking about.<\/p>\n

In fact, there’s an entire culture<\/a> built around teams, games, coaches, players, etc. The culture is similar to that of American football and there are entire songs and chants surrounding German football.<\/p>\n

If you’re interested in German soccer or the Bundesliga,<\/em> check out these German sports terms<\/a> or these German soccer terms<\/a> to memorize and add to your vocabulary. Not only will you be participating in a large cultural German movement, but you\u2019ll also be improving your language skills at the same time.<\/p>\n

Why Learn How to Talk About Hobbies in German?<\/h2>\n