Free Time and Hobbies in English: Vocabulary and Phrases

Talking about your hobbies is one of the first conversational scenarios in English. Describing how you spend your evenings and weekends, what you enjoy doing — all of this requires specific leisure vocabulary.

Word list to learn

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Word
hobby /ˈhɒbi/
free time /friː taɪm/
spare time /speə taɪm/
leisure /ˈlɛʒə/
relax /rɪˈlæks/
unwind /ˌʌnˈwaɪnd/
pastime /ˈpɑːstaɪm/
enjoy /ɪnˈdʒɔɪ/
be into /biː ˈɪntuː/
be keen on /biː kiːn ɒn/
take up /teɪk ʌp/
give up /ɡɪv ʌp/
reading /ˈriːdɪŋ/
novel /ˈnɒvəl/
painting /ˈpeɪntɪŋ/
drawing /ˈdrɔːɪŋ/
photography /fəˈtɒɡrəfi/
gardening /ˈɡɑːdnɪŋ/
cooking /ˈkʊkɪŋ/
baking /ˈbeɪkɪŋ/
knitting /ˈnɪtɪŋ/
collecting /kəˈlɛktɪŋ/
play an instrument /pleɪ ən ˈɪnstrəmənt/
go to the gym /ɡəʊ tə ðə dʒɪm/
work out /wɜːk aʊt/
jogging /ˈdʒɒɡɪŋ/
cycling /ˈsaɪklɪŋ/
hiking /ˈhaɪkɪŋ/
swimming /ˈswɪmɪŋ/
yoga /ˈjəʊɡə/
watch films /wɒtʃ fɪlmz/
binge-watch /bɪndʒ wɒtʃ/
TV series /ˌtiːˈviː ˈsɪəriːz/
listen to music /ˈlɪsən tə ˈmjuːzɪk/
podcast /ˈpɒdkɑːst/
video game /ˈvɪdiəʊ ɡeɪm/
board game /bɔːd ɡeɪm/
puzzle /ˈpʌzəl/
go out /ɡəʊ aʊt/
meet up with friends /miːt ʌp wɪð frɛndz/
hang out /hæŋ aʊt/
eat out /iːt aʊt/
go to the cinema /ɡəʊ tə ðə ˈsɪnəmə/
concert /ˈkɒnsət/
museum /mjuˈziːəm/
travel /ˈtrævəl/
day off /deɪ ɒf/
weekend /ˌwiːkˈɛnd/
have a lie-in /hæv ə ˈlaɪ ɪn/
chill out /tʃɪl aʊt/
do nothing /duː ˈnʌθɪŋ/
fun /fʌn/
boring /ˈbɔːrɪŋ/
exciting /ɪkˈsaɪtɪŋ/
relaxing /rɪˈlæksɪŋ/

Useful phrases

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Phrase
What do you do in your free time?
I'm really into photography.
I've recently taken up yoga.
How do you usually spend your weekends?
I like to unwind by reading a good book.
Do you fancy going to the cinema tonight?
At the weekend I like to have a lie-in.
We binge-watched the whole series in one weekend.
I'm not very good at it, but I enjoy it.
Let's meet up with friends for a coffee.
I prefer staying in to going out.
How long have you been playing the guitar?
It's a great way to relax after work.
I don't really have time for hobbies these days.
On my day off I just like to chill out at home.

Weekend plans

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Mia
Have you got any plans for the weekend, or are you just going to relax?
Tom
Nothing fixed yet. On Saturday morning I'd love to have a lie-in, to be honest.
Mia
Fair enough! I'm really into hiking at the moment. I was thinking of going up to the hills.
Tom
That sounds lovely. How long have you been into hiking?
Mia
About a year now. I took it up after I gave up running — it's much more relaxing.
Tom
I should probably do something active too. I spend most of my evenings binge-watching series.
Mia
There's nothing wrong with that! Everyone needs to unwind. What are you watching?
Tom
A crime drama. But I'd like to take up a hobby that doesn't involve a screen.
Mia
Why don't you come hiking with me on Sunday? It's a great way to get some fresh air.
Tom
I'd love to, but I'm not very fit. Will I be able to keep up?
Mia
Don't worry, I'll pick an easy trail. We can stop for a picnic halfway.
Tom
Now you're talking! Count me in. Shall we meet at nine?
Mia
Perfect. Bring some water and comfortable shoes — and leave the phone in your pocket!

Common mistakes

Avoid these common mistakes

Wrong I make sport at the weekend.
Correct I do sport / I play sport at the weekend.

Never use 'make' with activities. Use do for general exercise and individual activities (do sport, do yoga, do exercise), and play for games and team sports (play football, play tennis, play chess). 'Make sport' is a direct translation that does not exist in English.

Wrong In my free time I like read and listen music.
Correct In my free time I like reading and listening to music.

Two points. After 'like' you normally use the -ing form for hobbies: 'I like reading', 'I love cooking'. And the verb listen always needs the preposition to before its object: 'listen to music', 'listen to a podcast' — never 'listen music'.

Wrong I am playing piano since five years.
Correct I have been playing the piano for five years.

To talk about something that started in the past and continues now, use the present perfect continuous (have been + -ing), not the present continuous. Use for with a period (for five years) and since with a starting point (since 2019). Also, musical instruments take 'the': play the piano.

Wrong I'm boring when I have nothing to do.
Correct I'm bored when I have nothing to do.

Mixing up -ed and -ing adjectives changes the meaning completely. -ed describes how you feel (I'm bored, I'm excited); -ing describes the thing causing the feeling (the film is boring, the trip is exciting). 'I'm boring' means you are a dull person — probably not what you meant!

Wrong At the weekend I usually go to shopping and meet with my friends.
Correct At the weekend I usually go shopping and meet my friends.

Two common errors. With 'go + activity', do not add 'to': go shopping, go swimming, go hiking (no 'to'). And the verb meet does not need 'with' when it means seeing people socially: 'meet my friends', 'meet someone for coffee'. 'Meet with' is mainly used for formal or business meetings.

About This List

Free Time and Hobbies in English: A Complete Reference

Hobby verbs: do, play, go

The golden rule: never use 'make' with leisure. Play goes with games and team sports: play football, play chess, play the guitar (instruments take the). Go combines with -ing activities: go swimming, go hiking, go cycling, go shopping — with no 'to'. Do is used for individual activities and exercise in general: do yoga, do exercise, do a puzzle.

Talking about your interests

To express interest there are several natural structures: be into (I'm really into photography — informal), be keen on (She's keen on gardening), and enjoy / like / love + -ing (I enjoy reading). To start a hobby use take up (I've taken up yoga); to stop, give up (I gave up running). After like, love, enjoy the -ing form is used for habitual hobbies, and after enjoy only the -ing form is possible.

Time: present perfect continuous, for and since

To say how long you have done a hobby, use the present perfect continuous: I have been playing the guitar for five years. Use for before a period of time (for two months) and since before a starting point (since 2019). The error 'I play since…' in the present simple is one of the most common.

Feelings: -ed versus -ing

Adjectives ending in -ed describe how you feel (I'm bored, I'm excited, I'm interested), while those ending in -ing describe what causes the feeling (the film is boring, the trip is exciting, the book is interesting). Saying 'I'm boring' means you are a dull person, so be careful with this pair.

Rest and relaxation

A rich set of synonyms makes your speech lively: relax (neutral), unwind (after stress), chill out (informal), have a lie-in (stay in bed late), and do nothing. At the weekend British people love to have a lie-in, and in the evening after work they unwind with a good book.

Arranging things to do together

Invitations: Do you fancy + -ing? (Do you fancy going to the cinema? — British), How about + -ing?, Would you like to...?, and Let's.... Agreeing: Count me in!, I'd love to, Sounds great. A polite refusal: I'd love to, but I'm busy. These phrases are the backbone of conversations about plans with friends.

Frequently Asked Questions

It depends on the activity. Use play for games and team sports: play football, play chess, play the guitar. Use go with -ing activities: go swimming, go hiking, go shopping (no 'to'!). Use do for individual activities and exercise in general: do yoga, do exercise, do a puzzle. Never use 'make' with a leisure activity.

For hobbies, use the -ing form after like / love / enjoy: 'I like reading', 'I love cooking', 'I enjoy hiking'. The infinitive ('I like to read') is also grammatical, but -ing sounds more natural for habitual hobbies. After enjoy only the -ing form is possible: 'I enjoy reading' (never 'enjoy to read').

Yes, always. The verb listen needs to before its object: listen to music, listen to a podcast, listen to the radio. 'Listen music' is a frequent error. Compare with watch and hear, which take no preposition: 'watch TV', 'hear a noise'.

Use the present perfect continuous: 'I have been playing the guitar for five years' (a period) or 'since 2019' (a starting point). 'I play since…' is incorrect. Remember: for + a length of time (for two months), since + the moment it started (since last summer).

A big one! -ed describes how you feel: I'm bored, I'm excited. -ing describes what causes the feeling: the film is boring, the trip is exciting. Saying 'I'm boring' means you are a dull person — probably not what you meant.

Useful phrases: Do you fancy + -ing? ('Do you fancy going to the cinema?' — British), Would you like to...?, How about + -ing? ('How about meeting for a coffee?'), and Let's... ('Let's hang out this weekend'). Replies: 'Count me in!', 'I'd love to', 'Sounds great', or a polite 'I'd love to, but I'm busy'.

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