Describing hobbies
Décrire les passe-temps
- Talk about your hobbies
- Describe activities that you enjoy
- "Faire de", "Jouer à", "Jouer du" + definite article
Learn how to describe hobbies in French using phrases like "faire de", "jouer à", and "jouer du" with definite articles. This lesson covers vocabulary for artistic activities, sports, and leisure, includes dialogues for practical conversation, conjugation exercises in present tense, and a short story to practice vocabulary in context.
Listening & reading materials
Practice vocabulary in context with real materials.
Vocabulary (14) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercise 1: Reorder sentences
Instruction: Make correct sentences and translate.
Exercise 2: Match a word
Instruction: Match the translations
Exercise 3: Cluster the words
Instruction: Match each word to the category that best describes your hobbies.
Activités artistiques
Expressions d'activités
Exercise 4: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
Photographier
To photograph
2
S'amuser
To have fun
3
Une activité
An activity
4
La lecture
Reading
5
Un loisir
A pastime
Exercice 5: Conversation exercise
Instruction:
- Describe the hobby in each picture. (Describe the hobby in each picture.)
- What is your favorite activity? (What is your favorite activity?)
- Ask the others about their hobbies? (Ask the others about their hobbies?)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
|
La femme chante. The woman sings. |
|
Ils sont actifs et font du sport. They are active and do sports. |
|
J'aime beaucoup écouter de la musique. I like to listen to music very much. |
|
Qu'est-ce que tu aimes faire ? What do you like to do? |
|
J'aime lire. I like to read. |
|
J'aime peindre. I like to paint. |
| ... |
Exercise 6: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 7: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Je ___ de la danse tous les samedis.
(I ___ dance every Saturday.)2. Tu ___ au tennis avec tes amis après le travail.
(You ___ play tennis with your friends after work.)3. Il ___ du piano depuis plusieurs années.
(He ___ been playing piano for several years.)4. Nous ___ les rues et les quartiers de la ville pendant notre temps libre.
(We ___ the streets and neighborhoods of the city during our free time.)Exercise 8: Describing the hobbies of a newcomer to Paris
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Découvrir - Discover
Présent
- je découvre
- tu découvres
- il/elle découvre
- nous découvrons
- vous découvrez
- ils/elles découvrent
Faire - Take
Présent
- je fais
- tu fais
- il/elle fait
- nous faisons
- vous faites
- ils/elles font
Jouer - Play
Présent
- je joue
- tu joues
- il/elle joue
- nous jouons
- vous jouez
- ils/elles jouent
S'intéresser - Be interested
Présent
- je m'intéresse
- tu t'intéresses
- il/elle s'intéresse
- nous nous intéressons
- vous vous intéressez
- ils/elles s'intéressent
Exercise 9: "Faire de", "Jouer à", "Jouer du" + article défini
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: "Faire de", "Jouer à", "Jouer du" + definite article
Show translation Show answersfaire de la, jouer du, faire du, jouer aux, jouer de la, jouer au
Grammar Share Copied!
It's not the most exciting thing, we admit, but it’s absolutely essential (and we promise it'll pay off)!
A1.41.2 Grammaire
"Faire de", "Jouer à", "Jouer du" + article défini
"Faire de", "Jouer à", "Jouer du" + definite article
Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Découvrir to discover Share Copied!
present
| French | English |
|---|---|
| (je/j') découvre | I discover |
| (tu) découvres | you discover |
| (il/elle/on) découvre | he/she/one discovers |
| (nous) découvrons | we discover |
| (vous) découvrez | You discover |
| (ils/elles) découvrent | they discover |
S'intéresser to be interested Share Copied!
present
| French | English |
|---|---|
| (je/j') m'intéresse | I am interested |
| (tu) t'intéresses | You are interested |
| (il/elle/on) s'intéresse | he/she/one is interested |
| nous intéressons | we are interested |
| vous intéressez | You are interested |
| (ils/elles) s'intéressent | they are interested |
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Describing Hobbies in French
This lesson introduces you to common ways of talking about hobbies and leisure activities in French. You'll learn how to use important phrases like "faire de", "jouer à", and "jouer du" combined with defined articles to describe what you do in your free time.
Key Activities and Expressions
- Artistic activities: la danse (dance), le dessin (drawing), la photo (photography).
- Common phrases for hobbies: faire de (to do), s'amuser (to have fun), s'intéresser (to be interested in), un loisir (a hobby).
Practice Through Dialogues
You will find dialogues set in everyday places like the park, café, and gym. These conversations help you practice discussing sports, music instruments, and interests naturally with others.
Verb Conjugations and Sentences
The lesson includes multiple-choice verb conjugation exercises to reinforce present tense forms of verbs related to leisure, such as faire (to do), jouer (to play), and découvrir (to discover).
Mini Story and Vocabulary
A short story about a new resident in Paris helps consolidate vocabulary and sentence structures, focusing on verbs like découvrir, faire, jouer, and s'intéresser.
Important Notes on French vs. English
In French, certain verbs require specific prepositions and definite articles when talking about hobbies. For example, you say faire de la danse (to do dance) or jouer du piano (to play piano), where the article depends on the activity. This differs from English, where you simply say "to dance" or "to play the piano" without an article before the verb. Understanding these small but important differences will help you speak more naturally.
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