Describing hobbies
Describiendo aficiones
- Talk about your hobbies
- Describe activities that you enjoy
- Adverbs of time: "Ahora, antes, después, luego, etc..."
Learn how to describe hobbies and free time activities in Spanish using key verbs like escuchar, dibujar, leer, and pintar, along with useful time adverbs such as ahora, antes, and después. This lesson provides dialogues, exercises, and vocabulary to help A1 learners talk naturally about their pastimes and daily routines.
Listening & reading materials
Practice vocabulary in context with real materials.
A1.41.1 Lectura
¿Qué hacen los españoles en su tiempo libre?
What do Spaniards do in their free time?
Vocabulary (15) 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: Classify these words into two groups depending on whether they refer to creative activities or to objects we use for those activities.
Actividades creativas
Materiales y objetos
Exercise 4: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
La película
The film
2
La foto
The photo
3
Escuchar
To listen
4
Sacar
To take
5
Pintar
To paint
Ejercicio 5: Conversation exercise
Instrucción:
- 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 mujer canta. The woman sings. |
|
Son activos y practican deportes. They are active and do sports. |
|
Me gusta mucho escuchar música. I like to listen to music very much. |
|
¿Qué te gusta hacer? What do you like to do? |
|
Me gusta leer. I like to read. |
|
Me gusta pintar. 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. Ahora ______ música en casa.
(Now ______ music at home.)2. Ya ______ leído el libro que me recomendaste.
(I have already ______ read the book you recommended to me.)3. Antes ______ escrito una nota para mi amigo.
(Before ______ written a note for my friend.)4. Hoy ______ un cuadro en el taller.
(Today ______ a picture in the studio.)Exercise 8: My favorite hobbies
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Escuchar - To listen
Presente
- yo escucho
- tú escuchas
- él/ella/usted escucha
- nosotros/nosotras escuchamos
- vosotros/vosotras escucháis
- ellos/ellas/ustedes escuchan
Escribir - To write
Pretérito perfecto
- yo he escrito
- tú has escrito
- él/ella/usted ha escrito
- nosotros/nosotras hemos escrito
- vosotros/vosotras habéis escrito
- ellos/ellas/ustedes han escrito
Leer - To read
Pretérito perfecto
- yo he leído
- tú has leído
- él/ella/usted ha leído
- nosotros/nosotras hemos leído
- vosotros/vosotras habéis leído
- ellos/ellas/ustedes han leído
Pintar - To paint
Presente
- yo pinto
- tú pintas
- él/ella/usted pinta
- nosotros/nosotras pintamos
- vosotros/vosotras pintáis
- ellos/ellas/ustedes pintan
Hacer - To do
Presente
- yo hago
- tú haces
- él/ella/usted hace
- nosotros/nosotras hacemos
- vosotros/vosotras hacéis
- ellos/ellas/ustedes hacen
Exercise 9: Adverbios de tiempo: "Ahora, antes, después, luego, etc..."
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: Adverbs of time: "Ahora, antes, después, luego, etc..."
Show translation Show answersTodavía, Ahora, Antes, Temprano, Hoy, Ya, Tarde, Después
Grammar Share Copied!
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A1.41.2 Gramática
Adverbios de tiempo: "Ahora, antes, después, luego, etc..."
Adverbs of time: "Ahora, antes, después, luego, etc..."
Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Escribir to write Share Copied!
Pretérito perfecto
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| (yo) he escrito | I have written |
| (tú) has escrito | You have written |
| (él/ella) ha escrito | he/she has written |
| (nosotros/nosotras) hemos escrito | we have written |
| (vosotros/vosotras) habéis escrito | You have written |
| (ellos/ellas) han escrito | they have written |
Leer to read Share Copied!
Pretérito perfecto
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| (yo) he leído | I have read |
| (tú) has leído | You have read |
| (él/ella) ha leído | He/she has read |
| (nosotros/nosotras) hemos leído | we have read |
| (vosotros/vosotras) habéis leído | You have read |
| (ellos/ellas) han leído | They have read |
Escuchar to listen Share Copied!
Presente
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| (yo) escucho | I listen |
| (tú) escuchas | You listen |
| (él/ella) escucha | he/she listens |
| (nosotros/nosotras) escuchamos | We listen |
| (vosotros/vosotras) escucháis | You listen |
| (ellos/ellas) escuchan | they listen |
Pintar to paint Share Copied!
Presente
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| (yo) pinto | I paint |
| (tú) pintas | You paint |
| (él/ella) pinta | he paints/she paints |
| (nosotros/nosotras) paintamos/pintamos | we paint |
| (vosotros/vosotras) pintáis | You paint |
| (ellos/ellas) pintan | they paint |
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Describing Hobbies in Spanish
This lesson explores how to talk about hobbies and leisure activities in Spanish, focusing on the use of time adverbs and common verbs related to free time. You'll learn to describe what people do in their spare time, with examples like "Ahora escucho música en mi tiempo libre" (I listen to music in my free time now) and "Antes dibujo cuadros en casa" (Before, I used to paint pictures at home).
Key Vocabulary and Expressions
- Adverbs of time: ahora (now), antes (before), después (after), luego (later), todavía (still/yet), hoy (today).
- Common verbs for hobbies: escuchar (to listen), dibujar (to draw), leer (to read), pintar (to paint), sacar fotos (to take photos).
- Materials and objects: el libro (book), el instrumento (instrument), la cámara (camera).
Practice Content
The lesson includes dialogues set in typical places like parks, cafeterias, and libraries to practice talking about hobbies and free time activities. You will find conversations using time adverbs to describe when activities happen, such as "Después de trabajar, leo un libro" (After working, I read a book).
Additionally, there are exercises on verb conjugation in present and perfect tenses to help you use these verbs correctly, as well as a short story practice focusing on favorite hobbies that reinforces both vocabulary and grammar.
Tips on Spanish vs. English Usage
In Spanish, it is common to use the present tense for current habits and the perfect tense to describe recent actions, which may differ from English usage. For example, "Ahora escucho música" (I listen to music now) uses the present tense, but "He leído un libro" (I have read a book) shows a completed action related to the present.
Remember that some adverbs like "antes" and "después" are used differently to express sequence of actions compared to English. Phrases like "Antes de leer el libro, prefiero ver una película española" mean "Before reading the book, I prefer to watch a Spanish movie," showing a structure to indicate order.
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