Describing hobbies
Descrivere gli hobby
- Talk about your hobbies
- Describe activities that you enjoy
- The adverbs of time: dopo, prima, poi, etc...
Learn to describe hobbies using common time adverbs like dopo (after), prima (before), and poi (then). Practice vocabulary such as disegnare (to draw), ascoltare musica (listen to music), leggere (read), and phrases like Nel tempo libero (in free time) to talk about your daily activities clearly.
Vocabulary (13) 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: Divide these words into two meaningful categories, associating each word with the correct group.
Attività artistiche e creative
Attività di svago e divertimento
Exercise 4: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
La danza
The dance
2
Ascoltare musica
Listen to music
3
Disegnare
To draw
4
Lo strumento
The instrument
5
Il film
The film
Esercizio 5: Conversation exercise
Istruzione:
- 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 donna canta. The woman sings. |
|
Sono attivi e fanno sport. They are active and do sports. |
|
Mi piace molto ascoltare la musica. I like to listen to music very much. |
|
Cosa ti piace fare? What do you like to do? |
|
Mi piace leggere. I like to read. |
|
Mi piace dipingere. 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. Adesso ___ un po' nel mio tempo libero.
(Now ___ a little in my free time.)2. Dopo cena ___ sempre un libro interessante.
(After dinner ___ always an interesting book.)3. Prima ___ già ascoltato un po' di musica.
(Earlier ___ already listened to some music.)4. Oggi ___ disegnato la famiglia nel tempo libero.
(Today ___ drew the family in my free time.)Exercise 8: Describing Marina's hobbies
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Disegnare - To draw
Presente
- io disegno
- tu disegni
- lui/lei disegna
- noi disegniamo
- voi disegnate
- loro disegnano
Ascoltare - To listen
Presente
- io ascolto
- tu ascolti
- lui/lei ascolta
- noi ascoltiamo
- voi ascoltate
- loro ascoltano
Leggere - To read
Passato prossimo
- io ho letto
- tu hai letto
- lui/lei ha letto
- noi abbiamo letto
- voi avete letto
- loro hanno letto
Passare - To spend
Presente
- io passo
- tu passi
- lui/lei passa
- noi passiamo
- voi passate
- loro passano
Exercise 9: Gli avverbi di tempo: dopo, prima, poi ecc...
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: The adverbs of time: dopo, prima, poi, etc...
Show translation Show answerspoi, dopo, mai, prima, adesso
Grammar Share Copied!
It's not the most exciting thing, we admit, but it’s absolutely essential (and we promise it'll pay off)!
A1.41.1 Grammatica
Gli avverbi di tempo: dopo, prima, poi ecc...
The adverbs of time: dopo, prima, poi, etc...
Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Disegnare to draw Share Copied!
Presente
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| (io) disegno | I draw |
| (tu) disegni | You draw |
| (lui/lei) disegna | he/she draws |
| (noi) disegniamo | we draw |
| (voi) disegnate | you draw |
| (loro) disegnano | they draw |
Leggere to read Share Copied!
Passato prossimo
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| (io) ho letto | I have read |
| (tu) hai letto | You have read |
| (lui/lei) ha letto | he/she has read |
| (noi) abbiamo letto | we have read |
| (voi) avete letto | You have read |
| (loro) hanno letto | They have read |
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Describing Hobbies in Italian: An A1 Level Guide
This lesson focuses on expressing your hobbies and leisure activities in Italian, with an emphasis on using time adverbs to indicate when you do them. You will learn to place words like prima (before), dopo (after), poi (then), and adesso (now) correctly in sentences to sequence your daily or free-time activities.
Key Language Elements
- Time Adverbs: prima, dopo, poi, adesso
- Verbs related to hobbies: disegnare (to draw), ascoltare musica (to listen to music), leggere (to read), passare del tempo (to spend time)
- Nouns for hobbies: il disegno (the drawing), la fotografia (photography), il film (movie)
Using Time Adverbs in Context
Italian allows you to place these adverbs flexibly to describe your routine or hobbies. For example:
- Adesso ascolto musica per rilassarmi dopo il lavoro.
- Prima disegno, poi guardo un film.
- Dopo il lavoro passo del tempo con la famiglia.
These phrases help you narrate your day or explain when you engage in different activities.
Verb Conjugation Highlights
The lesson includes present tense conjugations of common verbs like disegnare (io disegno, tu disegni...), ascoltare, and the past tense (passato prossimo) for verbs like leggere (io ho letto). Mastering these conjugations allows you to create accurate, simple sentences about your hobbies.
Cultural and Linguistic Notes
Unlike English, Italian often places time adverbs before or after the verb phrase with great flexibility but keeping the sentence clear. For instance, "Adesso ascolto musica" means "Now I listen to music," showing how adesso can lead the sentence. Phrases like "prima di cena" mean "before dinner," combining the adverb with a noun phrase. Note that in Italian the pronoun can usually be omitted because the verb conjugation indicates the subject.
Useful Expressions and Their English Equivalents
- Adesso ascolto musica: Now I listen to music
- Prima disegno: Before, I draw
- Poi guardo un film: Then I watch a movie
- Dopo il lavoro: After work
- Nel tempo libero: In free time
This lesson offers practical vocabulary and grammar patterns essential for discussing your hobbies and routines, making your conversations more natural and temporal in Italian.
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