01
das Hobby
hobby
A leisure activity that one does regularly out of personal interest and for relaxation.
example
Sein liebstes Hobby ist das Fotografieren in der Natur.
His favorite hobby is photographing nature.
das Hobby
hobby
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Meanings
Usage tips
Typical verbs
To talk about a hobby, you typically use the verbs 'haben' (to have) and 'ausüben' (to practice/pursue). A somewhat more formal variant is 'einem Hobby nachgehen' (to pursue a hobby).
EXAMPLE
Welche Hobbys hast du?
What hobbies do you have?
Describing a hobby
You can describe your hobby with the structure 'Mein Hobby ist ...' (My hobby is ...) and a noun or a nominalized verb, e.g. 'Lesen' (reading), 'Schwimmen' (swimming).
EXAMPLE
Mein Hobby ist das Gärtnern.
My hobby is gardening.
Asking about hobbies
The most common question to ask someone about their leisure activities is: 'Was sind deine Hobbys?' (What are your hobbies?) or in the singular 'Was ist dein Hobby?' (What is your hobby?).
EXAMPLE
Was machst du gerne in deiner Freizeit? Hast du ein bestimmtes Hobby?
What do you like doing in your free time? Do you have a particular hobby?
Compare with
Hobby vs Interesse
interest
'das Interesse' and 'das Hobby' are often connected, but they are not the same thing. 'Interesse' means that you find something interesting or want to know more about it. 'Hobby' is an activity that you do regularly in your free time, for example painting, playing football, or playing guitar. You can have an interest in music without having a musical hobby yourself. And a hobby often develops from an interest. Learners confuse the words when talking about free time. Memory tip: interest is more about curiosity or attention; a hobby is the specific activity.
Hobby
Am Wochenende verbringt er viel Zeit mit seinem Hobby und fotografiert alte Häuser.
On weekends, he spends a lot of time on his hobby and photographs old houses.
Interesse
Wir haben Interesse an der Stadtführung, aber wir wissen noch nicht, ob wir Zeit haben.
We are interested in the city tour, but we don't yet know whether we have time.
In real life
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