French vocabulary for free time activities, including sports, arts, socializing, and relaxation.
This course introduces essential French vocabulary for talking about free time activities. Covering topics like hobbies, sports, arts, socializing, and relaxation, it helps learners describe how they spend their leisure time with confidence.
Hobbies
Hobbies are activities people do for enjoyment during their free time. In French, hobbies are often introduced with the verb "faire" (to do) or "jouer" (to play) for games and sports.
| French Hobby | English Hobby | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| la lecture | reading | J’aime la lecture le soir. | I like reading in the evening. |
| le dessin | drawing | Elle fait du dessin après l’école. | She does drawing after school. |
| la peinture | painting | Nous faisons de la peinture le week-end. | We do painting on weekends. |
| la musique | music | Il écoute de la musique tous les jours. | He listens to music every day. |
| le jardinage | gardening | Mon grand-père aime le jardinage. | My grandfather likes gardening. |
| la couture | sewing | Elle fait de la couture pour se détendre. | She does sewing to relax. |
| la photographie | photography | Je fais de la photographie en voyage. | I do photography when traveling. |
| la cuisine | cooking | J’aime faire de la cuisine italienne. | I like cooking Italian food. |
| le bricolage | DIY / handyman work | Il fait du bricolage le dimanche. | He does DIY on Sundays. |
| l’écriture | writing | J’ai commencé l’écriture d’un roman. | I started writing a novel. |
Me gusta hacer ___ italiana.
Which French hobby means 'cooking'?
la cuisine
'La cuisine' means 'cooking'. The sentence translates to 'I like cooking Italian food.'
Mi abuelo disfruta ___ en el jardín.
What is the French word for 'gardening'?
le jardinage
'Le jardinage' means 'gardening' in French. The other options refer to sewing, photography, and DIY work.
Sports and Physical Activities
Sports and physical activities are common ways to spend free time. In French, the verb "faire" is used with most sports, except for those involving balls or instruments, which use "jouer" (to play).
| French Sport | English Sport | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| le football | soccer | Ils jouent au football après l’école. | They play soccer after school. |
| le tennis | tennis | Je joue au tennis le samedi. | I play tennis on Saturdays. |
| la natation | swimming | Elle fait de la natation tous les matins. | She swims every morning. |
| le vélo | cycling | Nous faisons du vélo le week-end. | We go cycling on weekends. |
| la course à pied | running | Il fait de la course à pied au parc. | He goes running in the park. |
| le basketball | basketball | On joue au basketball au gymnase. | We play basketball in the gym. |
| le yoga | yoga | Je fais du yoga pour me détendre. | I do yoga to relax. |
| l’escalade | climbing | Ils font de l’escalade en montagne. | They go climbing in the mountains. |
| le ski | skiing | Nous faisons du ski en hiver. | We go skiing in winter. |
| la gymnastique | gymnastics | Elle fait de la gymnastique à l’école. | She does gymnastics at school. |
Arts and Culture
Arts and cultural activities enrich free time and expand creativity. This vocabulary helps talk about common artistic pursuits and cultural experiences in French.
| French Activity | English Activity | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| aller au cinéma | go to the movies | On va au cinéma ce soir. | We’re going to the movies tonight. |
| écouter de la musique | listen to music | J’aime écouter de la musique classique. | I like listening to classical music. |
| visiter un musée | visit a museum | Nous allons visiter un musée dimanche. | We are going to visit a museum on Sunday. |
| aller au théâtre | go to the theater | Elle va au théâtre avec ses amis. | She goes to the theater with her friends. |
| lire un livre | read a book | Je vais lire un livre avant de dormir. | I’m going to read a book before sleeping. |
| regarder une exposition | see an exhibition | Ils vont regarder une exposition d’art. | They are going to see an art exhibition. |
| faire de la poterie | do pottery | Je fais de la poterie une fois par semaine. | I do pottery once a week. |
| écrire un poème | write a poem | Il aime écrire des poèmes le soir. | He likes writing poems in the evening. |
| apprendre la danse | learn to dance | Nous apprenons la danse salsa. | We are learning salsa dancing. |
| jouer d’un instrument | play an instrument | Elle joue du piano depuis cinq ans. | She has played the piano for five years. |
Socializing
Spending time with friends and family is a key part of free time. This vocabulary covers common social activities and helps express plans and invitations in French.
| French Activity | English Activity | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| sortir avec des amis | go out with friends | Je sors avec des amis ce soir. | I’m going out with friends tonight. |
| organiser une fête | organize a party | Nous organisons une fête samedi. | We’re organizing a party on Saturday. |
| inviter quelqu’un | invite someone | Elle m’a invité à dîner. | She invited me to dinner. |
| appeler un ami | call a friend | Je vais appeler un ami après le travail. | I’m going to call a friend after work. |
| discuter en ligne | chat online | Ils discutent en ligne tous les jours. | They chat online every day. |
| aller à un concert | go to a concert | On va à un concert ce week-end. | We’re going to a concert this weekend. |
| prendre un café | have a coffee | Je prends un café avec ma sœur. | I’m having coffee with my sister. |
| passer du temps en famille | spend time with family | Elle passe du temps en famille le dimanche. | She spends time with family on Sundays. |
| faire une promenade | go for a walk | Nous faisons souvent une promenade le soir. | We often go for a walk in the evening. |
| aller au parc | go to the park | Les enfants vont au parc après l’école. | The children go to the park after school. |
Relaxation and Leisure
Relaxation is an important part of free time. These French terms describe common ways to unwind and take it easy after a busy day or week.
| French Activity | English Activity | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| se reposer | rest | Je me repose après une longue journée. | I rest after a long day. |
| faire la sieste | take a nap | Il fait souvent la sieste après le déjeuner. | He often takes a nap after lunch. |
| regarder la télévision | watch TV | Nous regardons la télévision le soir. | We watch TV in the evening. |
| écouter un podcast | listen to a podcast | J’écoute un podcast en courant. | I listen to a podcast while running. |
| lire un magazine | read a magazine | Elle lit un magazine de mode. | She reads a fashion magazine. |
| surfer sur Internet | surf the Internet | Je surfe sur Internet avant de dormir. | I surf the Internet before sleeping. |
| faire des puzzles | do puzzles | On fait des puzzles en famille. | We do puzzles as a family. |
| méditer | meditate | Je méditer dix minutes chaque matin. | I meditate for ten minutes each morning. |
| prendre un bain | take a bath | Elle prend un bain chaud le soir. | She takes a hot bath in the evening. |
| écouter de la musique douce | listen to soft music | J’écoute de la musique douce pour me relaxer. | I listen to soft music to relax. |
This vocabulary builder covers a wide range of free time activities in French, from hobbies and sports to socializing and relaxation. Use these words and phrases to confidently talk about how you spend your leisure time—and maybe even discover new ways to enjoy it!
Flashcards (1 of 50)
- English Hobby: reading
- English Example: I like reading in the evening.
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
