An overview of leisure-related vocabulary in French, covering activities, free time phrases, and common expressions to talk about relaxing and enjoying oneself.
Leisure activities are an important part of daily life, and having the right vocabulary helps you talk about relaxation, hobbies, and free time in French. This guide covers a wide range of words and expressions related to leisure, from common activities to useful phrases.
Activities
Here are some common leisure activities in French, along with example sentences to show how they’re used.
| French Singular/Plural | English Singular/Plural | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| lire / lire | to read | J’aime lire avant de dormir. | I like to read before sleeping. |
| regarder / regarder | to watch | Nous regardons un film ce soir. | We are watching a movie tonight. |
| écouter / écouter | to listen | Elle écoute de la musique. | She listens to music. |
| jouer / jouer | to play | Les enfants jouent au parc. | The children play in the park. |
| peindre / peindre | to paint | Il aime peindre des paysages. | He likes to paint landscapes. |
| cuisiner / cuisiner | to cook | Je vais cuisiner un gâteau. | I’m going to bake a cake. |
| danser / danser | to dance | Nous aimons danser le samedi. | We like to dance on Saturdays. |
| se promener / se promener | to take a walk | Je me promène dans le jardin. | I take a walk in the garden. |
| faire du sport / faire du sport | to do sports | Elle fait du sport tous les matins. | She does sports every morning. |
| jouer aux jeux vidéo / jouer aux jeux vidéo | to play video games | Il joue aux jeux vidéo après l’école. | He plays video games after school. |
Elle ___ de la musique.
Which French verb means 'to listen'?
écoute
'Écouter' means 'to listen.' The sentence 'Elle écoute de la musique' means 'She listens to music.'
Free Time
These words and phrases are useful for talking about free time and how you spend your leisure hours.
| French Singular/Plural | English Singular/Plural | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| le temps libre | free time | Qu’est-ce que tu fais pendant ton temps libre ? | What do you do in your free time? |
| la détente | relaxation | La détente est importante pour la santé. | Relaxation is important for health. |
| les loisirs | leisure activities | J’ai beaucoup de loisirs le week-end. | I have many leisure activities on weekends. |
| se reposer / se reposer | to rest | Après le travail, je me repose un peu. | After work, I rest a little. |
| s’amuser / s’amuser | to have fun | Les enfants s’amusent au parc. | The children have fun at the park. |
| sortir / sortir | to go out | Ce soir, je sors avec des amis. | Tonight, I’m going out with friends. |
| traîner / traîner | to hang out | On va traîner au centre commercial. | We’re going to hang out at the mall. |
| flâner / flâner | to stroll / wander | J’aime flâner dans les rues de Paris. | I like to stroll through the streets of Paris. |
| se détendre / se détendre | to relax | Je me détends en écoutant de la musique. | I relax by listening to music. |
| profiter de / profiter de | to enjoy | Je profite du beau temps pour lire dehors. | I’m enjoying the nice weather by reading outside. |
Hobbies
These are common hobbies that people enjoy in their leisure time, with example sentences to help you use them naturally.
| French Singular/Plural | English Singular/Plural | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| la lecture | reading | La lecture est mon passe-temps préféré. | Reading is my favorite pastime. |
| le jardinage | gardening | Le jardinage me détend beaucoup. | Gardening relaxes me a lot. |
| la peinture | painting | Elle suit un cours de peinture le mardi. | She takes a painting class on Tuesdays. |
| la musique | music | J’écoute de la musique classique. | I listen to classical music. |
| la photographie | photography | Il fait de la photographie en voyage. | He takes photographs while traveling. |
| l’écriture | writing | J’écris dans mon journal tous les soirs. | I write in my journal every night. |
| le bricolage | DIY / crafting | Le bricolage est un hobby populaire. | DIY is a popular hobby. |
| la cuisine | cooking | La cuisine est un art et un loisir. | Cooking is an art and a hobby. |
| les voyages | traveling | Les voyages élargissent les horizons. | Traveling broadens the horizons. |
| le théâtre | theater | Elle joue dans une troupe de théâtre. | She acts in a theater troupe. |
Common Expressions
These are useful expressions for talking about leisure, making plans, and describing how you like to spend your free time in French.
| French Expression | English Translation | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qu’est-ce que tu fais de ton temps libre ? | What do you do in your free time? | Qu’est-ce que tu fais de ton temps libre ce week-end ? | What are you doing in your free time this weekend? |
| J’aime me détendre en ... | I like to relax by ... | J’aime me détendre en lisant un bon livre. | I like to relax by reading a good book. |
| Je passe mon temps à ... | I spend my time ... | Je passe mon temps à écouter de la musique. | I spend my time listening to music. |
| C’est mon passe-temps préféré. | It’s my favorite hobby. | Le jardinage, c’est mon passe-temps préféré. | Gardening is my favorite hobby. |
| J’ai besoin de me reposer. | I need to rest. | Après une longue journée, j’ai besoin de me reposer. | After a long day, I need to rest. |
| On pourrait ... | We could ... / Maybe we should ... | On pourrait aller au cinéma ce soir. | We could go to the movies tonight. |
| Tu veux sortir ? | Do you want to go out? | Tu veux sortir ce soir ? | Do you want to go out tonight? |
| Je préfère rester à la maison. | I prefer to stay home. | Ce soir, je préfère rester à la maison. | Tonight, I prefer to stay home. |
| C’est l’heure de se détendre. | It’s time to relax. | Après le travail, c’est l’heure de se détendre. | After work, it’s time to relax. |
| Profite bien de ta journée ! | Enjoy your day! | Profite bien de ta journée de congé ! | Enjoy your day off! |
Building your leisure vocabulary in French will help you describe your interests, make plans, and enjoy conversations about free time more naturally. Don’t hesitate to try using these words and expressions in your daily life!
C’est mon ___ préféré.
How do you say 'It's my favorite hobby.' in French?
passe-temps
'C’est mon passe-temps préféré.' means 'It’s my favorite hobby.' 'Passe-temps' is a common word for pastime or hobby.
Flashcards (1 of 40)
- English Singular/Plural: to read
- English Example: I like to read before sleeping.
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
