Hobbies & Free Time
Hobbies & Free Time
There's no one-word German equivalent of 'to like doing' something — German bolts the little adverb gern onto an ordinary verb instead, a construction worth mastering early since it comes up constantly.
Grammar Comparison
Grammar Comparison
gern(e) + verb — German's way of saying 'like to'
Ich spiele gern Fußball. (I like playing football — literally 'I play gladly football')
I like playing football / I like to play football.
English 'like to [verb]' or 'like [verb]-ing' has no direct one-word translation in German. Instead, German adds the adverb gern(e) ('gladly') right after the conjugated verb: spielen ('to play') → Ich spiele gern... The verb stays fully conjugated; gern just modifies it. To say you DON'T like doing something, use nicht gern — you don't negate gern itself.
Hobby verbs pair with specific prepositions
sich interessieren für (to be interested in) + accusative
to be interested in
As with English 'interested IN' (not 'interested AT'), German verbs of interest and enthusiasm come locked to a specific preposition and case that must be memorized together with the verb — sich interessieren für + accusative is one to learn as a fixed chunk, not built word by word.
Vocabulary
Vocabulary
| German | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| das Hobby | dahs HOH-bee | hobby |
| Ich spiele gern Fußball. | ikh SHPEE-leh gairn FOOS-bahl | I like playing football. |
| lesen | LAY-zen | to read |
| malen | MAH-len | to paint |
| fotografieren | foh-toh-grah-FEE-ren | to take photos |
| wandern | VAHN-dern | to hike |
| schwimmen | SHVIM-en | to swim |
| Musik hören | moo-ZEEK HUR-ren | to listen to music |
| kochen | KOH-khen | to cook |
| sich interessieren für | zikh in-teh-reh-SEE-ren fuer | to be interested in |
| die Freizeit | dee FRY-tsyt | free time |
| Ich habe keine Zeit. | ikh HAH-beh KY-neh tsyt | I don't have time. |