French · A1 (Beginner)
Hobbies in French: Words & Phrases
Quick answer: The most useful French words for hobbies are lire (to read), faire du sport (to do sports) and cuisiner (to cook). The full French hobbies phrase list with example sentences is below.
The essential French vocabulary for hobbies, with example sentences and English translations. This is A1 (Beginner) material — exactly the kind of practical language you need when you're learning French to live, work, or settle abroad.
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Key hobbies vocabulary
| French | English |
|---|---|
| lire | to read |
| faire du sport | to do sports |
| cuisiner | to cook |
| voyager | to travel |
| la musique | music |
| le cinéma | the cinema |
| nager | to swim |
| danser | to dance |
| le livre | the book |
| le jeu | the game |
Example sentences
J'aime lire des romans.
I like reading novels.
Je fais du sport tous les jours.
I do sports every day.
J'adore cuisiner le week-end.
I love cooking at weekends.
J'aime voyager en Europe.
I like travelling in Europe.
J'écoute de la musique chaque jour.
I listen to music every day.
Je vais au cinéma le vendredi.
I go to the cinema on Fridays.
How to actually learn these
Reading a vocabulary list is not the same as being able to use the words when it counts. Research on adult language acquisition consistently shows that vocabulary retained through contextual use — hearing a word, producing it under mild pressure, and being corrected when you get it wrong — transfers to real speech far more effectively than passive list review. The fastest way to make vocabulary like this stick is to practise it in the actual conversations where it comes up: not drills, but a real back-and-forth where you have to retrieve the word and say it aloud. Language Lab turns vocabulary like this into voiced, real-life scenarios with Sonia, a live AI language tutor who holds real conversations, corrects you in context, and remembers the specific words you keep getting wrong across sessions. The vocabulary stops being something you read and becomes something you say — automatically, under pressure, when you actually need it.
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