Spanish Hobbies Vocabulary: Hobbies Words in Spanish

Spanish Hobbies Vocabulary

Start with the most common words, then expand your knowledge with intermediate and advanced vocabulary.

Beginner (A1)

ballet ballet
baseball béisbol
basketball baloncesto
chatting chatear
cooking cocinar
dance el baile
drawing el dibujo
fishing pesca
gardening jardinería
go for a walk salir a caminar
go to the movies salir al cine
go to the theater ir al teatro
listen to music escuchar música
painting pintar
playing cards jugar cartas
playing guitar tocar guitarra
playing video games jugar videojuegos
reading leer
salsa bailar salsa
singing cantar
soccer fútbol
swimming nadar
take pictures sacar fotos
taking care of pets cuidar mascotas
tango bailar tango
tennis tenis
to dance bailar
to draw dibujar
to fish pescar
to go camping acampar
to go shopping ir de compras
to play soccer jugar al fútbol
to play videogames jugar videojuegos
to practice yoga hacer yoga
to sew coser
to the beach ir a la playa
to the disco ir a la disco
to work out hacer ejercicios
travel viajar
video games los videojuegos
visiting museums visitar museos
volleyball el voleibol
watching TV/movies ver televisión/películas

Elementary (A2)

arts and crafts las manualidades
badminton el bádminton
baking la repostería
beach volleyball voleibol de playa
board games los juegos de mesa
boxing boxear
carpentry carpintería
chess el ajedrez
climbing la escalada
crochet el crochet
cycling ciclismo
darts dardos
flying kites volar cometas
football (American) el fútbol americano
golf el golf
gymnastics la gimnasia
hockey el hockey
jazz jazz
jogging trotar
knitting el punto
photography fotografía
playing bass tocar bajo
playing drums tocar batería
playing piano tocar el piano
playing violin tocar violín
pool/billiards el billar
puzzles los rompecabezas
riding horses montar a caballo
sailing navegar
scuba diving bucear
sewing la costura
skateboarding andar en patineta
skating patinar
ski esquiar
skiing el esquí
surfing surfear
texting textear
to bake or cook desserts hornear o cocinar dulces
to do gymnastics hacer gimnasia
to go out drinking salir a tomar
to knit tejer
to meditate meditar
to practice karate practicar karate
to take photos tomar fotografías
track and field el atletismo
waltz vals

Intermediate & Advanced (B1-C1)

astronomy astronomía
bungee jumping salto de bungee
creating jewelry crear bisutería
fixing cars arreglar autos
flying drones volar drones
hunting caza
mountain climbing escalar montañas
write music escribir música
writing poetry escribir poesía
birdwatching la observación de aves
contemporary dance danza contemporánea
model building construcción de modelos
songwriting componer canciones

Example Sentences

In proper context. With highlighted verbs and adjectives.

Beginner & Elementary (A1-A2)

Essential verbs and adjectives used to discuss everyday hobbies and leisure activities.

En mi tiempo libre me gusta cocinar platos deliciosos. In my free time I like to cook delicious dishes.
Ellos bailan salsa los fines de semana. They dance salsa on the weekends.
Mis amigos acampan en el bosque cada verano. My friends camp in the woods every summer.
Ana nada en la piscina todas las mañanas. Ana swims in the pool every morning.
Nosotros patinamos en el parque cuando hace buen tiempo. We skate in the park when the weather is good.
Jugar videojuegos es muy divertido con amigos. Playing video games is very fun with friends.
La jardinería es una actividad relajante por la tarde. Gardening is a relaxing activity in the afternoon.
El baloncesto es un deporte bastante activo y popular. Basketball is a fairly active and popular sport.
Leer un libro en casa es un pasatiempo tranquilo. Reading a book at home is a quiet hobby.
El dibujo es un trabajo bastante creativo para los niños. Drawing is a fairly creative activity for children.

Intermediate & Advanced (B1-C1)

More complex expressions, specialized hobbies, and nuanced descriptive vocabulary.

Ella prefiere escribir poesía durante las noches silenciosas. She prefers writing poetry during quiet nights.
El músico intenta componer canciones para su nuevo álbum. The musician tries to compose songs for his new album.
Muchas personas deciden meditar para reducir el estrés diario. Many people decide to meditate to reduce daily stress.
Mi hermano sabe arreglar autos antiguos como pasatiempo. My brother knows how to fix classic cars as a hobby.
Nosotros planeamos navegar por la costa durante las vacaciones. We plan to sail along the coast during the holidays.
La escalada de montaña es un deporte extremadamente exigente. Mountain climbing is an extremely demanding sport.
El salto de bungee me parece una experiencia bastante emocionante. Bungee jumping seems like a very exciting experience to me.
Un buen fotógrafo de aves necesita ser muy paciente en el campo. A good bird photographer needs to be very patient in the field.
La danza contemporánea requiere un talento altamente artístico. Contemporary dance requires highly artistic talent.
El ajedrez es un juego muy complejo que exige estrategia. Chess is a very complex game that requires strategy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions about Hobbies and Leisure in Spanish

To talk about what you like doing in your free time, you can use common structures with verbs like gustar or encantar.

Me gusta... + infinitive (e.g., Me gusta pintar - I like painting)
Me encanta... + infinitive (e.g., Me encanta viajar - I love traveling)
En mi tiempo libre prefiero... (In my free time I prefer...)
Mi pasatiempo favorito es... (My favorite hobby is...)

In Spanish, different verbs are used depending on whether you play a sport, a game, or an instrument.

Use jugar a for team sports and board games (e.g., jugar al fútbol, jugar al ajedrez).
Use tocar for musical instruments (e.g., tocar la guitarra, tocar el piano).
Use hacer or practicar for fitness, gymnastics, or solo physical activities (e.g., hacer yoga, practicar gimnasia).

Here are the most natural questions to ask someone about their hobbies or free-time activities:

¿Qué te gusta hacer en tu tiempo libre? (What do you like to do in your free time?)
¿Tienes algún pasatiempo? (Do you have any hobbies?)
¿Qué deportes o actividades practicas? (What sports or activities do you practice?)

You can describe your favorite pastimes using key descriptive adjectives:

Divertido / Entretenido (Fun / Entertaining)
Relajante (Relaxing)
Exigente / Desafiante (Demanding / Challenging)
Creativo (Creative)

Yes, vocabulary for hobbies and recreation varies across Spanish-speaking regions:

Hiking is called senderismo in Spain, while in Latin America it is commonly referred to as caminata, excursionismo, or trekking.
Kite flying uses volar cometas in Spain and Colombia, volar papalotes in Mexico, and volar barriletes in Argentina.
Video games are called videojuegos across the Americas, while in Spain terms like juegos de consola or maquinitas (arcade) are also used.

Spanish Hobbies Vocabulary