Lesson 1: Hobbies & Free Time Activities
Thematic & Topical Vocabulary (A2)
Welcome to our A2 Thematic Vocabulary series! We all have activities we enjoy doing in our free time1. These are called "hobbies2". Talking about your hobbies is a great way to make friends and share your personality. Let's learn the English phrases to describe what you love to do!
Word Bank: Common Hobbies
| Activity | Pronunciation Guide | Khmer | Meaning & Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🎬 to watch movies3 | (woch moo-veez) | មើលកុន | To see a film at home or at the cinema. Example: "I like to watch movies on the weekend." |
| 🎧 to listen to music4 | (lis-en too myoo-zik) | ស្ដាប់តន្ត្រី | To hear songs or instrumental pieces. Example: "I listen to music when I study." |
| ⚽ to play sports5 | (play sports) | លេងកីឡា | To participate in a physical game like football. Example: "He loves to play sports with friends." |
| 📚 to read books6 | (reed buks) | អានសៀវភៅ | To look at and understand words in a book. Example: "She likes to read books." |
| 🛍️ to go shopping7 | (goh shop-ing) | ទៅទិញអីវ៉ាន់ | To visit shops to look at and buy things. Example: "They go shopping on Saturday." |
| 🧑🍳 to cook8 | (kuk) | ចំអិន | To prepare food by heating it. Example: "My hobby is to cook new dishes." |
| ✈️ to travel9 | (trav-el) | ធ្វើដំណើរ | To go from one place to another. Example: "I want to travel to the coast." |
| 👨👩👧👦 to spend time with family10 | (spend tym with...) | ចំណាយពេលជាមួយគ្រួសារ | To be with people you care about. Example: "On Sunday, I spend time with my family." |
Usage Note: Talking About Hobbies
To ask about hobbies, you can say: "What are your hobbies?" or "What do you do in your free time?"
To answer, you can use two common structures. Both are correct!
- I like + [verb]-ing:
Example: "I like watching movies." or "I like reading." - I like + to + [verb]:
Example: "I like to watch movies." or "I like to read."
In Conversation
Maria is asking Bora about his interests.
Maria: Bora, what do you do in your free time?
Bora: I like to play sports, especially football. I also listen to music a lot. What about you?
Maria: I'm not very sporty. I prefer reading books and watching movies. My favorite hobby is to cook.
Bora: That's a great hobby! I also like to spend time with my family on the weekends. Sometimes we go shopping together.
Maria: That sounds lovely. My family lives far away, so I hope to travel to see them next year.
quiz Check Your Understanding
1. If you enjoy preparing new dishes, your hobby is ______.
- a) to travel
- b) to cook
- c) to play sports
Click to see the answer
Answer: b) to cook
2. Which sentence is also a correct way to say, "I like to watch movies"?
- a) I like is watching movies.
- b) I like watching movies.
- c) I like watch movies.
Click to see the answer
Answer: b) I like watching movies.
3. How can you ask someone about their hobbies?
- a) How are your hobbies?
- b) Where are your hobbies?
- c) What are your hobbies?
Click to see the answer
Answer: c) What are your hobbies?
edit Your Mission
- My Hobbies: Write two sentences about your own hobbies. Use both structures from the Usage Note. (e.g., "I like reading books. I also like to listen to music.")
- A Friend's Hobbies: Think about a friend. What are their hobbies? Write one sentence. (e.g., "My friend likes to play sports.")
- Speak: Your mission is to ask a friend, "What do you do in your free time?". Listen to their answer and tell them about one of your hobbies.
book Lesson Glossary
- Free time (noun phrase) - Khmer: ពេលវេលាទំនេរ (pelvela tumner) - Time when you are not working or studying. ↩
- Hobby (noun) - Khmer: ចំណង់ចំណូលចិត្ត (chamnâng chamnaul chet) - An activity you do for pleasure in your free time. ↩
- to watch movies (verb phrase) - Khmer: មើលកុន - To see a film. ↩
- to listen to music (verb phrase) - Khmer: ស្ដាប់តន្ត្រី - To hear songs. ↩
- to play sports (verb phrase) - Khmer: លេងកីឡា - To participate in a physical game. ↩
- to read books (verb phrase) - Khmer: អានសៀវភៅ - To get information or stories from a book. ↩
- to go shopping (verb phrase) - Khmer: ទៅទិញអីវ៉ាន់ - To visit shops to buy things. ↩
- to cook (verb) - Khmer: ចំអិន - To prepare food by heating it. ↩
- to travel (verb) - Khmer: ធ្វើដំណើរ - To go from one place to another. ↩
- to spend time with family (verb phrase) - Khmer: ចំណាយពេលជាមួយគ្រួសារ - To be with your family. ↩