Talking About Hobbies — Building Blocks

What you will learn

Learn to discuss your hobbies and leisure activities. This lesson covers common hobby vocabulary, how to ask about interests, and expressing what you enjoy doing in your free time.

Ask and answer questions about hobbies
Use 鍾意 (jung1 ji3) to express likes
Talk about frequency with 成日/有時/好少
Name common leisure activities in Cantonese

Dialogue

Conversation

你平時得閒鍾意做乜嘢呀？

nei5 ping4 si4 dak1 haan4 jung1 ji3 zou6 mat1 je5 aa3?

What do you like doing in your free time?

我鍾意睇戲同埋行山。你呢？

ngo5 jung1 ji3 tai2 hei3 tung4 maai4 haang4 saan1. nei5 ne1?

I like watching movies and hiking. How about you?

我成日打波，星期六日都會去。

ngo5 seng4 jat6 daa2 bo1, sing1 kei4 luk6 jat6 dou1 wui5 heoi3.

I play ball all the time, I go every weekend.

打乜嘢波呀？籃球定足球？

daa2 mat1 je5 bo1 aa3? laam4 kau4 ding6 zuk1 kau4?

What kind of ball? Basketball or football?

籃球！我細個已經開始打㗎喇。

laam4 kau4! ngo5 sai3 go3 ji5 ging1 hoi1 ci2 daa2 gaa3 laa3.

Basketball! I started playing when I was little.

好犀利喎。我唔識打波，淨係鍾意游水。

hou2 sai1 lei6 wo3. ngo5 m4 sik1 daa2 bo1, zing6 hai6 jung1 ji3 jau4 seoi2.

Thats impressive. I cant play ball, I only like swimming.

游水都好好呀！你去邊度游？

jau4 seoi2 dou1 hou2 hou2 aa3! nei5 heoi3 bin1 dou6 jau4?

Swimming is great too! Where do you swim?

維多利亞公園，嗰度有個好大嘅泳池。

wai4 do1 lei6 aa3 gung1 jyun2, go2 dou6 jau5 go3 hou2 daai6 ge3 wing6 ci4.

Victoria Park, they have a really big pool there.

下次一齊去啦！我都想學游水。

haa6 ci3 jat1 cai4 heoi3 laa1! ngo5 dou1 soeng2 hok6 jau4 seoi2.

Lets go together next time! I want to learn to swim too.

好呀！星期日得唔得閒？

hou2 aa3! sing1 kei4 jat6 dak1 m4 dak1 haan4?

Sure! Are you free on Sunday?

Vocabulary

Key Words & Phrases

興趣

hing3 ceoi3

hobby; interest

鍾意

jung1 ji3

to like; to enjoy

得閒

dak1 haan4

free (time); available

睇戲

tai2 hei3

to watch a movie

行山

haang4 saan1

to hike

打波

daa2 bo1

to play ball (sports)

游水

jau4 seoi2

to swim

成日

seng4 jat6

always; all the time

有時

jau5 si4

sometimes

好少

hou2 siu2

rarely; seldom

淨係

zing6 hai6

only; just

犀利

sai1 lei6

impressive; awesome

Grammar

Language Patterns

鍾意 + Verb (expressing likes)

Use 鍾意 (jung1 ji3) before a verb to say you like doing something. Unlike English, no extra particle is needed between the verb.

我鍾意睇書

ngo5 jung1 ji3 tai2 syu1

I like reading

佢鍾意唱歌

keoi5 jung1 ji3 coeng3 go1

He/she likes singing

Frequency adverbs: 成日 / 有時 / 好少

Place frequency adverbs before the verb. 成日 (always) > 有時 (sometimes) > 好少 (rarely). They go after the subject.

我成日去跑步

ngo5 seng4 jat6 heoi3 paau2 bou6

I always go jogging

佢好少煮飯

keoi5 hou2 siu2 zyu2 faan6

He/she rarely cooks

A 定 B (choosing between two options)

Use 定 (ding6) between two options to ask someone to choose. Similar to English or in questions.

你飲茶定咖啡？

nei5 jam2 caa4 ding6 gaa3 fe1?

Do you drink tea or coffee?

去沙灘定行山？

heoi3 saa1 taan1 ding6 haang4 saan1?

Go to the beach or hiking?

細個已經...㗎喇 (since childhood)

Use 細個已經 (sai3 go3 ji5 ging1) to express something you have done since you were young. 㗎喇 is a sentence-final particle confirming the statement.

我細個已經識煮嘢食㗎喇

ngo5 sai3 go3 ji5 ging1 sik1 zyu2 je5 sik6 gaa3 laa3

I have known how to cook since I was little

佢細個已經好鍾意畫畫㗎喇

keoi5 sai3 go3 ji5 ging1 hou2 jung1 ji3 waak6 waa2 gaa3 laa3

He/she has loved drawing since childhood

Practice

Test Your Knowledge

Fill_blank · Question 1

我___睇戲，差唔多每個禮拜都去。(always)

Answer

成日

Translate · Question 2

Translate: I like hiking.

Answer

我鍾意行山。

Fill_blank · Question 3

你鍾意飲茶___咖啡？(or)

Answer

定

Translate · Question 4

Translate: She rarely swims.

Answer

佢好少游水。

Choice · Question 5

How do you say "free time" in Cantonese?

得閒
有時
成日
淨係

Answer

得閒

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