German · A1 · Family moment
Hobbies We Love in German
Talk about hobbies you enjoy and invite your child to share their interests. In German, use a verb with gern to say that you like doing something.
What you'll learn
- Say which hobbies you enjoy.
- Use ich + verb + gern to express “I like to …”.
- Use mit dir to mean “with you” when speaking to your child.
- Ask your child what they enjoy doing.
German phrases for hobbies we love
Ich zeichne gern mit dir.
I like to draw with you.
Zeichnen means “to draw.” Mit dir means “with you” when speaking to one child.
Ich spiele gern Schach.
I like to play chess.
Use Schach spielen for “to play chess,” without an article.
Ich fahre gern mit meinem Fahrrad.
I like to ride my bike.
Mit meinem Fahrrad means “on my bike” here.
Ich lese gern Comics.
I like to read comics.
Comics is a plural noun and starts with a capital letter in German.
Ich mache gern Fotos.
I like to take photos.
German uses Fotos machen, literally “to make photos.”
Ich backe gern mit dir.
I like to bake with you.
Backen means “to bake.” Adding mit dir makes this a shared activity.
Ich spiele gern Fußball.
I like to play football.
Fußball means football or soccer, not American football.
Ich höre gern Musik.
I like to listen to music.
Musik hören means “to listen to music.” There is no separate word for “to” here.
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
gern
with pleasure; like doing something
Use it with a verb to show enjoyment. Gerne means the same thing.
mit dir
with you
Use this when speaking informally to one person, such as your child.
das Fahrrad
bicycle; bike
Fahrrad fahren is a common way to say “to ride a bike.”
das Foto
photo
The plural is Fotos.
die Musik
music
In Musik hören, no article is needed.
Saying “I like to …” with gern
Use ich, a present-tense verb, and gern. Unlike English, German does not need a separate “like to” before the action. In these simple sentences, gern comes directly after the verb.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Basic pattern | Ich + verb + gern + activity. | Ich spiele gern Schach. |
| A shared activity | Ich + verb + gern + mit dir. | Ich backe gern mit dir. |
Verb forms with ich
Many verbs use an -e ending with ich. Learn these forms as useful chunks.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| spielen — to play | ich spiele | Ich spiele gern Fußball. |
| lesen — to read | ich lese | Ich lese gern Comics. |
| fahren — to ride or drive | ich fahre | Ich fahre gern mit meinem Fahrrad. |
More examples
Was machst du gern?
What do you like to do?
An open question that lets your child choose which interest to share.
Ich zeichne gern. Und du?
I like to draw. And you?
Und du? is a simple way to invite your child to answer.
Wir hören gern Musik.
We like to listen to music.
Use wir (“we”) to talk about a hobby you both enjoy. With wir, use hören.