Talking About Hobbies in Korean

Discussing hobbies is a great way to connect with people and learn more about their interests. This guide provides essential Korean vocabulary and phrases for talking about your hobbies and asking others about theirs, helping you engage in more personal conversations.

Core Expression

This is the fundamental word you need to know when discussing hobbies.

• Expression: 취미
  Pronunciation: chwi-mi
  Meaning: Hobby

Basic Phrases for Hobbies

Start the conversation with these fundamental questions and statements about hobbies.

• Expression: 취미가 뭐예요?
  Pronunciation: chwi-mi-ga mwo-ye-yo?
  Meaning: What is your hobby?
• Expression: 제 취미는 [취미]예요/이에요.
  Pronunciation: je chwi-mi-neun [hobby]-ye-yo/i-e-yo.
  Meaning: My hobby is [hobby]. (Use 예요 after a vowel, 이에요 after a consonant)
• Expression: 특별한 취미 있어요?
  Pronunciation: teuk-byeol-han chwi-mi iss-eo-yo?
  Meaning: Do you have any special hobbies?
• Expression: 저는 [취미 활동]하는 것을 좋아해요.
  Pronunciation: jeo-neun [hobby activity]-ha-neun geos-eul jo-a-hae-yo.
  Meaning: I like doing [hobby activity]. (e.g., 영화 보는 것 – watching movies)
• Expression: 요즘 어떤 취미에 빠져 있어요?
  Pronunciation: yo-jeum eo-tteon chwi-mi-e ppa-jyeo iss-eo-yo?
  Meaning: What hobby are you into these days?
• Expression: 시간 있을 때 보통 뭐 하세요?
  Pronunciation: si-gan iss-eul ttae bo-tong mwo ha-se-yo?
  Meaning: What do you usually do when you have free time?
• Expression: 저도 그 취미 좋아해요.
  Pronunciation: jeo-do geu chwi-mi jo-a-hae-yo.
  Meaning: I like that hobby too.
• Expression: 취미가 정말 다양하시네요.
  Pronunciation: chwi-mi-ga jeong-mal da-yang-ha-si-ne-yo.
  Meaning: You have really diverse hobbies.
• Expression: 제 취미는 음악 감상이에요.
  Pronunciation: je chwi-mi-neun eum-ak gam-sang-i-e-yo.
  Meaning: My hobby is listening to music.
• Expression: 제 취미는 독서예요.
  Pronunciation: je chwi-mi-neun dok-seo-ye-yo.
  Meaning: My hobby is reading.
• Expression: 운동하는 거 좋아하세요?
  Pronunciation: un-dong-ha-neun geo jo-a-ha-se-yo?
  Meaning: Do you like exercising/working out?

Describing Your Hobbies

Go beyond simply stating your hobby and provide more details.

• Expression: 저는 주말마다 [취미]를 해요.
  Pronunciation: jeo-neun ju-mal-ma-da [hobby]-reul hae-yo.
  Meaning: I do [hobby] every weekend.
• Expression: [취미]를 시작한 지 [기간] 됐어요.
  Pronunciation: [hobby]-reul si-jak-han ji [period] dwaess-eo-yo.
  Meaning: It’s been [period] since I started [hobby]. (e.g., 1년 – 1 year)
• Expression: 스트레스 해소에 도움이 돼요.
  Pronunciation: seu-teu-re-seu hae-so-e do-um-i dwae-yo.
  Meaning: It helps relieve stress.
• Expression: [취미]를 하면 기분이 좋아져요.
  Pronunciation: [hobby]-reul ha-myeon gi-bun-i jo-a-jyeo-yo.
  Meaning: I feel good when I do [hobby].
• Expression: 혼자 하는 걸 좋아해요.
  Pronunciation: hon-ja ha-neun geol jo-a-hae-yo.
  Meaning: I like doing it alone.
• Expression: 친구들이랑 같이 하는 걸 좋아해요.
  Pronunciation: chin-gu-deu-ri-rang ga-chi ha-neun geol jo-a-hae-yo.
  Meaning: I like doing it together with friends.
• Expression: 배우는 중이에요.
  Pronunciation: bae-u-neun jung-i-e-yo.
  Meaning: I’m in the process of learning it.
• Expression: 아직 잘 못하지만 재미있어요.
  Pronunciation: a-jik jal mot-ha-ji-man jae-mi-iss-eo-yo.
  Meaning: I’m not good at it yet, but it’s fun.
• Expression: 시간이 날 때마다 하려고 해요.
  Pronunciation: si-gan-i nal ttae-ma-da ha-ryeo-go hae-yo.
  Meaning: I try to do it whenever I have time.
• Expression: 어렸을 때부터 좋아했어요.
  Pronunciation: eo-ryeoss-eul ttae-bu-teo jo-a-haess-eo-yo.
  Meaning: I’ve liked it since I was young.
• Expression: 주로 집에서 해요.
  Pronunciation: ju-ro jib-e-seo hae-yo.
  Meaning: I mainly do it at home.

Asking Follow-up Questions

Keep the conversation going by showing interest in the other person’s hobby.

• Expression: 와, 정말요? 언제부터 하셨어요?
  Pronunciation: wa, jeong-mal-lyo? eon-je-bu-teo ha-syeoss-eo-yo?
  Meaning: Wow, really? Since when have you been doing it?
• Expression: 왜 그 취미를 좋아하게 됐어요?
  Pronunciation: wae geu chwi-mi-reul jo-a-ha-ge dwaess-eo-yo?
  Meaning: Why did you come to like that hobby?
• Expression: 얼마나 자주 하세요?
  Pronunciation: eol-ma-na ja-ju ha-se-yo?
  Meaning: How often do you do it?
• Expression: 주로 어디서 하세요?
  Pronunciation: ju-ro eo-di-seo ha-se-yo?
  Meaning: Where do you usually do it?
• Expression: 누구랑 같이 하세요?
  Pronunciation: nu-gu-rang ga-chi ha-se-yo?
  Meaning: Who do you do it with?
• Expression: 그 취미의 매력이 뭐예요?
  Pronunciation: geu chwi-mi-ui mae-ryeog-i mwo-ye-yo?
  Meaning: What’s the appeal of that hobby?
• Expression: 저도 한번 해보고 싶네요.
  Pronunciation: jeo-do han-beon hae-bo-go sip-ne-yo.
  Meaning: I’d like to try it sometime too.
• Expression: 시작하기 어렵지 않아요?
  Pronunciation: si-jak-ha-gi eo-ryeop-ji an-a-yo?
  Meaning: Isn’t it difficult to start?
• Expression: 필요한 장비가 있어요?
  Pronunciation: pil-yo-han jang-bi-ga iss-eo-yo?
  Meaning: Is there any equipment needed?
• Expression: 혹시 추천해주실 만한 것이 있나요?
  Pronunciation: hok-si chu-cheon-hae-ju-sil man-han geos-i iss-na-yo?
  Meaning: Is there anything you would recommend (related to the hobby)?
• Expression: 같이 할 기회가 있으면 좋겠네요.
  Pronunciation: ga-chi hal gi-hoe-ga iss-eu-myeon jo-ket-ne-yo.
  Meaning: It would be nice if we had a chance to do it together.

Common Hobby Vocabulary

Here are some common words related to hobbies you might encounter or use.

• Expression: 영화 감상 (yeong-hwa gam-sang) – Watching movies
• Expression: 음악 감상 (eum-ak gam-sang) – Listening to music
• Expression: 독서 (dok-seo) – Reading books
• Expression: 운동 (un-dong) – Exercise / Sports
• Expression: 요리 (yo-ri) – Cooking
• Expression: 여행 (yeo-haeng) – Traveling
• Expression: 사진 찍기 (sa-jin jjik-gi) – Taking photos
• Expression: 그림 그리기 (geu-rim geu-ri-gi) – Drawing / Painting
• Expression: 악기 연주 (ak-gi yeon-ju) – Playing a musical instrument
• Expression: 게임 (ge-im) – Gaming
• Expression: 등산 (deung-san) – Hiking / Mountain climbing
• Expression: 춤 (chum) – Dancing
• Expression: 외국어 공부 (oe-gug-eo gong-bu) – Studying foreign languages

Korean Culture Notes

Understanding cultural context can enhance your conversations about hobbies.

• Group Activities: While individual hobbies are common, many Koreans enjoy hobbies as part of a club (동호회 – dong-ho-hoe) or group, often organized through work, school, or online communities. This reflects a collectivist aspect of the culture.
• “Productive” Hobbies: Sometimes, there’s a subtle preference for hobbies seen as productive or self-improving, like learning a language, playing an instrument, or sports, though purely leisure activities are increasingly common and accepted.
• Work-Life Balance: Historically, long working hours limited leisure time, but there’s a growing emphasis on “워라밸” (wo-ra-bael – work-life balance), making hobbies a more prominent topic of conversation.
• Popular Hobbies: Common hobbies often include hiking (due to accessible mountains), visiting cafes, watching movies/dramas, gaming, and increasingly, activities like camping or learning crafts.
• Modesty: When discussing skills related to a hobby, Koreans might be modest. Even if quite skilled, they might say they are “still learning” (배우는 중이에요) or “not very good” (잘 못해요).

Real Conversation Example

This example shows how a conversation about hobbies might unfold.

• Situation: Two colleagues, Minjun and Sora, are having coffee during a break.
• Roles:
  • A: Minjun
  • B: Sora

• Expression: A: 소라 씨는 주말에 보통 뭐 하세요?
  Pronunciation: A: so-ra ssi-neun ju-mal-e bo-tong mwo ha-se-yo?
  Meaning: A: Sora, what do you usually do on weekends?
• Expression: B: 저는 보통 집에서 쉬거나 친구들 만나요. 민준 씨는요? 취미 있으세요?
  Pronunciation: B: jeo-neun bo-tong jib-e-seo swi-geo-na chin-gu-deul man-na-yo. min-jun ssi-neun-yo? chwi-mi iss-eu-se-yo?
  Meaning: B: I usually rest at home or meet friends. How about you, Minjun? Do you have any hobbies?
• Expression: A: 네, 제 취미는 사진 찍기예요. 주말마다 카메라 들고 나가요.
  Pronunciation: A: ne, je chwi-mi-neun sa-jin jjik-gi-ye-yo. ju-mal-ma-da ka-me-ra deul-go na-ga-yo.
  Meaning: A: Yes, my hobby is photography. I go out with my camera every weekend.
• Expression: B: 와, 멋있네요! 언제부터 사진 찍기 시작했어요?
  Pronunciation: B: wa, meos-iss-ne-yo! eon-je-bu-teo sa-jin jjik-gi si-jak-haess-eo-yo?
  Meaning: B: Wow, that’s cool! When did you start taking photos?
• Expression: A: 대학생 때부터요. 벌써 꽤 오래됐네요. 소라 씨는 특별한 취미 없으세요?
  Pronunciation: A: dae-hak-saeng ttae-bu-teo-yo. beol-sseo kkwae o-rae-dwaess-ne-yo. so-ra ssi-neun teuk-byeol-han chwi-mi eops-eu-se-yo?
  Meaning: A: Since I was a university student. It’s already been quite a while. Don’t you have any special hobbies, Sora?
• Expression: B: 음… 요즘 베이킹을 배우기 시작했어요. 아직 잘 못하지만 재미있어요.
  Pronunciation: B: eum… yo-jeum be-i-king-eul bae-u-gi si-jak-haess-eo-yo. a-jik jal mot-ha-ji-man jae-mi-iss-eo-yo.
  Meaning: B: Hmm… I started learning baking recently. I’m not good at it yet, but it’s fun.
• Expression: A: 베이킹이요? 재미있겠네요! 스트레스 해소에도 좋겠어요.
  Pronunciation: A: be-i-king-i-yo? jae-mi-iss-gess-ne-yo! seu-teu-re-seu hae-so-e-do jo-kess-eo-yo.
  Meaning: A: Baking? That sounds fun! It must be good for relieving stress too.
• Expression: B: 네, 맞아요. 집중하다 보면 다른 걱정들을 잊게 돼요.
  Pronunciation: B: ne, maj-a-yo. jip-jung-ha-da bo-myeon da-reun geok-jeong-deur-eul ij-ge dwae-yo.
  Meaning: B: Yes, that’s right. When I focus, I forget about other worries.

Practice Tips

Now you have the tools to talk about hobbies in Korean! Try asking your Korean friends or language partners “취미가 뭐예요?”~ Start simple by stating your hobby using “제 취미는 [hobby]예요/이에요.” Remember to use the follow-up questions to show interest! Practice makes perfect, so don’t be afraid to use these phrases often. 화이팅! (Fighting!)