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Japanese for “Chatting about hobbies”
You meet a new friend at a community event and start talking about what you both like to do in your free time. You find out you share a love of music and sports.
こちらこそ、よろしくお願いします。趣味は何ですか。kochira koso, yoroshiku onegai shimasu. shumi wa nani desu ka.
Likewise, nice to meet you. What are your hobbies?
You (You)
音楽を聴くのが好きです。よく映画も見ます。ongaku o kiku no ga suki desu. yoku eiga mo mimasu.
I like listening to music. I also watch movies often.
Friend
そうですか。どんな音楽が好きですか。sou desu ka. donna ongaku ga suki desu ka.
I see. What kind of music do you like?
You (You)
最近は「ヨルシカ」をよく聴いています。saikin wa" yorushika" o yoku kiiteimasu.
Recently I've been listening to Yorushika a lot.
Friend
あ、いいですね！私も好きです。a, ii desu ne! watashi mo suki desu.
Oh, nice! I like them too.
You (You)
本当ですか！ほかに何か好きなことはありますか。hontou desu ka! hoka ni nani ka sukina koto wa arimasu ka.
Really? Do you have any other things you like?
Friend
私はテニスが好きです。週末によくします。watashi wa tenisu ga suki desu. shuumatsu ni yoku shimasu.
I like tennis. I play it often on weekends.
You (You)
テニスですか。いいですね。私は見るのも好きです。tenisu desu ka. ii desu ne. watashi wa miru no mo suki desu.
Tennis, huh? That sounds good. I also like watching it.
Friend
じゃあ、今度一緒に試合を見に行きませんか。jaa, kondo issho ni shiai o mi ni ikimasen ka.
Then how about going to watch a match together sometime?
Phrases you can use
趣味は何ですかしゅみはなにですかshumi wa nani desu ka
What are your hobbies?
A common question to ask a new acquaintance to start a friendly conversation.
週末は何をしますか。趣味は何ですか。shuumatsu wa nani o shimasu ka. shumi wa nani desu ka.
What do you do on weekends? What are your hobbies?
〜が好きです〜がすきですga suki desu
I like ～
Use this to say what you like, with a noun before が.
私は料理が好きです。watashi wa ryouri ga suki desu.
I like cooking.
よく〜ますyoku〜masu
I often ～ / I do ～ a lot
Add よく before a verb to say you do something frequently.
休みの日はよく買い物をします。yasumi no hi wa yoku kaimono o shimasu.
I often go shopping on my days off.
最近は〜ていますさいきんは〜ていますsaikin wa〜teimasu
Recently I've been ～ing
Use this to talk about something you are currently into these days.
最近は
Casual vs polite
Casual音楽聴くのが好き。ongaku kiku no ga suki.
Polite音楽を聴くのが好きです。ongaku o kiku no ga suki desu.
Use the casual version with close friends or people your age. Use the polite version with someone you just met or an older person.
Casual今度一緒に行かない？kondo issho ni ikanai?
Polite今度一緒に行きませんか。kondo issho ni ikimasen ka.
The casual version is a friendly invitation for friends. The polite version is better when you first meet someone or want to sound respectful.
Casual本当？hontou?
Polite本当ですか。hontou desu ka.
Use 本当？ with friends to show surprise. Use 本当ですか with new people to keep a polite tone.
Culture tip
In Japan, people often say 今度 (sometime) as a polite way to suggest meeting up, but it may not be a firm plan. If you want to make it real, suggest a specific day or time next, like 来週の土曜日はどうですか.
Ready to say it out loud?
On Tuned you can practice this scene in 3 steps: copy the model, build it up bit by bit, then role-play with an AI partner — at your level.