For expats living in China, talking about sports, hobbies, and leisure activities (体育, 爱好, 娱乐, tǐyù, àihào, yúlè) is a great way to make friends and join local communities. Knowing the right Chinese characters (汉字, hànzì) will help you express your interests, ask about local clubs, and participate in social conversations naturally.
In this blog-post, we’ll explore essential vocabulary, example sentences, and practical tips to use them in daily life.
Sports (运动, yùndòng) Vocabulary
Sports are a huge part of Chinese culture, from basketball and football to table tennis and martial arts. Knowing these terms helps you discuss games, practice schedules, and favorite teams.
Example Sentences:
我喜欢打篮球 (wǒ xǐhuān dǎ lánqiú) – I like playing basketball.
你会踢足球吗 (nǐ huì tī zúqiú ma) – Can you play soccer?
我们周末去游泳吧 (wǒmen zhōumò qù yóuyǒng ba) – Let’s go swimming this weekend.
他每天早上跑步 (tā měitiān zǎoshang pǎobù) – He goes running every morning.
我在健身房锻炼身体 (wǒ zài jiànshēnfáng duànliàn shēntǐ) – I work out at the gym.
Key words: 篮球 (lánqiú) – basketball, 足球 (zúqiú) – soccer, 游泳 (yóuyǒng) – swimming, 跑步 (pǎobù) – running, 健身房 (jiànshēnfáng) – gym.
Hobbies (爱好, àihào) Vocabulary
Hobbies are essential for socializing and connecting with people in China. Talking about what you enjoy doing in your free time allows you to make friends with similar interests.
Example Sentences:
我的爱好是画画和摄影 (wǒ de àihào shì huàhuà hé shèyǐng) – My hobbies are painting and photography.
你喜欢看书吗 (nǐ xǐhuān kàn shū ma) – Do you like reading?
我最近开始学习弹吉他 (wǒ zuìjìn kāishǐ xuéxí tán jítā) – I recently started learning to play the guitar.
他周末喜欢做手工艺品 (tā zhōumò xǐhuān zuò shǒugōng yìpǐn) – He likes making handicrafts on weekends.
Key words: 画画 (huàhuà) – painting/drawing, 摄影 (shèyǐng) – photography, 看书 (kàn shū) – reading, 弹吉他 (tán jítā) – playing guitar, 手工艺品 (shǒugōng yìpǐn) – handicrafts.
Leisure Activities (娱乐, yúlè) Vocabulary
Leisure activities in China range from going to tea houses and karaoke (KTV) to hiking and gaming. Using the correct terms helps you discuss plans and local entertainment options.
Example Sentences:
我们今晚去唱KTV吧 (wǒmen jīnwǎn qù chàng KTV ba) – Let’s go to karaoke tonight.
你喜欢打电子游戏吗 (nǐ xǐhuān dǎ diànzǐ yóuxì ma) – Do you like playing video games?
周末我们去爬山吧 (zhōumò wǒmen qù páshān ba) – Let’s go hiking this weekend.
我喜欢喝茶和聊天 (wǒ xǐhuān hē chá hé liáotiān) – I enjoy drinking tea and chatting.
Key words: KTV (KTV, KTV) – karaoke, 电子游戏 (diànzǐ yóuxì) – video game, 爬山 (páshān) – hiking, 喝茶 (hē chá) – drinking tea, 聊天 (liáotiān) – chatting.
Combining Sports, Hobbies, and Leisure Activities
To sound natural in conversations, you can combine terms from all three categories.
Example Sentences:
我周末喜欢打篮球，也喜欢去唱KTV (wǒ zhōumò xǐhuān dǎ lánqiú, yě xǐhuān qù chàng KTV) – I like playing basketball and going to karaoke on weekends.
你有兴趣参加摄影俱乐部吗 (nǐ yǒu xìngqù cānjiā shèyǐng jùlèbù ma) – Are you interested in joining a photography club?
他喜欢跑步和打电子游戏 (tā xǐhuān pǎobù hé dǎ diànzǐ yóuxì) – He likes running and playing video games.
周末我们可以一起喝茶、聊天和爬山 (zhōumò wǒmen kěyǐ yīqǐ hē chá, liáotiān hé páshān) – On the weekend we can drink tea, chat, and go hiking together.
Practicing these sentences will help you confidently talk about your free time, join clubs, and socialize with locals.
Tips for Learning Sports, Hobbies, and Leisure Vocabulary
- Join local sports clubs or gyms (健身房, jiànshēnfáng) to practice vocabulary while interacting with others.
- Attend workshops or hobby classes (爱好班, àihào bān) to learn new skills and meet friends.
- Watch Chinese YouTube or Bilibili (哔哩哔哩, bìlī bìlī) videos about hobbies and sports.
- Keep a notebook of new characters, phrases, and example sentences.
- Try to describe your weekend plans in Chinese, even in short sentences, to reinforce memory.
New Words
- 篮球 (lánqiú) – basketball
- 游泳 (yóuyǒng) – swimming
- 爱好 (àihào) – hobby
- 摄影 (shèyǐng) – photography
- 弹吉他 (tán jítā) – play guitar
- 手工艺品 (shǒugōng yìpǐn) – handicrafts
- 电子游戏 (diànzǐ yóuxì) – video game
- KTV (KTV, KTV) – karaoke
- 爬山 (páshān) – hiking
- 聊天 (liáotiān) – chatting
