Thread Academy

Hobbies and Free Time

Say what you love doing, from football to music to gaming.

  • Define and explain Hobbies and Free Time in your own words
  • Use key terms such as мама (máma) — mum accurately
  • Apply what you have learned to new examples and questions
  • Avoid the common mistakes learners make with this topic

This lesson focuses on Hobbies and Free Time: say what you love doing, from football to music to gaming.

Definition: Hobbies and Free Time

Say what you love doing, from football to music to gaming.

Key ideas

Любить: loving things in the present tense

The verb любить (lyubít' — to love, to like) conjugates as я люблю (ya lyublyú — I love), ты любишь (ty lyúbish — you love), он/она любит (on/oná lyúbit — he/she loves). So Я люблю музыку (ya lyublyú múzyku — I love music), and Моя сестра любит спорт (moyá sestrá lyúbit sport — my sister loves sport).

Мой, моя, моё: possessives agree

The word for 'my' changes to match the noun: мой брат (moy brat — my brother, masculine), моя сестра (moyá sestrá — my sister, feminine), моё хобби (moyó khóbbi — my hobby, neuter). Get the gender right and the possessive follows automatically.

Key term — мама (máma) — mum: The word for mother. Note the double М and the stress on the first syllable: МА-ма.

Worked example: Hobbies and Free Time

Translate 'I love music' into Russian.

Я люблю музыку (ya lyublyú múzyku).

Answer: Я люблю музыку (ya lyublyú múzyku).

Common mistakes
  • Saying моя брат Брат (brat — brother) is masculine, so it must be мой брат (moy brat — my brother), not моя брат.
  • Forgetting the prepositional ending in в школе It is в школе (f shkolé — at school), not в школа. The -а changes to -е after в.

Practice

Translate 'She loves sport' into Russian.
She = она, loves = любит.

Она любит спорт (oná lyúbit sport).

How do you say 'my sister' in Russian?
Сестра is feminine, so 'my' needs its feminine form.

Моя сестра (moyá sestrá).

What is the plural of друг?
It is irregular and contains a soft sign.

Друзья (druz'yá — friends).

Complete: Я учусь ___ школе.
В takes the prepositional case: -а becomes -е.

Я учусь в школе (ya uchús' f shkolé — I study at school).

Quick check

Hobbies and Free Time — quick check

Which of these best defines "мама (máma) — mum"?

The word for mother. Note the double М and the stress on the first syllable: МА-ма.

How do you say 'my hobby' (хобби is neuter)?

Моё хобби (moyó khóbbi).
Key takeaways
  • Hobbies and Free Time: say what you love doing, from football to music to gaming.
  • Любить: loving things in the present tense: The verb любить (lyubít' — to love, to like) conjugates as я люблю (ya lyublyú — I love), ты любишь (ty lyúbish — you love), он/она любит (on/oná lyúbit — he/she loves).
  • брат (brat) — brother: A masculine noun.
  • Watch out for: saying моя брат
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