Free Time & Hobbies
El tiempo libre y los pasatiempos
⏱ 45-60 minWhat you'll learn
- ✓ Talk about hobbies and free-time activities
- ✓ Express likes and dislikes using gustar correctly
- ✓ Describe what you do at weekends
- ✓ Give opinions on sports, music, and entertainment
- ✓ Use frequency adverbs (siempre, a veces, nunca)
Grammar Focus
Essential grammar for this topic with exam tips and links to full explanations.
Gustar and similar verbs
Use "gustar" to say what you like. The verb agrees with what you like, not you. Use "me/te/le/nos/les" before it.
Examples:
Me gusta el fútbol
I like football (lit: football pleases me)
Me gustan los videojuegos
I like video games
Me encanta bailar
I love dancing
No me gusta nada
I don't like it at all
⚠️Exam tip: With infinitives (verbs), always use "gusta" (singular): Me gusta jugar, Me gusta ver películas.
Learn more about Gustar Verbs →Stem-changing verbs (jugar, preferir)
Some verbs change their stem in the present tense. Jugar: u→ue, Preferir: e→ie.
Examples:
Juego al fútbol los sábados
I play football on Saturdays
¿A qué juegas?
What do you play?
Prefiero ver películas
I prefer watching films
Mi hermano prefiere los videojuegos
My brother prefers video games
⚠️Exam tip: Remember: jugar uses "a" before sports - juego AL fútbol, juego AL tenis.
Learn more about Stem Changing Verbs →Frequency expressions
Use these to say how often you do activities.
Examples:
siempre / a menudo / a veces
always / often / sometimes
de vez en cuando / raramente / nunca
from time to time / rarely / never
todos los días / los fines de semana
every day / at weekends
una vez a la semana
once a week
⚠️Exam tip: Place frequency words after the verb: "Juego a menudo" or at the start for emphasis: "A veces juego..."
Soler + infinitive
HigherUse "soler" to say what you usually do. It's a stem-changer (o→ue).
Examples:
Suelo ver series por la noche
I usually watch series at night
¿Qué sueles hacer los fines de semana?
What do you usually do at weekends?
Solemos quedar en el parque
We usually meet in the park
⚠️Exam tip: Using "soler" instead of just frequency adverbs shows sophisticated language use!
Learn more about Verb Infinitive Patterns →🔗 Key Verbs for this Topic
Quick Reference
Gustar Structure
Gustar uses indirect object pronouns + gusta/gustan. The thing liked is the subject, not the person.
Me gusta el tenisI like tennis
Me gustan los deportesI like sports
No me gusta nada la nataciónI don't like swimming at all
Verb Conjugation Tables
jugar
| yo | juego |
| tú | juegas |
| él/ella | juega |
| nosotros | jugamos |
| vosotros | jugáis |
| ellos/ellas | juegan |
ver
| yo | veo |
| tú | ves |
| él/ella | ve |
| nosotros | vemos |
| vosotros | veis |
| ellos/ellas | ven |
salir
| yo | salgo |
| tú | sales |
| él/ella | sale |
| nosotros | salimos |
| vosotros | salís |
| ellos/ellas | salen |