Free-time activities: Vocabulary in context
Vocabulary for free-time activities covers hobbies and how free time is spent: nouns such as les loisirs (hobbies), le temps libre (free time) and un passe-temps (a pastime); verb phrases for common activities, such as jouer aux jeux vidéo, lire un roman, sortir avec des amis and faire du sport; and the vocabulary of clubs and teams, including une équipe (a team), un membre (a member), s'entraîner (to train) and gagner/perdre un match (to win/lose a match). Examiners test whether candidates can name an activity accurately (with the right verb, jouer à versus faire de) and justify why they enjoy or dislike it.
Before you start
Make sure you're comfortable with these topics first:
Method
- Learn which verb pairs with which activity: jouer à plus sport/game (jouer au foot, jouer aux jeux vidéo) but faire de plus other activity (faire du vélo, faire de la natation) - mixing these up is one of the most common GCSE errors.
- Learn the false friend une librairie: it means a bookshop, not a library, which is une bibliothèque - a reading-hobby answer that confuses the two loses marks even if the rest of the sentence is accurate.
- Learn the related near-miss un jeu (a game) versus un jouet (a toy) - two words that look similar but describe different things.
- Learn club and team vocabulary: une équipe, un membre d'un club, s'entraîner (to train, reflexive), gagner un match/perdre un match.
- Build opinion phrases specific to hobbies: ce que je préfère, c'est... ; ça me permet de me détendre ; je trouve ça amusant/ennuyeux/passionnant.
- Practise adding frequency and time expressions to a hobby sentence (le week-end, deux fois par semaine, tous les soirs) since a bare activity with no frequency reads as a weak, list-like answer.
- When reading or listening for gist, listen for a change of opinion signalled by mais or par contre partway through a text - many exam texts state one hobby positively, then contrast it with a second, disliked one.
Worked example
Spot and correct the three vocabulary errors in this draft answer: 'Je fais au foot avec mes amis, et je vais souvent à la librairie pour lire un roman.'
- Check the verb before foot: foot is a sport played with a ball, so it needs jouer à, not faire de - correct to je joue au foot.
- Check librairie: the sentence is about reading, which needs the library, not a bookshop, so librairie should become bibliothèque.
- Keep lire un roman as it is correct.
- Add a frequency marker and a reason so the sentence does more than list two activities: deux fois par semaine, and j'aime lire parce que ça me détend.
- Write the corrected, extended sentence: 'Je joue au foot avec mes amis deux fois par semaine, et je vais souvent à la bibliothèque pour lire un roman, parce que ça me détend.'
Practice questions
Type your answer and press Check to be marked straight away, or reveal the answer and mark yourself.
Q1Which verb goes with le vélo: jouer or faire, and why?Show answer
Answer: faire - faire du vélo, because cycling is not a ball sport/game that takes jouer à.
Q2Translate into English: 'Une librairie n'est pas une bibliothèque.'Show answer
Answer: A bookshop is not a library.
Q3Translate into French: 'I play vidéo games every evening.'Show answer
Answer: Je joue aux jeux vidéo tous les soirs.
Q4Give one French verb meaning 'to train' (for sport), and say whether it is reflexive.Show answer
Answer: s'entraîner - yes, it is reflexive.
Q5Give the French for 'to lose a match.'Show answer
Answer: perdre un match
Q6Correct the error: 'Je fais au tennis le samedi.'Show answer
Answer: Je joue au tennis le samedi.
Q7Give one phrase meaning 'what I prefer is...'Show answer
Answer: ce que je préfère, c'est...
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a GCSE French exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Lisez ce texte, puis répondez aux questions en anglais. 'Le week-end, je suis membre d'une équipe de basket et je m'entraîne le samedi matin. J'adore ça, même si on perd souvent nos matchs! Le soir, par contre, je préfère rester à la maison pour jouer aux jeux vidéo avec mon frère, ou lire un roman policier. Je vais rarement à la bibliothèque, car je préfère acheter mes livres.' (a) What does the writer do on Saturday mornings? (1 mark) (b) How does the writer feel about their team's results? (1 mark) (c) Give two things the writer does in the evening. (2 marks) (d) Why does the writer rarely go to the library? (1 mark)
Show mark scheme
Tick each line you got. Your score builds from the marks on the scheme.
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Écrivez environ 40 mots en français sur vos loisirs. Mentionnez: une activité que vous faites régulièrement; avec qui vous la faites; et votre opinion sur cette activité.
Show mark scheme
Tick each line you got. Your score builds from the marks on the scheme.
Nothing ticked yet - 12 available
See real GCSE French past-paper questions, with official mark schemes →
Free printable worksheet
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