Theme 1.3: Free-time activities and hobbies - Vocabulary
The vocabulary for Theme 1.3, free-time activities and hobbies, covers sport, music, gaming, reading, going out, and the phrases used to say how much a person likes or dislikes an activity.
Before you start
Make sure you're comfortable with these topics first:
Method
- Learn activity-specific verbs rather than the single verb 'hacer' for everything: entrenar (to train), pertenecer a un club (to belong to a club), tocar un instrumento (to play an instrument), quedar con amigos (to meet up with friends).
- Learn the gustar-type verb family and their grammar: me/te/le/nos/os/les + apasiona(n)/interesa(n)/encanta(n) - the verb agrees with the thing liked, not with the person, so 'me apasionan los videojuegos' takes the plural form.
- Learn se me da bien/mal + infinitive (I am good/bad at doing something) as a distinct structure from gustar, since it describes skill rather than preference and appears frequently in GCSE speaking and writing mark schemes.
- Learn a spread of activity nouns across categories: el deporte, la afición/el pasatiempo, los videojuegos, las series, la lectura, la moda - so your answer is not limited to sport alone.
- Build frequency and intensity language around the vocabulary: todos los fines de semana, de vez en cuando, soy un/una gran aficionado/aficionada a..., which turns a bare like/dislike into a fuller, more precise answer.
- For listening, train your ear to distinguish similar-sounding activity words under time pressure (jugar vs juntar, entrenar vs enterar) and to catch negatives (no me interesa nada) which reverse the meaning of the sentence.
- For writing and translation, practise a chain of three ideas - activity, frequency, opinion with reason - since GCSE mark schemes reward range and justification over a simple list of hobbies.
Worked example
Using these bullet points, write two full Spanish sentences: (1) a hobby you are passionate about, with how often you do it; (2) something you are not good at, with a reason.
- For bullet 1, choose a gustar-type verb and check its agreement: los deportes de equipo is plural, so it takes apasionan, not apasiona.
- Build the sentence: 'Me apasionan los deportes de equipo y entreno con mi club dos veces por semana.'
- For bullet 2, use se me da mal + infinitive rather than 'no soy bueno/a en' for a more natural structure.
- Build the sentence: 'Se me da fatal cantar, aunque me encanta escuchar música.'
- Check the object pronoun (me) matches the speaker in both sentences and that plural activities take a plural verb form.
Practice questions
Type your answer and press Check to be marked straight away, or reveal the answer and mark yourself.
Q1Complete: Me _____ (fascinate, plural agreement) los videojuegos de acción.Show answer
Answer: Fascinan - it agrees with the plural noun 'los videojuegos'.
Q2Translate into English: 'Se me da muy bien el ajedrez, pero se me da fatal el fútbol.'Show answer
Answer: I am very good at chess, but I am terrible at football.
Q3Give one Spanish phrase meaning 'to belong to a club'.Show answer
Answer: Pertenecer a un club.
Q4Translate into Spanish: 'I meet up with my friends every weekend.'Show answer
Answer: Quedo con mis amigos todos los fines de semana.
Q5Give the Spanish word for 'hobby/pastime', including the correct article.Show answer
Answer: La afición (or el pasatiempo).
Q6Complete with the correct pronoun: A mi hermano _____ interesa mucho la moda.Show answer
Answer: Le - the indirect object pronoun agreeing with 'mi hermano'.
Q7Give one Spanish verb meaning 'to train' (for sport).Show answer
Answer: Entrenar.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a GCSE Spanish exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Translate this passage into English: 'En mi tiempo libre me apasionan los videojuegos y suelo jugar todos los días después de hacer los deberes. También pertenezco a un club de baloncesto y entreno dos veces por semana, aunque se me da mejor el baloncesto que el fútbol. De vez en cuando quedo con mis amigos para ver una serie juntos.'
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Read this text and answer the questions in English. 'Inés es una gran aficionada a la música: toca la guitarra desde los ocho años y ensaya con su grupo todos los martes. Le encantaría formar parte de una banda profesional algún día, aunque también reconoce que se le da mal cantar en público. Los fines de semana suele ir al cine con sus amigas o quedarse en casa leyendo novelas de misterio.' (a) How long has Inés been playing the guitar, and how often does she rehearse? (2 marks) (b) What is her ambition? (1 mark) (c) What does she admit she is not good at? (1 mark) (d) What does she usually do at weekends? (2 marks)
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Write approximately 40 words in Spanish about your free time. You must include: a hobby you are passionate about; how often you do it; something you are not good at; an opinion about the importance of free time.
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See real GCSE Spanish past-paper questions, with official mark schemes →
Free printable worksheet
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