Have you ever been asked “What do you like to do in your free time?” and wished you could answer it in Arabic? Whether you’re making friends in the Gulf, chatting with your Arabic tutor, or preparing for travel, knowing how to talk about your hobbies and free time is a must.
In today’s Arabic Spoken Course – Lesson 7, we’ll dive into Gulf Arabic expressions for talking about your favorite activities. This lesson isn’t just vocabulary — you’ll get cultural tips, real conversations, word-by-word analysis, and engaging insights that make Arabic stick!
Why Talking About Hobbies Matters
In Arab culture — especially in the Gulf — building relationships starts with small talk. And hobbies are the perfect bridge.
When you say “I love playing football” or “I enjoy reading,” it gives the other person something to connect with. It breaks the ice and opens the door to longer, meaningful conversations.
In this lesson, we’ll teach you how to express your interests clearly, confidently, and colloquially.
Key Vocabulary: Hobbies and Activities
Below is a handy table with the most commonly used hobby-related words in Gulf Arabic, including Arabic script, Roman Arabic and English translation to help even beginners follow along.
| Arabic (العربية) | Roman Gulf Arabic | English |
|---|---|---|
| أَلعَب كُرة القَدَم | alʿab kurat al-qadam | I play football |
| أقرَأ كُتُب | aqra’ kutub | I read books |
| أرسُم | arsum | I draw |
| أطبُخ | atbukh | I cook |
| أُشَاهِد أَفْلَام | ushāhid aflām | I watch movies |
| أَستَمِع إلى المُوسِيقَى | astamiʿ ilā al-mūsīqā | I listen to music |
| أَلعَب أَلعاب الفِيدْيُو | alʿab alʾaʿāb al-fidyū | I play video games |
| أَسْبَح | asbah | I swim |
| أَذْهَب لِلتَّنَزُّه | adhhab lil-tanzuh | I go for a walk |
| أَتَصَوَّر | ataṣawwar | I take pictures |
| أَزُور أَصْدِقائي | azūr aṣdiqāʾī | I visit my friends |
| أُسَافِر | usāfir | I travel |
| أُحِبّ أَن أَتَعَلَّم لُغَات | uḥibb an ataʿallam lughāt | I love to learn languages |
Grammar Tips
- Verb Forms in Present Tense (أنا – I)
Most hobbies use the present tense first person singular (أنا):- أَلعَب (I play)
- أقرَأ (I read)
- أُشَاهِد (I watch)
- “أُحِبّ” (I love) + Verb
When expressing love or interest in doing something:- أُحِبّ أَن أَرْسُم – I love to draw
- أُحِبّ أَن أَسْبَح – I love to swim
- Using “أَحيانًا” for Sometimes
- أَقرَأ كُتُب، وَأَحيانًا أَرْسُم – I read books, and sometimes I draw.
- Conjunctions in Conversations
- وَ (wa) = and
- أَو (aw) = or
- خُصوصًا (khuṣūṣan) = especially
Cultural Tips (Gulf Focus)
- Group Activities are Preferred: In Gulf culture, social hobbies like group outings, football, or shisha gatherings are more common than solo activities.
- Evenings Matter: Due to the hot climate, most people in Gulf countries pursue hobbies in the evening or late night (baʿd al-maghrib).
- Coffee & Conversations: Sitting at coffee shops (maqāhī) is not just casual—it’s a core free-time activity with deep cultural significance.
- Respect for Family Time: Free time is often spent with family; it’s respectful to inquire, “What do you and your family enjoy together?”
- Privacy Around Certain Hobbies: It’s common not to speak openly about hobbies like swimming or solo travel for women due to cultural norms.
10 Conversations with Word-by-Word Analysis
1. Asking About Hobbies
Arabic:
شو هواياتك؟
Roman:
Shu hiwāyātak?
English:
What are your hobbies?
| Arabic | Roman | English |
|---|---|---|
| شو | Shu | What |
| هواياتك | hiwāyātak | your hobbies |
2. Talking About Reading and Drawing
Arabic:
أحب أقرأ كتب، وأرسم مرات.
Roman:
Uḥibb aqraʾ kutub, wa arsum marrāt.
English:
I love reading books and I draw sometimes.
| Arabic | Roman | English |
|---|---|---|
| أحب | Uḥibb | I love |
| أقرأ | aqraʾ | I read |
| كتب | kutub | books |
| و | wa | and |
| أرسم | arsum | I draw |
| مرات | marrāt | sometimes |
3. Asking When Someone Plays Football
Arabic:
متى تلعب كورة؟
Roman:
Mitā tilʿab kōrah?
English:
When do you play football?
| Arabic | Roman | English |
|---|---|---|
| متى | Mitā | When |
| تلعب | tilʿab | you play |
| كورة | kōrah | football |
4. I Play Every Weekend
Arabic:
ألعب كل ويكند مع ربعي.
Roman:
Alʿab kil weekend maʿ ribʿī.
English:
I play every weekend with my friends.
| Arabic | Roman | English |
|---|---|---|
| ألعب | Alʿab | I play |
| كل | kil | every |
| ويكند | weekend | weekend |
| مع | maʿ | with |
| ربعي | ribʿī | my friends (Gulf dialect) |
5. Talking About Listening to Music
Arabic:
أحب أسمع موسيقى وأنا أسوق.
Roman:
Uḥibb asmaʿ mūsīqā wa anā asūg.
English:
I love listening to music while driving.
| Arabic | Roman | English |
|---|---|---|
| أحب | Uḥibb | I love |
| أسمع | asmaʿ | I listen |
| موسيقى | mūsīqā | music |
| وأنا | wa anā | and I |
| أسوق | asūg | drive |
6. Asking If Someone Likes a Hobby
Arabic:
تحب ترسم؟
Roman:
Tuḥibb tarsum?
English:
Do you like drawing?
| Arabic | Roman | English |
|---|---|---|
| تحب | Tuḥibb | Do you like |
| ترسم | tarsum | to draw |
7. Talking About Traveling
Arabic:
أحب أسافر واكتشف أماكن جديدة.
Roman:
Uḥibb asāfir wa aktashif amākin jadīdah.
English:
I love to travel and discover new places.
| Arabic | Roman | English |
|---|---|---|
| أحب | Uḥibb | I love |
| أسافر | asāfir | to travel |
| و | wa | and |
| أكتشف | aktashif | I discover |
| أماكن | amākin | places |
| جديدة | jadīdah | new |
8. Asking What They Do in Free Time
Arabic:
وش تسوي في وقت الفراغ؟
Roman:
Wesh tsawwī fī waqt il-farāgh?
English:
What do you do in your free time?
| Arabic | Roman | English |
|---|---|---|
| وش | Wesh | What |
| تسوي | tsawwī | you do |
| في | fī | in |
| وقت | waqt | time |
| الفراغ | il-farāgh | free (time) |
9. Talking About Watching Movies
Arabic:
أشوف أفلام أجنبية كثير.
Roman:
Ashūf aflām ajnabiyyah kathīr.
English:
I watch a lot of foreign movies.
| Arabic | Roman | English |
|---|---|---|
| أشوف | Ashūf | I watch |
| أفلام | aflām | movies |
| أجنبية | ajnabiyyah | foreign |
| كثير | kathīr | a lot / many |
10. Inviting to Do a Hobby Together
Arabic:
تبى نروح نلعب سوا؟
Roman:
Tabī nrūḥ nilʿab sawā?
English:
Do you want to go play together?
| Arabic | Roman | English |
|---|---|---|
| تبى | Tabī | Do you want |
| نروح | nrūḥ | we go |
| نلعب | nilʿab | we play |
| سوا | sawā | together |
Final Thoughts: Learn What You Love, Talk About What You Love
Learning Arabic becomes effortless and enjoyable when you learn to talk about things you genuinely care about — like your hobbies!
This lesson from our Arabic Spoken Course is just one step in your journey to fluency. Keep practicing these everyday phrases, listen to native Gulf speakers, and try inserting your new vocabulary into real conversations.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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Got a favorite hobby you want to say in Arabic? Drop it in the comments below, and we’ll help you translate it the Gulf way! 👇
