Mandarin: Hobbies

Sports in Mandarin

Different sports in Mandarin could include:

Did you know?

The verbs in Mandarin for sporting hobbies are:

• 打 dǎ (hit) - for when you use your hand to play

• 踢 tī (kick) - for when you use your foot to play

For example, in Mandarin you would say:

• 我喜欢打网球 Wǒ xǐ huan dǎ wǎng qiú - I like to play tennis

• 我喜欢踢足球 Wǒ xǐ huan tī zú qiú - I like to play football

Riding in Mandarin

Hobbies that involve riding in Mandarin include:

Did you know?

The verb in Mandarin for hobbies that involve sitting down or riding is 骑 qí (ride).

For example, in Mandarin you would say:

我喜欢骑马 Wǒ xǐ huan qí mǎ - I like horse-riding

Other hobbies in Mandarin

Of course, there are other hobbies than just sports, including:

Did you know?

The verbs in Mandarin for musical hobbies are:

• 拉 lā - when you need a bow to play, eg violin

• 弹 tán - when you mostly use your hands to play, eg piano or guitar

The other hobbies listed, eg 跳舞 tiào wǔ (to dance), are already in verb form.

Talking about your hobbies in Mandarin

To talk about your hobbies in Mandarin, you can use the phrase 我会 Wǒ huì (I can), for example:

• 我会骑自行车 Wǒ huì qí zì xíng chē - I can ride a bike

• 我会弹吉他 Wǒ huì tán jí ta - I can play the guitar

If you do a hobby often, you could use the Mandarin phrase 我经常 Wǒ jīng cháng (I often), for example:

• 我经常踢足球 Wǒ jīng cháng tī zú qiú - I often play football

• 我经常打网球 Wǒ jīng cháng dǎ wǎng qiú - I often play tennis

Chinese hobbies

There are many traditional sports in China:

• Chinese Wushu (中国武术 Zhōng guó wǔ shù) - also known as Kungfu or Chinese martial arts

• Jianzi (踢毽子 Tī jiàn zi) - like keepy uppies, but with a shuttlecock

• Bahe (拔河 Bá hé) - an equivalent to tug of war