私の趣味は
watashi no shumi wa
The Japanese phrase for "my hobbies are" is 私の趣味は (watashi no shumi wa).
This phrase is used to introduce the activities a person enjoys doing in their free time.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 趣味 means "hobby" or "interest".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The default form 私の趣味は is polite and neutral, making it suitable for most social situations including introductions. For a more casual and masculine tone, you can use 僕の趣味は by replacing the pronoun. In very informal settings, you can shorten the phrase to Shumi wa ______.
How does it change in a sentence?
To complete the sentence, you typically use the copula です (desu) at the end, as in the structure "Watashi no shumi wa ______ desu."
How do you pronounce it?
watashi no shumi wa
Did you know?
- Japanese has a specific term 道 (dō), meaning 'the way', for hobbies that are lifelong disciplines like calligraphy or tea ceremony, which are viewed differently than casual 趣味.
- If you want to sound more natural when discussing hobbies, you might use the verb ハマる (hamaru), which means 'to be hooked on' or 'to be stuck in' something.
- The word 趣味 (shumi) can also mean 'taste' or 'aesthetic preference'. If someone says 趣味が悪い (shumi ga warui), they are not talking about a hobby but are telling you that you have 'bad taste'.
Examples in context
- 私の趣味は、魚釣りとテレビを見る事です。My hobbies are fishing and watching television.This sentence is useful for practicing how to list multiple hobbies using 私の趣味は.Tatoeba #182069 by bunbuku, translation #19339 by CK
- 私の趣味は、写真を撮ることです。Watashi no shumi wa, shashin o toru koto desu.My hobby is taking photos.
- 私の趣味は、読書です。Watashi no shumi wa, dokusho desu.My hobby is reading books.
Example conversation
Two people are introducing themselves at a social gathering.
- 健太 Kenta健太です。私の趣味は、料理です。Kenta desu. Watashi no shumi wa, ryouri desu.I am Kenta. My hobby is cooking.
- 陽葵 Himari陽葵です。私の趣味は、音楽です。Himari desu. Watashi no shumi wa, ongaku desu.I am Himari. My hobby is music.
- 健太 Kenta音楽はいいですね。Ongaku wa ii desu ne.Music is nice, isn't it?
- 陽葵 Himariはい、とても楽しいですよ。Hai, totemo tanoshii desu yo.Yes, it is very fun.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
