What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of several parts: 趣味 (shumi) means 'hobby'. The particle は (wa) marks 'hobby' as the topic of the sentence. 読書 (dokusho) refers specifically to the act of reading books. And です (desu) is the polite form of the verb 'to be'.
Which one should you use?
You can express the same idea using the alternative form 読書が趣味です (dokusho ga shumi desu), which can be translated as 'Reading is my hobby'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The standard form 趣味は読書です is polite and suitable for introductions or meeting new people. If you are in a casual setting, you can use the informal version 趣味は読書だ by replacing です (desu) with だ (da), which is the casual form of 'to be'.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the sentence, the particle は (wa) serves to mark the subject 'hobby' as the topic. The verb です (desu) functions as a polite copula.
How do you pronounce it?
shumi wa dokusho desu
Did you know?
- While 趣味 (shumi) means 'hobby', it is also used to describe someone's aesthetic taste. Telling someone 趣味が悪い (shumi ga warui) does not mean they have a bad hobby, but that they have 'bad taste' in style or fashion.
- In Japanese, 読書 (dokusho) is specifically used for books. If you use this formal word to describe reading a manga or a comic book, you might sound accidentally stiff or overly academic to a native speaker.
- Mentioning a 趣味 (shumi) during a first meeting is a common social 'icebreaker' in Japan. It is often viewed as a functional tool for the other person to find a safe and common topic for conversation.
Examples in context
- 趣味は読書です。My hobby is reading.This sentence is useful for stating that your hobby is reading.Tatoeba #536751 by tomkun01, translation #1258651 by CK
- 趣味は読書です。本が大好きです。Shumi wa dokusho desu. Hon ga daisuki desu.My hobby is reading. I love books.
Example conversation
Hiyori and Ren are talking about their interests.
- 陽葵 Himari蓮さんは、趣味は何ですか？Ren-san wa, shumi wa nan desu ka?Ren, what is your hobby?
- 蓮 Ren僕の趣味は読書です。boku no shumi wa dokusho desu.My hobby is reading.
- 陽葵 Himariいいですね！どんな本を読みますか？ii desu ne! donna hon o yomimasu ka?That's nice! What kind of books do you read?
- 蓮 Renミステリー小説が好きです。misuterii shousetsu ga suki desu.I like mystery novels.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
