quels sont tes passe-temps ?
The English phrase "what are your hobbies?" is translated into French as quels sont tes passe-temps ?
This phrase is used to ask someone about the activities they enjoy doing during their spare time. In natural conversation, French speakers often use the colloquial phrase Qu'est-ce que tu fais de ton temps libre ? instead of the more literal quels sont tes passe-temps ?
Which one should you use?
The phrase quels sont tes passe-temps ? is the default, but you can use different versions depending on the context. For a more formal tone, you can say Quels sont vos loisirs ? In informal settings, such as among friends, you might use Quels sont tes hobbies ? or the longer phrases Qu'est-ce que tu aimes faire dans ton temps libre ? or Qu'est-ce que tu fais pour te détendre ?
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are asking about a single specific hobby in an informal setting, you can use the singular form quel est ton passe-temps ? For formal or plural contexts, use quels sont vos passe-temps ?
Did you know?
- In very formal French, the term distraction can be used to refer to a hobby or leisure activity, though in English it usually means a lack of focus.
- The word loisirs comes from the Old French loisir, which originally meant 'freedom' or 'liberty' rather than just a leisure activity.
- The English word 'pastime' is a direct loan from the Middle French word passetemps.
Examples in context
- Dis-moi, quels sont tes passe-temps ?Tell me, what are your hobbies?
Example conversation
Lucas and Léa are meeting for the first time at a party.
- LucasSalut Léa, quels sont tes passe-temps ?Hi Léa, what are your hobbies?
- LéaJ'aime beaucoup lire et cuisiner.I really like reading and cooking.
- LucasC'est super, moi j'adore le sport.That's great, I love sports.
- LéaQuel sport préfères-tu, Lucas ?Which sport do you prefer, Lucas?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries passe-temps, tes, CC BY-SA 4.0.
