How to Talk About Your Hobbies in Brazilian Portuguese — Practice

Name the activity with gostar de

Use gostar de to say that you like doing an activity. When another verb follows, use the infinitive: gosto de cozinhar (I like to cook), gosta de caminhar (he or she likes to walk).

Remember that gostar takes de even when English uses “like” without a preposition. For the full pattern, see our separate guide to gostar de in Portuguese.

Add how often you do it

Add a frequency word to make the answer more specific: sempre (always), geralmente (usually), às vezes (sometimes), or quase nunca (almost never). Put the frequency near the verb and keep the sentence short.

You can also say onde you do the activity or com quem (with whom). A small detail often gives the other person a natural follow-up.

Ask about someone else’s interests

Ask O que você gosta de fazer? to invite someone to talk about activities. If they mention something unfamiliar, ask how it works or when they started.

A conversation about hobbies is a low-pressure way to practice the present tense and frequency words. Ask one follow-up and listen for a detail you can respond to.

Remember: Prepare three lines about one hobby: what it is, how often you do it, and one question you can ask another person.

Check your understanding

Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.

Recall the Portuguese, then say it

Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.

1. I like to read before bed.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Gosto de ler antes de dormir.

2. She likes to play guitar.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Ela gosta de tocar violão.

3. We like cooking together.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   A gente gosta de cozinhar junto.

4. Sometimes I paint on the weekend.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Às vezes eu pinto no fim de semana.

5. I usually run in the morning.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Geralmente corro de manhã.

6. I almost never play video games during the week.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Quase nunca jogo videogame durante a semana.

Make the phrase useful to you

Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.

Prepare three lines about one hobby: what it is, how often you do it, and one question you can ask another person.

Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.

Sources and your next lesson

This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our How to Talk About Your Hobbies in Brazilian Portuguese lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.

To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.