Hobbies and Sports in Japanese: Sumo, Judo and Baseball
Japanese words for hobbies and sports, how to talk about what you like to do, and an introduction to traditional martial arts and baseball.
Talking about hobbies is a great way to start a friendly conversation. This guide covers the words and sentence patterns.
Asking about hobbies
- 趣味は何ですか。 (Shumi wa nan desu ka?) — What are your hobbies?
- 趣味は読書です。 — My hobby is reading.
趣味 (しゅみ, shumi) means "hobby".
Hobby words
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 読書 | どくしょ | reading |
| 音楽 | おんがく | music |
| 映画 | えいが | films |
| 旅行 | りょこう | travel |
| 料理 | りょうり | cooking |
| 写真 | しゃしん | photography |
| 散歩 | さんぽ | walking |
| ゲーム | gēmu | games |
| 絵 | え | drawing, painting |
Sports
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 野球 | やきゅう | baseball |
| サッカー | sakkā | football |
| テニス | tenisu | tennis |
| 水泳 | すいえい | swimming |
| スキー | sukī | skiing |
| マラソン | marason | running |
| バスケットボール | basukettobōru | basketball |
Traditional sports and martial arts
- 相撲 (すもう, sumo) — traditional wrestling, held in tournaments called 場所 (basho)
- 柔道 (じゅうどう, jūdō) — "gentle way", a martial art and Olympic sport
- 空手 (からて, karate) — "empty hand"
- 剣道 (けんどう, kendō) — "way of the sword", fencing with bamboo swords
- 弓道 (きゅうどう, kyūdō) — Japanese archery
The suffix 道 (dō) means "way" or "path", and suggests discipline as well as sport.
Baseball
野球 is one of the most popular sports in Japan, with professional leagues and a famous national high-school tournament.
Saying what you do
Use ~をします, ~が好きです or ~ています:
- テニスをします。 — I play tennis.
- サッカーが好きです。 — I like football.
- 週末は映画を見ます。 — On weekends I watch films.
- 毎朝、走っています。 — I run every morning.
Tips
- Learn 趣味 and three hobby words.
- Recognise the 道 suffix.
- Use the dictionary to check readings.
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