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How to say I like/dislike hobbies in Italian visualisation

How to say I like/dislike hobbies in Italian

Engage with Sports and Hobbies Vocabulary in Italian: How to say I like/dislike hobbies in Italian
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To say “I like hobbies” or talk about liking hobbies in Italian, the common phrase is:

  • Mi piace (I like) + the infinitive of the hobby or the noun describing it.
    Example: Mi piace ballare (I like dancing), Mi piace leggere (I like reading).

For “I dislike hobbies” or talking about disliking something, use:

  • Non mi piace (I don’t like) + the infinitive or noun.
    Example: Non mi piace nuotare (I don’t like swimming).

Some examples of hobbies and how to say you like them in Italian:

  • Mi piace ballare (I like dancing)
  • Mi piace dipingere (I like painting)
  • Mi piace fare fotografie (I like photography)
  • Mi piace cucinare (I like cooking)
  • Mi piace fare escursionismo (I like hiking)

To express stronger likes or dislikes:

  • Adoro (I love)
  • Odio (I hate)

The verb structure is often:

  • Mi piace + verb (infinitive) for activities you like doing.
  • Non mi piace + verb for activities you dislike.

The Italian word for hobby can be “hobby” (singular, borrowed from English) or “passatempo” which also means pastime.

In summary:

  • I like hobbies: Mi piace (activity or hobby)
  • I dislike hobbies: Non mi piace (activity or hobby)

The phrase mi piace literally means “it pleases me,” but it is the default way Italians express liking something, including hobbies. Grammatically, piacere works backward compared to English—what follows piace is the subject of liking, while the person who likes uses an indirect object pronoun (mi = to me). This inversion often causes confusion among learners.

For example:

  • Mi piace leggere translates literally as “Reading pleases me,” but functionally means “I like reading.”
  • If you want to specify multiple hobbies, use the plural piacciono:
    • Mi piacciono la musica e il cinema (I like music and cinema).

Because piacere agrees with the thing liked, verbs in infinitive form remain unchanged (singular verb), while nouns require singular/plural agreement.

Expressing Levels of Enjoyment: From Likes to Loves and Stronger Opinions

While mi piace and non mi piace cover like/dislike, Italian offers a gradient of emotion words to fine-tune your expression:

  • Adoro (I love) conveys a stronger positive emotion. Example:
    • Adoro suonare il piano (I love playing the piano).
  • Mi piace molto adds intensity:
    • Mi piace molto dipingere (I like painting a lot).

On the negative side:

  • Odio means “I hate,” a much stronger dislike than non mi piace:
    • Odio correre (I hate running).
  • Non sopporto (I can’t stand) is also used for strong dislike:
    • Non sopporto giocare a scacchi (I can’t stand playing chess).

Using these variations helps in everyday conversation to express feelings more honestly and vividly.

Common Mistakes When Talking About Hobbies in Italian

  1. Incorrect verb agreement with piacere
    Learners often say:

    • “Io piaccio leggere.”
      This is incorrect. Since piacere literally means “to please,” the thing liked (reading) is the subject, so the correct phrasing is:
    • “Mi piace leggere.”

  2. Confusing infinitive with conjugated verbs
    After mi piace and non mi piace, always use the infinitive form for verbs describing activities:

    • Correct: Mi piace ballare.
    • Incorrect: Mi piace ballo.

  3. Overusing the English loan “hobby” incorrectly
    Although hobby is often used in Italian, especially in informal contexts, it is often pluralized incorrectly as “hobbys.” The correct plural is hobby (invariable) or passatempi (plural of passatempo).

Useful Vocabulary: Common Hobbies and Their Italian Terms

EnglishItalian (noun)Italian (infinitive verb)
Dancingla danza / la danzaballare
Paintingla pitturadipingere
Photographyla fotografiafare fotografie
Cookingla cucinacucinare
Hikingl’escursionismofare escursionismo
Readingla letturaleggere
Playing sportslo sportgiocare (a) + sport
Playing pianoil pianofortesuonare il pianoforte
Gardeningil giardinaggiofare giardinaggio
Playing chessgli scacchigiocare a scacchi

Knowing both the noun form and the verb infinitive of your hobby helps you express preferences flexibly.

Talking About Multiple Hobbies: Phrases to Combine Likes and Dislikes

You can combine multiple hobbies within one sentence by using e (and) or ma (but):

  • Mi piace leggere e scrivere. (I like reading and writing.)
  • Non mi piace nuotare, ma adoro correre. (I don’t like swimming, but I love running.)

To talk about multiple things you like or dislike, remember to apply verb agreement with piacciono for plural nouns:

  • Mi piacciono la musica e il cinema. (I like music and cinema.)
  • Non mi piacciono i videogiochi. (I don’t like video games.)

Cultural Context: Discussing Hobbies in Italian Conversations

In Italy, conversations about hobbies often go beyond just stating likes or dislikes. It is common to elaborate on why you enjoy or dislike certain activities, which can deepen conversational skills and create connection.

Example:

  • Mi piace cucinare, soprattutto i piatti tradizionali italiani, perché mi rilassa.
    (I like cooking, especially traditional Italian dishes, because it relaxes me.)

Adding reasons or details makes your speech more natural and engaging. Practice combining mi piace or non mi piace with phrases like perché (because) or ma non (but not):

  • Mi piace leggere, ma non mi piace la fantascienza.
    (I like reading, but I don’t like science fiction.)

Pronunciation Tips for Common Hobby Verbs

  • Ballare: /balˈlaːre/ — stress on second syllable; double “l” is pronounced clearly.
  • Dipingere: /dipinˈdʒere/ — “g” before “e” sounds like English “j.”
  • Fare fotografie: /ˈfaːre fotoɡraˈfiːe/ — “fotografie” is plural of “fotografia,” stress on the penultimate syllable.
  • Cucinare: /kutitˈnaːre/ — “c” before “u” is hard /k/.
  • Escursionismo: /eskurt͡sjoˈnizmo/ — note the “sc” pronounced like English “sk.”

Proper pronunciation contributes to clarity and naturalness, especially important when practicing conversation with native speakers or AI tutors.

Summary: Quick Reference Formulas

EnglishItalian StructureExample
I like + activityMi piace + infinitive or nounMi piace leggere
I don’t like + activityNon mi piace + infinitive or nounNon mi piace nuotare
I love + activityAdoro + infinitive or nounAdoro viaggiare
I hate + activityOdio + infinitive or nounOdio correre
I like multiple hobbiesMi piacciono + plural nounsMi piacciono la musica e il cinema

Using these structures correctly allows learners to talk about hobbies confidently and naturally in Italian.

References