hobby

See also: Hobby

English

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɒbi
• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈhɒ.bi/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈhɑ.bi/

• Audio (UK):

  (file)

Etymology 1

Shortened from hobby-horse, from Middle English hoby, hobyn, hobin (“small horse, pony”), from Old French hobi, *haubi, haubby, hobin ("a nag, hobby"; > Modern French aubin, Italian ubino), of Germanic origin: from Old French hober, ober (“to stir, move”), from Old Dutch hobben (“to toss, move up and down”); or from North Germanic origin related to Danish hoppe (“a mare”), Old Swedish hoppa (“a young mare”), North Frisian hoppe (“horse”); both ultimately from Proto-Germanic *huppōną (“to hop”), from Proto-Indo-European *kewb- (“to bend; a bend, joint”). More at hop, hobble.

The meaning of hobby-horse shifted from "small horse, pony" to "child's toy riding horse" to "favorite pastime or avocation" with the connecting notion being "activity that doesn't go anywhere". Possibly originally from a proper name for a horse, a diminutive of Robert or Robin (compare dobbin).

Noun

hobby (plural hobbies)

1. An activity that one enjoys doing in one's spare time.

   I like to collect stamps from different countries as a hobby.

   take up a hobby

   give up your hobby

2. (equestrianism) An extinct breed of horse native to the British Isles, also known as the Irish Hobby.
3. Synonym of hobby horse (“a favorite topic”)
   • 1857, Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown's School Days:

     "Well, I think East is right," said Arthur; "I can't see but what it's right to do the best you can, though it mayn't be the best absolutely. Every man isn't born to be a martyr."
     "Of course, of course," said East; "but he's on one of his pet hobbies. — How often have I told you, Tom, that you must drive a nail where it'll go."

Synonyms

• (activity done for enjoyment in spare time): avocation, pastime; See also Thesaurus:hobby

Derived terms

• hobby bobby
• hobbycraft
• hobby desk
• hobby horse
• hobbyism
• hobbyist
• hobby knife
• hobbyless
• hobbylike
• hobby table
• Irish hobby
• ride a hobby

Related terms

• hobbyhorse (noun)
• hobelar/hobeler

Descendants

• → Catalan: hobby
• → Danish: hobby
• → Dutch: hobby
• → French: hobby
• → Galician: hobby
• → German: Hobby
• → Italian: hobby
• → Norwegian Bokmål: hobby
• → Norwegian Nynorsk: hobby
• → Polish: hobby
• → Portuguese: hobby
• → Romanian: hobby
• → Russian: хобби (xobbi)
• → Spanish: hobby
• → Swedish: hobby

Translations

activity done for enjoyment in spare time

• Afrikaans: stokperdjie
• Albanian: hobi
• Arabic: هِوَايَة f (hiwāya)
• Armenian: հոբբի (hy) (hobbi)
• Azerbaijani: hobbi
• Basque: zaletasun
• Belarusian: хо́бі n (xóbi), захапле́нне n (zaxapljénnje)
• Bengali: শখ (bn) (śokh)
• Bulgarian: хо́би n (hóbi), увлече́ние (bg) n (uvlečénie)
• Burmese: ဝါသနာ (my) (wasa.na)
• Carpathian Rusyn: го́бі n (hóbi)
• Catalan: passatemps (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 愛好 / 爱好 (oi³ hou³), 嗜好 (si³ hou³)

  Mandarin: 愛好 / 爱好 (zh) (àihào), 嗜好 (zh) (shìhào)

• Czech: koníček (cs) m, hobby (cs) n
• Danish: hobby (da) n
• Dutch: hobby (nl) f, vrijetijdsbesteding (nl) f
• Esperanto: ŝatokupo, hobio
• Estonian: harrastus
• Finnish: harrastus (fi), harraste (fi)
• French: passe-temps (fr) m, hobby (fr) m
• Georgian: აჩემებული რამ (ačemebuli ram), ჰობი (hobi), გატაცება (gaṭaceba)
• German: Hobby (de) n, Steckenpferd (de) n
• Greek: χόμπυ n (chómpy), χόμπι (el) n (chómpi), πάρεργο (el) n (párergo)

  Ancient: διατριβή f (diatribḗ)

• Gujarati: શોખ m (śokh)
• Hebrew: תַּחְבִּיב (he) m (takhbív)
• Hindi: शौक़ m (śauq), रुचि (hi) f (ruci)
• Hungarian: hobbi (hu), kedvtelés (hu), kedvenc időtöltés
• Indonesian: ^{(please verify)} kegemaran (id), hobi (id)
• Interlingua: hobby, passatempore
• Irish: caitheamh aimsire m
• Italian: hobby (it) m, passatempo (it) m
• Japanese: 趣味 (ja) (しゅみ, shumi)
• Kazakh: мұштақ (mūştaq)
• Khmer: ចំណង់ចំណូលចិត្ត (cɑmnɑng cɑmnoulcət), ចំណូលចិត្ត (cɑmnoulcət)
• Korean: 취미(趣味) (ko) (chwimi)
• Kyrgyz: хобби (hobbi)
• Lao: ພັກສມອງ (phak sa mǭng)
• Latin: oblectatio f, voluptas f, delicium n, āvocāmentum n
• Latvian: hobijs m, vaļasprieks m
• Lithuanian: hobis (lt) m, pomėgis m
• Macedonian: хоби n (hobi)
• Malay: hobi (ms)
• Maori: mahi tākaro, runaruna
• Mongolian:

  Cyrillic: сонирхол (mn) (sonirxol), хобби (mn) (xobbi)

• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: hobby (no) m

  Nynorsk: hobby m

• Okinawan: 趣味 (すみ, sumi)
• Pannonian Rusyn: гоби m (hobi)
• Persian:

  Iranian Persian: سَرْگَرْمی (sargarmi), تَفَنُّن (tafannon)

• Polish: hobby (pl) n
• Portuguese: passatempo (pt) m, hobby (pt) m
• Romanian: hobby (ro) n
• Russian: хо́бби (ru) n (xóbbi), увлече́ние (ru) n (uvlečénije), конёк (ru) (konjók) (a favorite topic, area of expertise)
• Sanskrit: देवना (sa) f (devanā)
• Scots: habby
• Scottish Gaelic: cur-seachad m, fòidearachd f, gnàth-obair f
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: хо̏би m

  Roman: hȍbi (sh) m

• Slovak: koníček m, hobby (sk) n
• Slovene: konjiček m
• Spanish: pasatiempo (es) m, hobby (es) m (hobi), afición (es) f, jobi m (Americanism)
• Swedish: hobby (sv)
• Tagalog: hilig
• Tajik: шавқ (šavq), саргарми (sargarm-i)
• Thai: งานอดิเรก (th) (ngaan-à-dì-rèek)
• Tibetan: དགའ་པོ་བྱེད་ཡག (dga' po byed yag)
• Turkish: hobi (tr), merak (tr)
• Turkmen: güýmenje
• Ukrainian: хо́бі n (xóbi), захо́плення n (zaxóplennja)
• Urdu: مَشْغَلَہ m (maśġala), شَوق m (śauq), تَفَنُّن m (tafannun)
• Uzbek: xobbi
• Vietnamese: sở thích riêng, sở thích (vi)
• Volapük: löfäl (vo), livüpajäf
• Walloon: passe-tins (wa), pasmint d' tins (wa)
• Welsh: hobi (cy) m or f
• Yiddish: פֿערדל n (ferdl)

Etymology 2

From Middle English hoby, hobeye, from Old French hobé, hobei, hobet, from Medieval Latin hopētus, diminutive of harpe.

Noun

hobby (plural hobbies)

1. Any of four species of small falcons in the genus Falco, especially Falco subbuteo.
   • 2011, Thomas Penn, Winter King, Penguin, published 2012, page 323:

     He hawked – from nearby Esher, Richard Fox sent a servant with a hobby, which Henry received enthusiastically – and hunted, sending a present of freshly slaughtered deer to Princess Mary.

Derived terms

• African hobby, Falco cuvierii
• Australian hobby, Falco longipennis
• Eurasian hobby, Falco subbuteo
• Oriental hobby, Falco severus

Translations

Falco subbuteo

• Asturian: ferlamicu (ast)
• Bulgarian: сокол орко m (sokol orko)
• Czech: ostříž lesní m
• Danish: lærkefalk (da) c
• Dutch: boomvalk (nl) m
• Faroese: vákasmyril m
• Finnish: nuolihaukka (fi)
• French: hobereau (fr) m
• German: Baumfalke (de) m
• Hungarian: kabasólyom (hu)
• Italian: falco (it) m, falcone (it) m
• Korean: 새홀리기 (saeholligi)
• Manx: shirragh corranagh m
• Navajo: tó wónaanídę́ę́ʼ chʼilhaatʼaʼii yázhí
• Polish: kobuz (pl) m anim
• Portuguese: ógea (pt) f
• Russian: чегло́к (ru) m (čeglók)
• Scottish Gaelic: gearran-àrd m, gormag f, obag f, seabhag nan uiseag f
• Spanish: alcotán (es) m
• Swedish: lärkfalk (sv) c

See also

• hobby lantern

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from English hobby.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [ˈɔ.βi]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic, Valencia) [ˈɔ.bi]

Noun

hobby m (plural hobbies)

1. hobby

   Synonym: passatemps

Further reading

• “hobby”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025.
• “hobby” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.

Czech

Noun

hobby n

1. hobby (activity)

Declension

Declension of hobby (mostly indeclinable neuter)

	singular	plural
nominative	hobby	hobby
genitive	hobby	hobby
dative	hobby	hobby
accusative	hobby	hobby
vocative	hobby	hobby
locative	hobby	hobby
instrumental	hobby, hobbym	hobby

Danish

Etymology

From English hobby.

Noun

hobby c (singular definite hobbyen, plural indefinite hobbyer)

1. hobby (activity)

Inflection

Declension of hobby

common gender	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	hobby	hobbyen	hobbyer	hobbyerne
genitive	hobbys	hobbyens	hobbyers	hobbyernes

Synonyms

• fritidsinteresse

Further reading

• “hobby” in Den Danske Ordbog

Dutch

Etymology

From English hobby.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɦɔ.bi/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: hob‧by

Noun

hobby m (plural hobby's, diminutive hobby'tje n)

1. hobby (activity)

   Synonym: liefhebberij

Derived terms

• hobbyartikel
• hobbymatig

Finnish

Etymology

From English hobby.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhobi/, [ˈho̞bi]
• IPA^(key): /ˈhobːi/, [ˈho̞bːi]
• Rhymes: -obi

Noun

hobby (dated)

1. (now nonstandard) Synonym of harrastus (“hobby”).
   • 1938, Sinclair Lewis, translated by Väinö Jaakkola, Tuhlaajavanhemmat: romaani [The Prodigal Parents], W. Söderström:

     En luulisi teillä olevan kirouksenanne hobbyja, kuten minulla on.

     I shouldn't have thought you were cursed with hobbies, as I am.

   • 1953, Eduskunta (Finnish Parliament), Pöytäkirjat (Minutes):

     Sellainen henkilö, joka itse ei ole harrastanut tätä hobbya, virkistyskalastusta, (...)

     A person who hasn't themselves tried this hobby, recreational fishing, (...)

   • 1967, Yrjö A. Jäntti, Martti Haavio, Suomen sana: kansalliskirjallisuutemme valiolukemisto, volume 24, W. Söderström:

     Hobbyjen ei tarvitse noudattaa jo edellä mainittua kaupallista linjaa.

     Hobbies need not be commercial in the same way as previously mentioned.

Declension

Inflection of hobby (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)
nominative		hobby	hobbyt
genitive		hobbyn	hobbyjen
partitive		hobbya	hobbyja
illative		hobbyyn	hobbyihin
		singular	plural
nominative		hobby	hobbyt
accusative	nom.	hobby	hobbyt
	gen.	hobbyn
genitive		hobbyn	hobbyjen
partitive		hobbya	hobbyja
inessive		hobbyssa	hobbyissa
elative		hobbysta	hobbyista
illative		hobbyyn	hobbyihin
adessive		hobbylla	hobbyilla
ablative		hobbylta	hobbyilta
allative		hobbylle	hobbyille
essive		hobbyna	hobbyina
translative		hobbyksi	hobbyiksi
abessive		hobbytta	hobbyitta
instructive		—	hobbyin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of hobby (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative hobbyni hobbyni accusative nom. hobbyni hobbyni gen. hobbyni genitive hobbyni hobbyjeni partitive hobbyani hobbyjani inessive hobbyssani hobbyissani elative hobbystani hobbyistani illative hobbyyni hobbyihini adessive hobbyllani hobbyillani ablative hobbyltani hobbyiltani allative hobbylleni hobbyilleni essive hobbynani hobbyinani translative hobbykseni hobbyikseni abessive hobbyttani hobbyittani instructive — — comitative — hobbyineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative hobbysi hobbysi accusative nom. hobbysi hobbysi gen. hobbysi genitive hobbysi hobbyjesi partitive hobbyasi hobbyjasi inessive hobbyssasi hobbyissasi elative hobbystasi hobbyistasi illative hobbyysi hobbyihisi adessive hobbyllasi hobbyillasi ablative hobbyltasi hobbyiltasi allative hobbyllesi hobbyillesi essive hobbynasi hobbyinasi translative hobbyksesi hobbyiksesi abessive hobbyttasi hobbyittasi instructive — — comitative — hobbyinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative hobbymme hobbymme accusative nom. hobbymme hobbymme gen. hobbymme genitive hobbymme hobbyjemme partitive hobbyamme hobbyjamme inessive hobbyssamme hobbyissamme elative hobbystamme hobbyistamme illative hobbyymme hobbyihimme adessive hobbyllamme hobbyillamme ablative hobbyltamme hobbyiltamme allative hobbyllemme hobbyillemme essive hobbynamme hobbyinamme translative hobbyksemme hobbyiksemme abessive hobbyttamme hobbyittamme instructive — — comitative — hobbyinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative hobbynne hobbynne accusative nom. hobbynne hobbynne gen. hobbynne genitive hobbynne hobbyjenne partitive hobbyanne hobbyjanne inessive hobbyssanne hobbyissanne elative hobbystanne hobbyistanne illative hobbyynne hobbyihinne adessive hobbyllanne hobbyillanne ablative hobbyltanne hobbyiltanne allative hobbyllenne hobbyillenne essive hobbynanne hobbyinanne translative hobbyksenne hobbyiksenne abessive hobbyttanne hobbyittanne instructive — — comitative — hobbyinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative hobbynsa hobbynsa accusative nom. hobbynsa hobbynsa gen. hobbynsa genitive hobbynsa hobbyjensa partitive hobbyaan hobbyansa hobbyjaan hobbyjansa inessive hobbyssaan hobbyssansa hobbyissaan hobbyissansa elative hobbystaan hobbystansa hobbyistaan hobbyistansa illative hobbyynsa hobbyihinsa adessive hobbyllaan hobbyllansa hobbyillaan hobbyillansa ablative hobbyltaan hobbyltansa hobbyiltaan hobbyiltansa allative hobbylleen hobbyllensa hobbyilleen hobbyillensa essive hobbynaan hobbynansa hobbyinaan hobbyinansa translative hobbykseen hobbyksensa hobbyikseen hobbyiksensa abessive hobbyttaan hobbyttansa hobbyittaan hobbyittansa instructive — — comitative — hobbyineen hobbyinensa

Further reading

• “hobby”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-02

French

Etymology

Borrowed from English hobby.

Pronunciation

• ^{(aspirated h)} IPA^(key): /ɔ.bi/

Noun

hobby m (plural hobbies or hobbys)

1. hobby (activity)

   Synonym: passe-temps

Further reading

• “hobby”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Interlingua

Noun

hobby

1. hobby (activity)

Italian

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English hobby.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɔb.bi/
• Rhymes: -ɔbbi
• Hyphenation: hòb‧by

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

hobby m (invariable)

1. hobby (activity)

Related terms

• hobbysto
• hobbystico

Further reading

• hobby in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From English hobby.

Noun

hobby m (definite singular hobbyen, indefinite plural hobbyer, definite plural hobbyene)

1. a hobby (leisure activity)

References

• “hobby” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From English hobby.

Noun

hobby m (definite singular hobbyen, indefinite plural hobbyar, definite plural hobbyane)

1. a hobby (leisure activity)

References

• “hobby” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Polish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English hobby.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈxɔb.bi/, /ˈxɔb.bɘ/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔbbi, -ɔbbɘ
• Syllabification: hob‧by

Noun

hobby n (indeclinable)

1. hobby, passion (activity to which one devotes a lot of time and resources)

   Synonyms: konik, pasja, zainteresowanie, zajawka, zamiłowanie

Related terms

• hobbista
• hobbistka
• hobbistycznie
• hobbistyczny
• hobbysta
• hobbystka
• hobbystycznie
• hobbystyczny

Further reading

• hobby in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• hobby in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Portuguese

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English hobby.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈʁɔ.bi/ [ˈhɔ.bi]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈʁɔ.bi/ [ˈhɔ.bi]
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /ˈʁɔ.bi/ [ˈχɔ.bi]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈʁɔ.be/ [ˈhɔ.be]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈɔ.bi/ [ˈɔ.βi]

• Rhymes: -ɔbi
• Homophone: (Brazil) robe

Noun

hobby m (plural hobbies)

1. hobby (an activity that one enjoys doing in one’s spare time)

   Synonym: passatempo

Further reading

• “hobby”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2025

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from English hobby.

Noun

hobby n (plural hobby-uri)

1. hobby

Declension

Declension of hobby

	singular			plural
	indefinite	definite		indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	hobby	hobby-ul		hobby-uri	hobby-urile
genitive-dative	hobby	hobby-ului		hobby-uri	hobby-urilor
vocative	hobby-ule			hobby-urilor

Spanish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English hobby.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈxobi/ [ˈxo.β̞i]
• Rhymes: -obi

Noun

hobby m (plural hobbys)

1. hobby (activity)

   Synonyms: pasatiempo, afición

Usage notes

• According to Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) prescriptions, unadapted foreign words should be written in italics in a text printed in roman type, and vice versa, and in quotation marks in a manuscript text or when italics are not available. In practice, this RAE prescription is not always followed.

Further reading

• “hobby”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10

Swedish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English hobby.

Noun

hobby c

1. hobby (activity)

Declension

Declension of hobby

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	hobby	hobbys
	definite	hobbyn	hobbyns
plural	indefinite	hobbyer	hobbyers
	definite	hobbyerna	hobbyernas

Further reading

• hobby in Svensk ordbok.