Free-Time Activities

Leer: Reading. Remember to use the verb ‘leer’ when talking about reading books, newspapers, etc., e.g., “Me gusta leer libros de aventura” (I like to read adventure books).
Escuchar música: Listening to music. A popular pastime to discuss, so learn different genres of music as well such as pop (‘pop’), rock (‘rock’), classical (‘clásica’), etc., for instance, “A mi hermana le encanta escuchar música pop” (My sister loves listening to pop music).
Ver la televisión: Watching television. Don’t forget the different programs like news (‘noticias’), drama (‘drama’), documentaries (‘documentales’), etc., “Ellos prefieren ver la televisión por las noches” (They prefer watching television in the evenings).
Practicar deportes: Practicing sports. Be familiar with names of some sports; football (‘fútbol’), basketball (‘baloncesto’), swimming (‘natación’), etc., “Nos gusta practicar deportes cada fin de semana” (We like practicing sports every weekend).
Jugar a los videojuegos: Playing video games. Declare the kind of games you or others play, e.g., “A él le gusta jugar a los videojuegos de acción” (He likes playing action video games).
Ir al cine: Going to the cinema. Be ready with genres of movies; comedy (‘comedia’), suspense (‘suspenso’), horror (‘horror’), romantic (‘romántica’), etc., “A veces van al cine para ver las películas de comedia” (Sometimes they go to the cinema to watch comedy movies).

Expressing Preferences in Free-Time Activities

Use phrases to express general likes or dislikes, e.g., “Me gusta leer” (I like reading) or “No me gusta jugar a los videojuegos” (I do not like playing video games).
Show strong preferences using ‘encanta’ (love), like “A mi hermano le encanta practicar deportes” (My brother loves practicing sports).
When expressing specific activities you or others prefer, use ‘preferir’ (to prefer), as in “Prefiero escuchar música clásica” (I prefer listening to classical music).
Use comparative phrases to weigh one activity against another, such as “Me gusta más ver la televisión que leer” (I like watching television more than reading).
Express activities you or others usually do in free time using ‘suele’, like “Mi madre suele leer por las noches” (My mother usually reads at night).