Welcome to Unit 8 — Free Time and Hobbies! In this lesson, you'll learn to talk about your favorite pastimes and leisure activities. You'll also learn how to express future plans using 'ir + a + infinitive,' one of the most useful structures in Spanish. By the end, you'll be able to say what you like to do and what you're going to do next!
Learning tips
- The structure 'ir + a + infinitive' works just like English 'going to + verb.' It's the easiest way to talk about the future in Spanish.
- Notice that after 'me gusta' you use the infinitive form of verbs: 'me gusta bailar' (I like to dance).
- Try listing your hobbies in Spanish throughout your day — repetition is key at this stage.
- Many hobby verbs are regular -ar verbs (bailar, cantar, pintar, nadar), so the conjugation patterns you already know apply directly.
Warm-up & Active Recall
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| limpiar | to clean |
| barrer | to sweep |
| lavar | to wash |
| planchar | to iron |
| arreglar | to fix/tidy up |
| sacar la basura | to take out the trash |
| ordenar | to organize |
| ayudar | to help |
| el hogar | the home/household |
| la tarea | the chore/task |
Dialog
Valentina and Andrés share their hobbies at a weekend gathering. Notice how they use 'me gusta + infinitive' to express what they enjoy doing. Andrés mentions 'voy a correr' (I'm going to run) — this is the 'ir + a + infinitive' structure for near future plans. All 10 active vocabulary words appear naturally in the conversation. Pay attention to how 'el deporte' (sport) and 'la música' (music) use articles even when talking about them in general — Spanish always uses articles with general nouns.
Vocabulary
Active words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| bailar | /bai̯ˈlaɾ/ | to dance | Regular -ar verb. 'Bailar salsa' is a very popular pastime in Colombia. |
| cantar | /kanˈtaɾ/ | to sing | Regular -ar verb. |
| pintar | /pinˈtaɾ/ | to paint | Regular -ar verb. Can mean painting art or painting walls. |
| leer | /leˈeɾ/ | to read | Regular -er verb. The double 'e' creates a slightly longer vowel sound. |
| correr | /koˈreɾ/ | to run | Regular -er verb. |
| nadar | /naˈðaɾ/ | to swim | Regular -ar verb. |
| jugar | /xuˈɣaɾ/ | to play (a game/sport) | Stem-changing: u→ue (juego, juegas, juega). Used for games and sports, not instruments. |
| escuchar | /eskuˈtʃaɾ/ | to listen (to) | Regular -ar verb. Always used with 'a' before a person but not before a thing. |
| la música | /la ˈmu.si.ka/ | music | Feminine noun. Always used with the article in Spanish: 'la música.' |
| el deporte | /el deˈpoɾ.te/ | sport | Masculine noun. 'Hacer deporte' means 'to do/play sports.' |
Passive words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| el arte | /el ˈaɾ.te/ | art | Masculine despite ending in -e with 'el.' |
| la película | /la peˈli.ku.la/ | movie, film | |
| el libro | /el ˈli.βɾo/ | book | |
| la canción | /la kanˈsjon/ | song | |
| el instrumento | /el ins.tɾuˈmen.to/ | instrument | For musical instruments: 'tocar un instrumento.' |
| practicar | /pɾak.tiˈkaɾ/ | to practice |
Useful chunks
| Word | Translation |
|---|---|
| tiempo libre | free time |
| me gusta | I like (+ noun or infinitive) |
Grammar: Ir + a + infinitive for near future plans
| Subject | ir | + a + infinitive | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | voy | a bailar | Voy a bailar salsa. |
| tú | vas | a correr | Vas a correr mañana. |
| usted/él/ella | va | a nadar | Ella va a nadar. |
| nosotros | vamos | a jugar | Vamos a jugar fútbol. |
| ellos/ellas | van | a escuchar | Van a escuchar música. |
To talk about near future plans, Spanish uses ir + a + infinitive — literally 'to go to do something.' This is equivalent to English 'going to.'
Formation:
- Voy a bailar. = I'm going to dance.
- Vas a correr. = You're going to run.
- Va a nadar. = He/She is going to swim.
- Vamos a jugar. = We're going to play.
- Van a escuchar. = They're going to listen.
The verb 'ir' is conjugated (voy, vas, va, vamos, van), followed by 'a', then the infinitive of the main verb stays unchanged.
This structure is extremely common in everyday speech — Colombians often prefer it over the formal future tense. You can add time expressions: 'Voy a bailar esta noche' (I'm going to dance tonight).
Remember: with 'gustar,' you also use the infinitive: 'Me gusta bailar' (I like to dance/dancing).
Exercises
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence with the correct hobby verb in infinitive form.
- Me gusta salsa los fines de semana.(a movement activity done to music)
- A Andrés le encanta en el parque.(a physical activity with legs)
- Valentina va a una canción bonita.(using your voice musically)
- ¿Te gusta música colombiana?(using your ears)
- Vamos a fútbol con los amigos.(a team sport activity)
Grammar Application
Form a complete sentence using 'ir + a + infinitive' with the given subject, verb, and time expression.
- yo / nadar / mañana → (yo + voy + a + nadar + time)
- nosotros / bailar / esta noche → (nosotros + vamos + a + bailar + time)
- ella / leer / un libro → (ella + va + a + leer + object)
- tú / pintar / el fin de semana → (tú + vas + a + pintar + time)
- ellos / jugar / fútbol → (ellos + van + a + jugar + sport)
Translation (English → Spanish)
Translate each sentence into Spanish.
- I like to dance and sing.
- I'm going to swim tomorrow.
- Do you like to listen to music?
- She is going to run in the park.
- We like to play and read.
Creative Construction
Write 1-2 sentences about your hobbies and future plans using vocabulary from this lesson and 'ir + a + infinitive.'
Takeaway
Use 'ir + a + infinitive' to express future plans: 'Voy a bailar' (I'm going to dance). With 'gustar,' use the infinitive to say what you enjoy: 'Me gusta nadar' (I like swimming).