How do you say "What is your hobby?" in Japanese?

"What is your hobby?" in Japanese is "趣味は何ですか。". This phrase is commonly used in Japan.

What does "趣味は何ですか。" mean in English?

"趣味は何ですか。" means "What is your hobby?" in English. Usage tip: Pattern: [Xは何ですか] = “What is X?” If answering, you can say [趣味は〜です].

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How to Say ‘What is your hobby?’ in Japanese

趣味は何ですか。

shumi wa nani desu ka

[shoo-mee hah nahn dess kah]

💬 Usage Tip: Pattern: [Xは何ですか] = “What is X?” If answering, you can say [趣味は〜です].

🇯🇵 In Japan: A good interview answer is short and positive, then one detail: “I like cooking—especially…”.

Phrase Breakdown

趣味

shumi

[shoo-mee]

hobby

Used to ask about personal interests. In interviews, it can show personality and communication skills.

Example

面接で趣味は何ですかと聞かれました。

In the interview, I was asked, “What is your hobby?”

は

[hah]

topic marker "as for"

Marks 趣味 as the topic: "As for your hobby..." Standard structure: XはYです.

Example

趣味は料理です。

My hobby is cooking.

何

nani

[nahn]

what

Question word. Often pronounced なん before です: 何ですか → なんですか (natural speech).

Example

趣味は何ですか。

What is your hobby?

ですか

desu ka

is it? (polite question)

です (polite “is”) + か (question marker) to form a polite question.

Example

学生ですか。

Are you a student?

Words in this phrase

です

desu

[dess]

to be (polite)

Polite copula used in questions/answers. Answer pattern: 趣味は読書です。

Example

趣味は読書です。

My hobby is reading.

か

[kah]

question particle

Turns the sentence into a question. Often with rising intonation.

Example

趣味は何ですか。

What is your hobby?

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