In this workshop you will practice talking about hobbies in Spanish. You will learn to say how long you have been doing an activity, when you started it, and what you are doing right now. The recordings give you natural examples. You will listen, repeat, and choose correct replies. You will also practice both roles in a short conversation. This is active speaking practice, so say the lines out loud. You do not need to invent new phrases; use the examples as your guide.
Saying How Long You Have Done a Hobby
Two common patterns express duration. One uses llevar + time + gerund. For example, «Llevo años pintando.» means 'I've been painting for years.' The verb llevar here shows duration, and the gerund pintando shows the activity. Another pattern uses hace + time + que + present. For example, «Hace tres años que estudio guitarra.» means 'I've been studying guitar for three years.' Notice that the present tense estudio is used even though the action started in the past. Both patterns answer the question 'How long have you been...?' You can use time phrases like años, meses, or dos semanas. Practice saying each example slowly, then faster.
Describing an Activity in Progress
To say what you are doing right now or in this stage of life, use estar + gerund. For example, «Estoy aprendiendo a tocar la guitarra.» means 'I'm learning to play the guitar.' The verb estoy shows you are in the middle of learning, and aprendiendo is the gerund. When you learn a skill, use aprender a + infinitive, as in aprender a tocar. Repeat «Estoy aprendiendo a tocar la guitarra.» as the complete recorded model; it describes learning guitar, not necessarily playing at this exact second.
Asking About Duration and Starting Points
«¿Desde cuándo pintas?» asks since when someone has been painting. The recorded answer «Llevo años pintando.» gives the duration: years. It does not give a calendar date. Compare the painting answer with «Hace tres años que estudio guitarra.», which gives a three-year duration for studying guitar. Practice the recorded painting question and matching painting answer as a pair.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
Llevo años pintando.
I've been painting for years.
YEH-voh AH-nyohs peen-TAHN-doh
Hace tres años que estudio guitarra.
I've been studying guitar for three years.
AH-seh tres AH-nyohs keh es-TOO-dyoh gee-TAH-rrah
Estoy aprendiendo a tocar la guitarra.
I'm learning to play the guitar.
es-TOY ah-pren-DYEN-doh ah toh-KAR lah gee-TAH-rrah
¿Desde cuándo pintas?
How long have you been painting? / Since when have you been painting?
des-deh KWAHN-doh PEEN-tahs
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
¿Qué haces en tu tiempo libre?
What do you do in your free time?Estoy aprendiendo a tocar la guitarra. Llevo seis meses practicando.
I'm learning to play the guitar. I've been practicing for six months.¡Qué bien! ¿Y también pintas?
How nice! And do you also paint?Sí, hace años que pinto, pero últimamente practico más la guitarra.
Yes, I've been painting for years, but lately I practice guitar more.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided Exchange: Free Time and Hobbies
You will hear a short conversation between two speakers. One asks about free time, and the other answers with a hobby and duration. Listen carefully and then repeat each line.
Your task: Listen to the conversation. First, you will hear «¿Qué haces en tu tiempo libre?». Then you will hear «Estoy aprendiendo a tocar la guitarra. Llevo seis meses practicando.». Repeat each line out loud. Next, listen to «¡Qué bien! ¿Y también pintas?» and «Sí, hace años que pinto, pero últimamente practico más la guitarra.». Repeat those lines too. Finally, say the whole conversation by yourself, playing both roles.
Reply Comprehension: Choose the Right Response
Choose the reply that supplies the requested information. For the second item, choose the line specifically mentioning six months of guitar practice; both replies discuss free-time activities.
Your task: Listen to the question «¿Desde cuándo pintas?». Then listen to two replies: «Llevo años pintando.» and «Estoy aprendiendo a tocar la guitarra.». Which reply answers the question about how long? Say the correct reply out loud. Then listen to «¿Qué haces en tu tiempo libre?» and choose between «Estoy aprendiendo a tocar la guitarra. Llevo seis meses practicando.» and «Sí, hace años que pinto, pero últimamente practico más la guitarra.». Which reply talks about learning guitar and practicing for six months?
Recall and Role-Play: Ask and Answer
Now you will practice asking and answering without looking at the text. Imagine you are talking with a friend about hobbies.
Your task: First, play the role of the person asking. Say the question «¿Desde cuándo pintas?» out loud. Then play the role of the person answering. Use «Llevo años pintando.» to say you have been painting for years. Next, switch roles. Ask «¿Qué haces en tu tiempo libre?» and answer with «Estoy aprendiendo a tocar la guitarra. Llevo seis meses practicando.». Finally, ask «¡Qué bien! ¿Y también pintas?» and answer with «Sí, hace años que pinto, pero últimamente practico más la guitarra.».
Common questions
What is the difference between llevar + time + gerund and hace + time + que + present?
Both patterns express the duration of an activity continuing into the present. «Llevo años pintando.» says the speaker has been painting for years. «Hace tres años que estudio guitarra.» says the speaker has been studying guitar for three years. The examples use different hobbies and durations; neither construction requires a calendar starting date.
Can I use the present tense when talking about something that started in the past?
For the continuing activities in these recordings, hace + time + que is followed by a present-tense verb, such as estudio in «Hace tres años que estudio guitarra.». Other past-time constructions exist; this lesson practices these continuing-activity models.
Sources and further reading
- spanish: discuss hobbies in depthChecked September 2026
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