In short: To ask "what's your hobby?", say നിന്റെ ഹോബി എന്താ? (ninte hobby entha?). To answer, എനിക്ക് ___ ഇഷ്ടമാ (enikku ___ ishtamaa) ("I like ___"), e.g. enikku paattu ishtamaa ("I like songs").
Variations & related phrases
| Malayalam | Romanised | English |
|---|---|---|
| നിന്റെ ഹോബി എന്താ? | Ninte hobby entha? | What's your hobby? |
| എനിക്ക് ___ ഇഷ്ടമാ | Enikku ___ ishtamaa | I like ___ |
| ഒഴിവുസമയത്ത് എന്ത് ചെയ്യും? | Ozhivusamayathu enthu cheyyum? | What do you do in free time? |
| എനിക്ക് പാട്ട് ഇഷ്ടമാ | Enikku paattu ishtamaa | I like songs |
When & how to use it
Enikku ___ ishtamaa ("I like ___") is one of the most useful sentence frames in Malayalam. Ozhivusamayam = free time.
Example sentences
| Malayalam | Romanised | English |
|---|---|---|
| നിന്റെ ഹോബി എന്താ? - എനിക്ക് വായന ഇഷ്ടമാ. | Ninte hobby entha? - Enikku vaayana ishtamaa. | What's your hobby? - I like reading. |
| ഒഴിവുസമയത്ത് ഞാൻ സിനിമ കാണും. | Ozhivusamayathu njaan cinema kaanum. | In free time I watch films. |
Want to hear this used in a real conversation? Listen to Episode 21 - Likes, Dislikes & Hobbies in the free Listen & Learn library — every line has a Malayalam, romanised and English transcript.
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Book a lesson →Frequently asked questions
How do you ask about hobbies in Malayalam?
Say നിന്റെ ഹോബി എന്താ? (ninte hobby entha?).
How do you say I like ... in Malayalam?
Say എനിക്ക് ___ ഇഷ്ടമാ (enikku ___ ishtamaa).
How do you ask what someone does in free time?
Say ഒഴിവുസമയത്ത് എന്ത് ചെയ്യും? (ozhivusamayathu enthu cheyyum?).
What does ishtam mean?
"Liking / fondness" - enikku ___ ishtamaa = "I like ___".