Talking about drawing in free time | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. ひまなときは何をするの？

   What do you do in your free time?

   ひまなとき

   in your free time

   何

   what

   する

   do

   の？

   question ending

   More detail

   ひまなとき means “when you have free time.” ひま is a na-adjective meaning “free” or “unoccupied”; before the noun とき (“time”), it uses な: ひまなとき. In this sentence, the whole phrase sets a time or situation. With a na-adjective, the reusable pattern is [na-adjective] なとき, meaning “when …”. Example: 元気なときは歩きます。 — “When I feel well, I walk.” 何 means “what.” Here it asks about the thing being acted on. 何を is a reusable question pattern meaning “what” as the object of an action: 何を読む？ — “What do you read?” する means “do.” This is the plain, nonpast form of the verb; it can describe a present habit or a future action depending on context. In 何をする, it combines with 何を to mean “do what?” The subject is not stated in the Japanese sentence; the fixed translation supplies the intended “you.” Example: 週末に何をする？ — “What will you do this weekend?” の？ follows the plain-form verb する and gives the question a conversational explanatory or confirming nuance: するの？ can ask “do you?” or “are you going to?” with the exact time understood from context. It is not a separate lexical verb. A more formal alternative would commonly use しますか, but that is not the form used here. Together, ひまなときは sets “when you have free time” as the topic or situation, and 何をするの？ asks what the listener does in that situation. The complete utterance means: “What do you do in your free time?”

2. 家で絵を描くのが好きだよ。

   I enjoy drawing at home.

   家で

   at home

   絵

   pictures; art

   描く

   to draw

   のが好きだよ

   like doing it

   More detail

   家で means “at home” here. 家 is “home/house,” and で marks the place where an action takes place. The same marker can identify the setting of other activities: 学校で勉強する means “study at school.” 絵 means “a picture” or “artwork.” In this sentence, it is what the speaker draws. A useful related expression is 絵を描く, “draw a picture”; を marks 絵 as the object of 描く. 描く is the dictionary form meaning “to draw.” It can be used after を for the action itself, as in 絵を描く, “draw a picture.” In this sentence it is not marked for past or progressive time; it appears in dictionary form because it is inside the nominalized expression 描くの. のが好きだよ expresses “like doing it.” Here, の turns the preceding action 描く into something that can be liked: 描くのが好きだ means “I like drawing.” The pattern [verb in dictionary form] のが好きだ is reusable: 音楽を聴くのが好きだ means “I like listening to music.” よ is a sentence-ending particle that presents the statement to the listener with added informing emphasis; it does not change the core meaning “I like drawing.” Together, 家で絵を描く means “draw pictures at home,” and 描くのが好きだよ says that this activity is liked by the speaker. The complete utterance therefore means “I enjoy drawing at home.”

3. リラックスできる趣味だね。

   That sounds like a relaxing hobby.

   リラックスできる

   relaxing

   趣味

   hobby

   だね

   is, right?

   More detail

   リラックスできる means “that lets you relax” here. It is based on リラックスする (“to relax”); できる is the form used with する to express ability or possibility. Before a noun, this clause describes what kind of noun it is: リラックスできる趣味 means “a hobby that lets you relax.” Example: ここではリラックスできる。 — “You can relax here.” 趣味 means “hobby,” an activity someone enjoys as a leisure interest. Example: 読書は私の趣味です。 — “Reading is my hobby.” だね combines the plain copula だ with sentence-final ね. Here, だ states that the noun phrase リラックスできる趣味 is so characterized, while ね presents the statement as a friendly observation inviting shared acknowledgment. Thus だね is close to “is, right?” in this context. Together, リラックスできる趣味 means “a hobby that lets you relax,” and だね adds the conversational “right?” or “sounds like.” The whole utterance means “That sounds like a relaxing hobby.”

4. ふだん、ノートに小さいものをスケッチするよ。

   I usually sketch small things in my notebook.

   ふだん

   usually

   ノート

   notebook

   小さい

   small

   もの

   thing

   スケッチする

   sketch

   More detail

   ふだん means “usually” or “normally.” It describes a customary frequency, not necessarily every time. Example: ふだんは歩いて行く。 — “I usually walk there.” The particle は is not part of the supplied utterance; this example adds it to mark the usual situation. ノート means “notebook.” Here, ノートに uses に to mark the place or surface where the sketch is made: “in/on a notebook.” Example: ノートに名前を書く。 — “I write my name in my notebook.” 小さい is the adjective “small.” Its base form is already 小さい, the non-past form used before a noun: 小さいもの — “small things.” An i-adjective such as 小さい directly modifies a noun; its negative form is 小さくない — “not small.” もの means “thing” or “things.” In 小さいもの, it is a broad noun referring to things that are small; the form itself does not specify an exact number. Example: 好きなものを選ぶ。 — “I choose the thing I like” or “I choose the things I like,” depending on context. スケッチする means “to sketch.” スケッチ is a noun or noun-like loanword, and する turns it into the verb “to sketch.” The non-past form する can describe a habitual action, as it does here. Its past form is スケッチした — “sketched.” The particle を marks 小さいもの as the direct object of スケッチする: the things being sketched. The final よ adds an informing or assertive tone, presenting the statement to the listener; it does not change the basic action or its time. Together, ふだん、ノートに establishes the usual setting, 小さいものを identifies the direct object, and スケッチするよ states the habitual activity. The whole utterance means: “I usually sketch small things in my notebook.”

5. よく練習するの？

   Do you practice often?

   よく

   often

   練習する

   practice

   の？

   question ending

   More detail

   よく means “often” here and modifies the action that follows. It is an adverb, so it does not change for person or number. In other contexts, よく can also mean “well,” but “often” is the intended meaning in this utterance. 練習する is the dictionary form of the verb meaning “to practice.” The ending する is part of this verb, and the whole form can be used for a non-past statement or question in casual Japanese. Example: 毎日練習する。 — “I practice every day.” の？ is a casual sentence-final question pattern. Here it turns the preceding statement-like form into a question about whether the listener practices. It is not the noun “thing” in this use. The question is casual; a more neutral-polite alternative is 練習しますか。 Together, よく + 練習する gives “practice often,” and the final の？ asks whether that is true of the listener. The complete meaning is: “Do you practice often?”

6. 少しだけ。時間があるときが多いよ。

   A little, mostly when I have time.

   少しだけ

   only a little

   時間がある

   have time

   とき

   when; time

   多いよ

   often; there are many

   More detail

   少しだけ means “only a little” here. 少し means “a little” or “slightly,” and だけ limits the amount to that small degree: 少しだけ食べます。 means “I eat only a little.” 時間がある means “have time.” ある is the verb used for the existence or availability of nonliving things, including available time; its negative form is ない: 時間がない。 means “I don’t have time.” Here, が marks 時間 as what is available. とき means “time” in the sense of an occasion or period, and in 時間があるとき the whole clause modifies it: “when there is time” or, with the intended subject, “when I have time.” A reusable pattern is V-るとき, “when someone does V”: 寝るとき、電気を消します。 means “I turn off the light when I go to bed.” The form あるとき is the non-past form used for a present or future condition such as having time. 多いよ means “are many” literally, but here it describes frequency: occasions of having time are common, so “it is often [the case].” 多い is the basic form of the adjective “many; frequent,” while 少ない is its opposite, “few; infrequent.” The final よ adds an informing or assertive tone; it is not part of the core meaning of 多い. Together, 時間があるとき identifies the occasions, and が多い says that such occasions are frequent. Thus 時間があるときが多いよ means “It is often when I have time,” naturally rendered here as “mostly when I have time.” The complete utterance is 少しだけ。時間があるときが多いよ。 — “A little, mostly when I have time.”

7. 私も描いてみようかな。

   Maybe I can try it too.

   私も

   me too

   描いて

   draw, and…

   みようかな

   maybe I’ll try…

   More detail

   私も means “I too” or “me as well.” 私 is a first-person pronoun, and も marks the person or thing as included in the same situation as something previously mentioned. The exact comparison is not stated in this sentence; the form simply adds the speaker to that shared situation. Example: 私も行く。 — “I’m going too.” 描いて is the te-form of the verb 描く (“to draw”). The te-form connects this verb to what follows; here it combines with みよう in the pattern Vてみる, meaning “try doing V.” The て ending is part of the inflection of 描く, not a separate word meaning “and.” Example: 絵を描いてみる。 — “I’ll try drawing a picture.” みようかな is the volitional form みよう of みる (“to see” or, in Vてみる, “to try doing V”), followed by かな, which presents the speaker’s thought tentatively, like “I wonder if I’ll…” or “maybe I’ll…”. In this sentence, 描いてみよう means “I’ll try drawing,” while かな makes it a tentative self-question rather than a firm declaration. The relevant reusable pattern is Vてみようかな — “Maybe I’ll try V-ing.” Example: 読んでみようかな。 — “Maybe I’ll try reading it.” Together, 描いて and みようかな form 描いてみようかな, “maybe I’ll try drawing it.” With 私も, the whole utterance means “Maybe I can try it too,” with the speaker tentatively considering trying the same activity. Japanese leaves the object of 描く unstated here; the fixed translation supplies the intended meaning “it.”

8. 私の古いえんぴつを使っていいよ。

   You can use my old pencil.

   私の

   my

   古い

   old

   えんぴつ

   pencil

   使っていいよ

   you may use it

   More detail

   私の means “my” here. 私 is the first-person pronoun “I,” and の links it to the following noun to show possession or association: 私のえんぴつ = “my pencil.” The person using the pencil is understood from the English translation, but Japanese does not state that subject in this sentence. 古い means “old” and describes the noun that follows it, えんぴつ. It is an い-adjective: the form used before a noun is 古い + noun, as in 古い本 (“an old book”). Its base form is also 古い; a useful opposite is 新しい (“new”). えんぴつ means “pencil.” It is a noun, and the phrase 古いえんぴつ means “old pencil.” Together with the preceding possessive phrase, 私の古いえんぴつ means “my old pencil.” 使っていいよ expresses permission: “you may use it” or “you can use it.” 使って is the て-form of the verb 使う (“to use”). The pattern verb-ていい asks or states whether an action is permitted; for example, ここに座っていいです。 means “You may sit here.” よ adds an informing or assuring tone; it does not change the basic permission. The sentence combines the noun phrase 私の古いえんぴつ (“my old pencil”) with 使っていいよ (“you may use it”). Japanese leaves the subject and the repeated object understood, so the fixed translation naturally supplies “you” and “it”: “You can use my old pencil.”