Portuguese Phrase
Como você começou com esse hobby?
Meaning
A friendly, informal question asking someone to describe the way they got started with a particular hobby. It implies curiosity about the person's personal story or motivation.
When to use
Use this phrase in casual conversations with friends, classmates, or language‑exchange partners when you want to learn about their hobby origins. It works well in both face‑to‑face chats and online messaging.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Comovocêcomeçoucomessehobby?
Como (How)
Interrogative adverb used to ask about manner or way.
você (you)
Second‑person singular pronoun, neutral and widely used in Brazil.
começou (started)
Preterite of the verb começar; indicates a completed action in the past.
com (with)
Preposition that pairs with começar when the object is introduced with a demonstrative.
esse (this/that)
Demonstrative pronoun that points to something near the listener; agrees in gender and number.
hobby (hobby)
Borrowed English noun, masculine in Portuguese; often used in informal speech.
🗨In Conversation
Como você começou com esse hobby?
How did you start with this hobby?
Eu sempre gostei de desenhar, então comprei um kit de aquarela quando tinha 12 anos.
I always liked drawing, so I bought a watercolor set when I was 12.
✕Common Mistakes
Como você começou esse hobby?
Missing the preposition "com"; while understandable, native speakers usually pair "começar" with "com" when the object is introduced by a demonstrative.
Como você começou com essa hobby?
In some regions "hobby" is treated as feminine ("a hobby"); the standard gender is masculine, so use "esse hobby" not "essa hobby".
↔Alternatives
Como você iniciou esse hobby?
How did you start this hobby?
De que maneira você começou esse hobby?
In what way did you start this hobby?
Qual foi o seu ponto de partida para esse hobby?
What was your starting point for this hobby?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, "hobby" is a common loanword, but you can also say "passatempo" or "atividade de lazer" for a more native feel. Using "você" is perfectly polite in most informal settings; reserve "o senhor/a senhora" for very formal contexts. Adding a smile or a light tone makes the question sound genuinely interested rather than interrogative.