Friendly to Senior
Care · Conversation
以前はどんなご趣味がおありでしたか？ — What kind of hobbies did you used to have? (Care · Conversation, Friendly to Senior, JLPT N4)
You
以前はどんなご趣味がおありでしたか？
いぜんはどんなごしゅみがおありでしたか？
What kind of hobbies did you used to have?
Romaji: Izen wa donna go-shumi ga oari deshita ka? / Reply Romaji: Mukashi wa shashin wo toru no ga suki de ne.
Reply
昔は写真を撮るのが好きでね。
むかしはしゃしんをとるのがすきでね。
Back in the day, I loved taking photographs.
Gesture & etiquette
Lean forward with genuine curiosity; maintain eye contact and nod warmly as they describe; if they share a physical object (a photograph, a piece of craft), handle it with care and ask to look more closely.
Asking about past hobbies rather than current ones is more sensitive for seniors who may have given up activities they loved. '以前は' (in the past / formerly) opens a safe window to personal history. Follow up with '今もご自宅にありますか？' (Do you still have any at home?) or '作品を見せていただけますか？' (May I see some of your work?) to deepen the exchange.