hola, ¿qué haces?
The English phrase "hi, what are you doing?" is translated into Spanish as hola, ¿qué haces?
This phrase is a casual greeting used to ask someone what they are doing at the current moment. In an informal setting, you can also use ¡Hola! ¿Qué estás haciendo? or start with Oye, ¿qué estás haciendo? where Oye functions similarly to "Hey" in English.
Which one should you use?
While ¿qué haces? literally translates to "what do you do?", it is the standard way to ask "what are you doing right now?" in a casual context.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
To use this phrase in a formal way, address the person using the usted form by saying Hola, ¿qué hace? For friends and acquaintances, the informal ¡Hola! ¿Qué estás haciendo? is appropriate.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Latin America, the standard way to ask a group of people what they are doing, regardless of the level of formality, is ¿qué hacen?
How does it change in a sentence?
The form changes depending on who you are addressing: ¿qué haces? is the informal tú form, ¿qué hace? is the formal usted form and ¿qué hacen? is the plural form used for a group.
Did you know?
- The word hola may be related to an Old High German term used specifically for hailing a ferryman to fetch a boat.
- Depending on the country, the response to ¿qué haces? might be nada, meaning 'nothing', even if the person is currently busy.
- In some regions, ¿qué haces? is used as a general 'What's up?' rather than a literal question about a current activity.
Examples in context
- Hola, ¿qué haces?Hi, what are you doing?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hola, qué, CC BY-SA 4.0.
