तू काय करत आहेस?
tu kay karat aahes?
The English phrase "what are you doing?" is translated into Marathi as तू काय करत आहेस? (tu kay karat aahes?)
This phrase is a question used to ask someone about their current activity.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase तू काय करत आहेस? is constructed from tu (you), kay (what), karat (doing) and aahes (are).
Which one should you use?
तू काय करत आहेस? and तू काय करतोस? are used for individuals in informal settings, while काय करत आहात? and आपण काय करत आहात? are used for formal or polite interactions. तुम्ही काय करत आहात? is used when addressing a group or when using a polite/plural tone.
How does it change in a sentence?
When addressing elders or strangers, the phrase changes from the informal tu to the polite or plural tumhi, resulting in the form तुम्ही काय करत आहात?
How do you pronounce it?
tu kay karat aahes?
Did you know?
- In a playful or sarcastic context, asking काय करत आहेस? when someone is obviously doing something wrong is a common way to express disapproval without using a direct command.
- Marathi allows for a 'plurality of respect' where you use the plural form तुम्ही (tumhi) even when speaking to a single person, effectively treating one person as a group to show honor.
- While the English 'what' is a single word, the Marathi word काय (kay) shares its ancient roots with the Sanskrit word for 'how', showing how the languages historically blurred the lines between 'what' and 'in what manner'.
Examples in context
- तुम्ही काय करत आहात?What are you doing?
- मग काय करतोस?What are you doing now?
- आज काय करतोस?What are you doing today?
Example conversation
Priya calls Rohan on the phone.
- रोहन Rohanहॅलो प्रिया!hello priya!Hello Priya!
- प्रिया Priyaहॅलो रोहन, तू काय करत आहेस?hello rohan, tu kay karat ahes?Hello Rohan, what are you doing?
- रोहन Rohanमी पुस्तक वाचत आहे.mi pustak vachat ahe.I am reading a book.
- प्रिया Priyaछान, मी नंतर फोन करते.chan, mi nanter phone karte.Great, I will call later.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries काय, तू, CC BY-SA 4.0.
