¿qué estás haciendo?
In Spanish, "what are you doing?" is translated as ¿qué estás haciendo?
This phrase is used to ask a person about the specific activity they are performing at the present moment.
Which one should you use?
While ¿qué estás haciendo? emphasizes the action occurring right this second, ¿qué haces? is often used colloquially to ask the same question or to ask about a person's general habits.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Latin America, the formal phrase ¿En qué anda? can be used to mean "What are you up to?"
How does it change in a sentence?
To ask a group of people what they are doing, use the plural form ¿qué están haciendo?
Did you know?
- The verb hacer in ¿qué estás haciendo? does not only mean 'to do' or 'to make', but is also used to describe the weather, such as hace frío for 'it is cold'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, asking ¿qué estás haciendo? can sometimes sound more intrusive or suspicious than the English equivalent, as if you are demanding an explanation for a specific behavior.
- The phrase ¿En qué anda? is a colorful way to ask 'what are you up to', but literally, it translates to 'In what are you walking?'
Examples in context
- ¿Qué estás haciendo ahora mismo?What are you doing right now?
- ¿Qué estás haciendo ahí?What are you doing there?
- ¿Qué estás haciendo este fin de semana?What are you doing this weekend?
- Veo que estás ocupado, ¿qué estás haciendo?I see you are busy, what are you doing?
Example conversation
Sofía calls Javier on the phone.
- SofíaHola Javier, ¿qué estás haciendo?Hi Javier, what are you doing?
- JavierEstoy leyendo un libro.I am reading a book.
- Sofía¿Quieres ir al cine hoy?Do you want to go to the movies today?
- JavierSí, me parece una buena idea.Yes, that sounds like a good idea.
