¿Qué haces, hermosa?
The English phrase 'what are you doing, beautiful?' is translated into Spanish as ¿Qué haces, hermosa?
You can use the word bella as a synonym for hermosa to say the same thing.
Which one should you use?
The form ¿Qué haces, hermosa? can imply 'what do you do?' in a general or habitual sense. In contrast, the progressive form ¿Qué estás haciendo, hermosa? specifically refers to an action happening right at this moment.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are addressing a man instead of a woman, the adjective must change to the masculine form hermoso.
Did you know?
- While hermosa means 'beautiful', calling a stranger this in some Spanish-speaking countries can be seen as 'piropo' or street flirting, which may be unwelcome or even legally penalized in certain cities.
- The word hermosa shares a root with the English word 'form', as both trace back to the idea of having a beautiful or perfect shape.
- Depending on the country, using hermoso for a man might be perceived as overly feminine or formal, as guapo is the far more common term for male beauty.
Examples in context
- ¡Buenos días! ¿Qué está haciendo, hermosa?Good morning! What are you doing, beautiful?
- Hola, ¿qué haces, hermosa?Hello, what are you doing, beautiful?
- Dime, ¿qué haces, hermosa?Tell me, what are you doing, beautiful?
Example conversation
Mateo approaches Lucía while she is reading in a park.
- Mateo¿Qué haces, hermosa?What are you doing, beautiful?
- LucíaSolo estoy leyendo un libro.I am just reading a book.
- MateoParece que te diviertes mucho.It looks like you are having a lot of fun.
- LucíaSí, es una historia muy buena.Yes, it is a very good story.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries qué, CC BY-SA 4.0.
