wat doen jy?
/vat dun jəi/word by word
wat doen jy? is the Afrikaans phrase for "what are you doing?"
The phrase is used to ask someone about their current activity.
Which one should you use?
Wat doen jy? is the standard informal way to ask the question, while Waar hou u homself mee besig? is used to ask "What are you busy with?" in more formal contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
wat doen jy? is the standard way to ask "what are you doing?" in Afrikaans.
How do you pronounce it?
/vat dun jəi/
Did you know?
- Depending on the tone, wat doen jy? can be used as an expression of shock or disapproval, similar to saying 'What on earth are you doing!' in English.
- While wat doen jy? is a direct question, using the word besig in a conversation often signals that the speaker is politely checking if you are available before asking for a favor.
- Unlike English, Afrikaans has no continuous tense, so wat doen jy? literally means 'what do you' and covers both 'what do you do' and 'what are you doing'.
Examples in context
- Wat doen jy hierdie naweek?What are you doing this weekend?
- Wat doen u vandag?What are you doing today?
- Ek sien jou daar, wat doen jy?I see you there, what are you doing?
Example conversation
Johan walks into the kitchen and sees Liezel cooking.
- JohanHallo Liezel, wat doen jy?Hello Liezel, what are you doing?
- LiezelEk maak aandete vir ons.I am making dinner for us.
- JohanDit ruik baie lekker!It smells very nice!
- LiezelDankie, Johan.Thank you, Johan.
