How to Say "What Are You Doing?" in Greek

τι κάνεις;

ti kaneis?

To ask "what are you doing?" in Greek, say τι κάνεις.

τι κάνεις can ask about someone's current actions, but it is most commonly used as a standard greeting to ask how someone is doing.

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase is composed of τι (what) and κάνεις (you do or are doing).

Τι κάνετε is the formal way to say the same thing.

It is pronounced ti kaneis?

If someone asks you τι κάνεις as a greeting, they usually want to know how you are, not what you are doing at that moment.

The word τι is the neuter form of the Ancient Greek word τίς, which originally meant 'who'. Over centuries, the language evolved to use this specific form to ask 'what'.
The verb κάνω inside the phrase is used in Greek to express 'doing' or 'making'. Unlike English, which distinguishes between 'do' and 'make', Greek uses this one word for both actions.
The Greek verb κάνεις is also used in the expression κάνεις χάρι to mean 'to do a favor'. This shows how the concept of 'doing' shifts from simple action to social reciprocity.

Giorgos meets Maria on the street.

Γιώργος Giorgos

Γεια σου Μαρία, τι κάνεις;
Geia sou Maria, ti kaneis;
Hello Maria, how are you doing?
Μαρία Maria

Καλά είμαι, ευχαριστώ. Εσύ;
Kala eimai, efcharisto. Esi;
I am well, thank you. And you?
Γιώργος Giorgos

Κι εγώ πολύ καλά.
Ki ego poly kala.
I am also very well.
Μαρία Maria

Χαίρομαι πολύ.
Heromai poly.
I am very glad.

Sources

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