What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 何 (nani) meaning "what", the contracted form してる (shiteru) meaning "doing" and the particle の (no) which adds a soft questioning tone to the sentence.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The default form 何してるの？ is informal and should be used with friends, family or people of equal or lower social status. For a more casual and straightforward approach among peers, you can use the even shorter 何してる？ In more formal situations, such as when speaking to strangers or superiors, you should use 何をしてるんですか？ or the very polite 今何をしておられますか？
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the question more polite, you can use the construction 何してるんですか？ (nani shiteru n desu ka?). Additionally, adding the object marker を (o) to create 何をしてるんですか？ (nani o shiteru n desu ka?) also makes the question appropriate for formal settings.
How do you pronounce it?
nani shiteru no?
Did you know?
- While 何してるの？ asks about an activity, Japanese has a distinct way of asking 'What are you up to?' regarding future plans using the word 予定 (yotei), as the present continuous form is rarely used for the future.
- The particle の (no) at the end of the phrase is used more frequently by women and children. Men in very casual settings may use 何してるんだ？ (nani shiteru n da) to sound more masculine.
- If you use the word 'you' (anata) in this phrase, it can actually sound quite cold or even confrontational, as if you are interrogating a stranger.
Examples in context
- 何してる？今何してるの？What are you doing? What are you doing now?
- 今、何してるの？Ima, nani shiteru no?What are you doing now?
- 部屋で何してるの？Heya de nani shiteru no?What are you doing in your room?
- 一人で何してるの？Hitori de nani shiteru no?What are you doing by yourself?
Example conversation
Kenta calls Himari on the phone to check on her.
- 大翔 Hiroto陽葵、今何してるの？Himari, ima nani shiteru no?Himari, what are you doing now?
- 美咲 Misaki本を読んでるよ。Hon o yonderu yo.I'm reading a book.
- 大翔 Hirotoそうなんだ。暇なら遊ぼう！Sou nanda. Hima nara asobou!I see. If you're free, let's hang out!
- 美咲 Misakiいいよ、健太！Ii yo, Kenta!Sure, Kenta!
