ne yapıyorsun?
In Turkish, "what are you doing?" is expressed as ne yapıyorsun?
This phrase is used to ask someone about their current activity or action. In a casual greeting context, Ne yapıyorsun? can also function similarly to "What's up?" or "How's it going?" rather than a literal inquiry into a specific task.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of ne (what), yapıyor (doing) and the second-person singular suffix -sun (you are).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form ne yapıyorsun? is used in informal settings with friends, family or people of the same age or status. In more formal situations, you should use Ne yapıyorsunuz?
How does it change in a sentence?
While ne yapıyorsun? is the singular form, using ne yapıyorsunuz? instead makes the question polite or allows you to address a group of people.
Did you know?
- While the phrase is a question, the common response İyilik literally means 'goodness' or 'kindness'.
- The phrase can be used to signal skepticism or disapproval of someone's actions, functioning more as a critique than a question.
- In very casual speech, Turks often shorten Ne yapıyorsun? to N'apıyorsun?, merging the two words into one phonetic unit.
Examples in context
- Şu an ne yapıyorsun?What are you doing right now?
- Telefonda ne yapıyorsun?What are you doing on the phone?
- Dışarıda ne yapıyorsun?What are you doing outside?
Example conversation
Elif calls Can to check on him.
- ElifSelam Can, ne yapıyorsun?Hi Can, what are you doing?
- CanSadece kitap okuyorum.I am just reading a book.
- ElifAnladım, çok iyi.I see, that is very good.
- CanSen ne yapıyorsun?What are you doing?
