¿qué haces más tarde?
The English phrase "what are you doing later?" is translated into Spanish as ¿qué haces más tarde?
This phrase is a question used to ask about someone's plans for the rest of the day.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "what do you do later?" because Spanish often uses the present tense to express near-future plans.
Which one should you use?
You can use ¿qué haces luego? as a very common and natural alternative by replacing más tarde with luego, which means "later" or "afterwards".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In formal settings, or when addressing someone as usted, you should change the verb form from haces to hace to say ¿qué hace más tarde?
How does it change in a sentence?
Instead of the present tense, you can also use the periphrastic future construction ir + a + infinitive by asking ¿qué vas a hacer más tarde? to inquire about someone's plans.
Did you know?
- The word más in this phrase shares a common ancestor with the English word 'master', both descending from the Latin 'magis' meaning 'more'.
- Depending on the region, asking ¿qué haces? can be used as a general greeting similar to 'what's up' rather than a question about a specific activity.
- The word tarde can mean both 'late' and 'afternoon', creating a conceptual link between the time of day and the idea of being behind schedule.
Example conversation
Alejandro and María are talking on the phone.
- AlejandroHola María, ¿qué haces más tarde?Hello María, what are you doing later?
- MaríaNo tengo planes todavía, ¿por qué?I don't have plans yet, why?
- AlejandroQuiero invitarte a tomar un café.I want to invite you to have a coffee.
- MaríaMe parece bien, nos vemos luego.That sounds good, see you later.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries más, qué, tarde, CC BY-SA 4.0.
