¿Qué haces, mi amor?
The English phrase "what are you doing, my love?" is translated into Spanish as ¿Qué haces, mi amor?
You can also use the word cariño to mean "darling" or "sweetheart."
Which one should you use?
While ¿Qué haces? is the most common way to ask "what are you doing?", it is often used in place of the more literal progressive form ¿Qué estás haciendo? in casual conversation.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase ¿Qué estás haciendo, mi amor? uses the present continuous tense to specifically emphasize an action happening right at this moment, whereas ¿Qué haces, mi amor? can mean both "what are you doing?" and "what do you do?" (habitually).
Did you know?
- While you might use mi amor for a romantic partner, in many Spanish-speaking cultures, elders frequently use mi amor or cariño to address children or even strangers in service positions.
- In some dialects, ¿Qué haces? can be used as a casual greeting similar to 'What's up?' rather than a literal inquiry about a current activity.
- If you were to use the more formal ¿Qué está haciendo, mi amor?, you would be using the 'usted' form, which can sometimes sound ironically formal or even sarcastic when used with a lover.
Examples in context
- Hola, señor y señora. ¿Qué estás haciendo, amor mío?Hello, sir and ma'am. What are you doing, my love?
- Hola, mi amorcito. ¿Qué estás haciendo?Hello, my little love. What are you doing?
- Hola, ¿qué haces, mi amor?Hello, what are you doing, my love?
Example conversation
Mateo enters the living room and sees María working at her desk.
- Mateo¿Qué haces, mi amor?What are you doing, my love?
- MaríaSolo estoy escribiendo un correo electrónico.I am just writing an email.
- MateoPareces muy ocupada hoy.You seem very busy today.
- MaríaSí, tengo mucho trabajo pendiente.Yes, I have a lot of work pending.
