Which one should you use?
The default form que fais-tu maintenant ? uses the informal tu, whereas que faites-vous maintenant ? uses the formal vous. Additionally, Que faites-vous en ce moment? translates to 'What are you doing at the moment?' and Tu fais quoi en ce moment? is an informal way to ask 'What are you doing at the moment?'
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For informal situations, you can use Qu'est-ce que tu fais maintenant? which is a common, slightly more colloquial way to ask the question or the even more casual Tu fais quoi en ce moment? For formal situations, such as when speaking to a stranger, a superior or a group of people, use Que faites-vous maintenant? or Que faites-vous actuellement? or Que faites-vous en ce moment?
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase que fais-tu maintenant ? uses inversion, where the verb and subject are swapped to form a question. In the phrase tu fais, the French present tense covers both 'you do' and 'you are doing' because the language does not have a separate continuous aspect like English.
Did you know?
- The word maintenant contains the root 'tenant', which comes from the verb 'tenir' meaning 'to hold'. Historically, the word literally meant 'holding now' or 'holding at this moment'.
- The phrase Qu'est-ce que… functions as a signal to the listener that a question is starting. It literally translates to 'What is it that…', which creates a longer bridge than the English 'what'.
- Using the formal vous in the phrase Que faites-vous maintenant ? changes the meaning depending on the audience. It can signify politeness toward one person or a mandatory shift to address a group.
Examples in context
- Bonjour, monsieur. Que faites-vous actuellement?Hello, sir. What are you doing now?
- Salut! Qu'est-ce que tu fais maintenant?Hi! What are you doing now?
- Dis-moi, que fais-tu maintenant ?Tell me, what are you doing now?
Example conversation
Lucas and Emma are chatting on the phone.
- LucasSalut Emma, que fais-tu maintenant ?Hi Emma, what are you doing now?
- EmmaJe lis un livre, Lucas.I am reading a book, Lucas.
- LucasTu veux sortir marcher ?Do you want to go for a walk?
- EmmaOui, c'est une bonne idée !Yes, that is a good idea!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries maintenant, que, CC BY-SA 4.0.
