¿qué estás haciendo ahora?
The English phrase "what are you doing now?" is translated into Spanish as ¿qué estás haciendo ahora?
This phrase is a question used to ask someone about the activity they are performing at the present moment.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of qué (what), estás (you are), haciendo (doing) and ahora (now).
Which one should you use?
While ¿qué estás haciendo ahora? uses the present continuous to emphasize the action in progress, the alternative ¿qué haces ahora? uses the simple present and is also common in conversation.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, the phrase ¿En qué estás liado(a) ahora? is used to ask about someone's current activities, literally meaning "What are you tangled up in now?"
How does it change in a sentence?
To ask this question to someone you address with the formal usted, change estás to está to form ¿qué está haciendo ahora? To ask a group of people, use the plural form están to say ¿qué están haciendo ahora?
Did you know?
- The word ahora is a contraction of the Latin phrase hāc hōrā, which literally means 'at this hour'.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, asking ¿qué haces? or ¿qué estás haciendo? is used as a greeting similar to 'what's up?' rather than a literal request for a list of activities.
- The Spanish word for 'doing', haciendo, comes from the verb hacer, which is a linguistic relative of the English word 'do' only in meaning, but is actually related to the Latin 'facere', the root of 'factory'.
Examples in context
- ¿Qué estás haciendo ahora? Estoy estudiando.What are you doing now? I am studying.
- Dime, ¿qué estás haciendo ahora?Tell me, what are you doing now?
- No te oigo, ¿qué estás haciendo ahora?I can't hear you, what are you doing now?
Example conversation
Mateo calls Lucía on the phone to check on her.
- MateoHola Lucía, ¿qué estás haciendo ahora?Hello Lucía, what are you doing now?
- LucíaEstoy cocinando la cena.I am cooking dinner.
- Mateo¡Qué bien! ¿Necesitas ayuda?Great! Do you need help?
- LucíaNo, gracias, Mateo.No, thanks, Mateo.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ahora, qué, CC BY-SA 4.0.
