¿qué estás haciendo ahora mismo?
In Spanish, "what are you doing right now?" is translated as ¿qué estás haciendo ahora mismo?
This phrase is used to ask someone about the activity they are performing at the present moment.
Which one should you use?
The phrase ¿qué estás haciendo? specifically emphasizes the action happening at this exact second, whereas the shorter ¿qué haces? is a common way to ask "what are you doing?" in a more general sense. For an idiomatic, informal way to ask "What are you up to right now?", you can use ¿En qué andas metido/a ahora?
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Latin American countries, people might use ¿Qué estás haciendo ahorita? instead of ¿Qué estás haciendo ahora?
How does it change in a sentence?
To ask this question to someone you address with 'usted' (formal you), change 'estás' to 'está' (as seen in ¿qué está haciendo?).
Did you know?
- Asking someone ¿En qué andas metido? is an idiomatic way to ask what they are doing that literally translates to 'In what are you stuck/involved?'
- In some non-prestigious dialects and old poetry, you might hear agora instead of ahora. This version was mocked as a 'rustic vulgarity' by the 17th-century writer Francisco de Quevedo.
Examples in context
- No te oigo, ¿qué estás haciendo ahora mismo?I can't hear you, what are you doing right now?
Example conversation
Sofía calls Daniel on his mobile phone.
- SofíaHola Daniel, ¿qué estás haciendo ahora mismo?Hello Daniel, what are you doing right now?
- DanielEstoy cocinando la cena, Sofía.I am cooking dinner, Sofía.
- Sofía¿Necesitas ayuda con algo?Do you need help with something?
- DanielNo, gracias, todo está bien.No, thanks, everything is fine.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ahora, mismo, qué, CC BY-SA 4.0.
