¿Qué haces hoy?
The English phrase "what are you doing today?" is translated into Spanish as ¿Qué haces hoy?
This phrase is used to ask someone about their plans or activities for the current day. In Spanish, you can say ¿Qué haces hoy? instead of ¿Qué tú haces hoy? because subject pronouns are often omitted.
Which one should you use?
While English uses the present continuous ("are you doing") to express future plans, Spanish often uses the simple present tense haces to ask about today's plans. Another common alternative is ¿Qué vas a hacer hoy?, which uses the "ir + a + infinitive" construction to express the near future.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase ¿Qué va a hacer hoy? is used when addressing someone using the formal usted instead of the informal tú.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish speaking countries, ¿Qué haces? is used as a casual greeting similar to 'What's up?' rather than a literal question about one's schedule.
- The word qué descends from the Latin quid, which is also the root of the English word 'quiz'.
- If someone answers No hago nada to this question, it often means they are available and waiting for you to suggest a plan.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking on the phone in the morning.
- SofíaHola Alejandro, ¿qué haces hoy?Hello Alejandro, what are you doing today?
- AlejandroNo tengo planes todavía, Sofía.I don't have plans yet, Sofía.
- Sofía¿Quieres ir al cine conmigo?Do you want to go to the movies with me?
- AlejandroSí, me encantaría.Yes, I would love to.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hoy, qué, CC BY-SA 4.0.
