What does it mean word for word?
The phrase Cosa stai guardando? is composed of Cosa (what), stai (you are/stay) and guardando (looking/watching).
Which one should you use?
The progressive form Cosa stai guardando? emphasizes an action happening exactly at this moment, whereas guardi refers more generally to the act of looking.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Cosa stai guardando? and Che guardi? are informal ways to ask the question. For formal situations, you should use Cosa sta guardando? to say 'What are you looking at?' or Cosa sta osservando? to say 'What are you observing?'
How does it change in a sentence?
You can change the subject of the question by modifying the verb: use sta instead of stai to ask 'what is he/she looking at?' (Cosa sta guardando?), or use state instead of stai to ask a group of people 'what are you all looking at?' (Cosa state guardando?).
Did you know?
- While Cosa stai guardando? is a question, the shorter version Che guardi? is often used as a confrontational challenge meaning 'What's your problem?' or 'Why are you staring at me?'
- The word cosa actually comes from the Latin word causa, meaning 'cause' or 'reason'.
- When asking Cosa stai guardando?, Italians often accompany the phrase with a specific hand gesture, such as a slight tilt of the head or a raised eyebrow, to indicate suspicion.
Examples in context
- Cosa stai guardando?What are you looking at?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cosa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
