che cosa stai facendo?
The English phrase "what are you up to?" can be translated into Italian as che cosa stai facendo?
The phrase che cosa stai facendo? is used to ask about a person's current activity or to ask about their general plans for the near future.
Which one should you use?
While che cosa stai facendo? is a standard way to ask what someone is doing, you may encounter shorter versions like che fai? in casual conversation. If you want to ask what someone is specifically 'getting into' or up to in a more colloquial sense, you can use Cosa stai combinando?
How does it change in a sentence?
To address a group of people (plural) instead of an individual, change stai facendo to state facendo, resulting in che cosa state facendo?
Did you know?
- If you use the colloquial version Cosa stai combinando?, you are literally asking 'What are you combining?'
- The word cosa comes from the Latin causa, which meant 'cause' or 'reason'. Over time, the meaning shifted from a legal 'cause' to any general 'thing'.
- Using the phrase che cosa stai facendo? with a specific rising intonation can turn it from a question into an expression of disbelief, similar to saying 'What on earth are you doing?'
Examples in context
- Salve, cosa sta facendo oggi?Hello, what are you up to today?
- Ciao! Cosa fai stasera?Hi! What are you up to tonight?
- Ciao! Cosa stai combinando oggi?Hey! What are you up to today?
- Scusa, che cosa stai facendo?Excuse me, what are you doing?
Example conversation
Matteo calls Sofia on the phone to check on her.
- MatteoPronto, Sofia, che cosa stai facendo?Hello, Sofia, what are you up to?
- SofiaSto solo leggendo un libro.I am just reading a book.
- MatteoVuoi uscire per un caffè?Do you want to go out for a coffee?
- SofiaSì, ottima idea!Yes, great idea!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries che, cosa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
