¿qué hacemos?
The English phrase "what do we do?" can be translated into Spanish as ¿qué hacemos?
The phrase ¿qué hacemos? is used both to ask for a suggestion for a future activity and to express a sense of helplessness or confusion in a current crisis.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the interrogative pronoun qué (what) and the first-person plural present indicative of hacer (to do/make).
Which one should you use?
The impersonal form ¿qué se hace? can be used to ask "what does one do?" in a more general or philosophical sense regarding a situation. ¿Qué debemos hacer? is a formal way to say 'What do we do?' that adds a sense of obligation.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, the phrase ¿Qué hacemos ahora? is often used to emphasize the immediate aspect of a situation.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, asking ¿qué hacemos? when meeting friends is often a social ritual where the group spends a long time debating options before any decision is actually made.
- The word qué shares its ancient roots with the English word 'what' and the Latin 'quid', all tracing back to the same Proto-Indo-European ancestor.
- In Spanish, the verb hacer in ¿qué hacemos? describes both the act of performing a task and the act of creating an object, combining the English verbs 'do' and 'make'.
Examples in context
- ¿Qué hacemos este fin de semana?What do we do this weekend?
- ¿Qué debemos hacer para mejorar nuestras ventas?What do we have to do to improve our sales?
- El plan cambió, ¿qué hacemos?The plan changed, what do we do?
Example conversation
María and Mateo are lost in the city without a map.
- MaríaEstamos perdidos, ¿qué hacemos?We are lost, what do we do?
- MateoPodemos usar el mapa en mi teléfono.We can use the map on my phone.
- MaríaBuena idea, Mateo.Good idea, Mateo.
- MateoBusquemos la calle principal.Let's look for the main street.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries qué, CC BY-SA 4.0.
