¿A qué te dedicas?
In Spanish, the phrase for 'what is your job?' is ¿A qué te dedicas?
This phrase is used to ask someone what they do for a living.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ¿A qué te dedicas? literally translates to 'To what do you dedicate yourself?'
Which one should you use?
The default form ¿A qué te dedicas? uses the informal 'tú' and is more natural for social settings than asking ¿Cuál es tu trabajo? While ¿Cuál es tu trabajo? is grammatically correct, it can sound blunt or overly direct in Spanish compared to the more idiomatic ¿A qué te dedicas?
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using ¿Cuál es tu trabajo? as it can sound blunt or overly direct in Spanish. Instead, use the more idiomatic ¿A qué te dedicas?
Did you know?
- In Spain, asking about someone's job early in a conversation is often seen as a way to establish social standing, whereas in some Latin American countries, it may be considered too intrusive.
- The word qué in this phrase is derived from the Latin word quid, which is the same root used in the English phrase 'quid pro quo'.
- The verb 'dedicarse' implies a sense of purpose or commitment, suggesting that one's profession is a way of dedicating their time and energy to a specific field.
Examples in context
- ¿Cuál es su trabajo? Soy ingeniero.What is your job? I am an engineer.
- ¿A qué te dedicas? Trabajo como maestra.What do you do? I work as a teacher.
- ¿En qué trabajas? Me dedico a la medicina.In what do you work? I dedicate myself to medicine.
- No te he preguntado ¿a qué te dedicas?I haven't asked you what your job is.
- Si me dices ¿a qué te dedicas?, te ayudaré.If you tell me what your job is, I will help you.
Example conversation
Mateo and Lucía are meeting for the first time at a party.
- MateoHola, soy Mateo. ¿A qué te dedicas?Hi, I'm Mateo. What is your job?
- LucíaHola, soy Lucía y soy arquitecta.Hi, I'm Lucía and I am an architect.
- Mateo¡Qué interesante! Yo soy profesor.How interesting! I am a teacher.
- LucíaMucho gusto, Mateo.Nice to meet you, Mateo.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries A, a, qué, te, CC BY-SA 4.0.
