¿Qué estás haciendo?
The English phrase "what are you doing?" can be translated into Spanish as ¿Qué estás haciendo?
This phrase is used to ask about the activity a person is performing at the present moment.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ¿Qué estás haciendo? is composed of qué (what), estás (you are) and haciendo (doing).
Which one should you use?
While ¿Qué estás haciendo? specifically targets an action happening in the immediate present, the alternative ¿Qué haces? can also mean "What do you do?" when referring to a general habit or occupation.
How does it change in a sentence?
¿Qué estás haciendo? uses the present continuous tense to describe an action happening exactly at the moment of speaking. Use ¿Qué está haciendo? when addressing someone with the formal usted instead of the informal tú, and use ¿Qué están haciendo? when asking a group of people what they are doing.
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 an activity.
- Using the formal ¿Qué está haciendo? can be a strategic way to create emotional distance or show coldness toward someone you usually know well.
- The Spanish word haciendo shares a common ancestor with the English word 'act', as both can be traced back to the Proto-Indo-European root for 'to do' or 'to act'.
Examples in context
- ¿Qué estás haciendo en la cocina?What are you doing in the kitchen?
- No entiendo, ¿qué estás haciendo?I don't understand, what are you doing?
Example conversation
Javier calls Lucía on the phone.
- JavierHola Lucía, ¿qué estás haciendo?Hi Lucía, what are you doing?
- LucíaEstoy leyendo un libro, Javier.I am reading a book, Javier.
- Javier¿Quieres ir al cine más tarde?Do you want to go to the cinema later?
- LucíaSí, me encantaría ir.Yes, I would love to go.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries qué, CC BY-SA 4.0.
