What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ¿qué has estado haciendo? translates literally to 'what have you been doing?'
Which one should you use?
While ¿qué has estado haciendo? is a direct way to ask the question, you might also use the more concise ¿qué has hecho?, which means 'what have you done?' For a more idiomatic and informal approach, you can say ¿En qué has andado metido?
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, you can use the expression ¿Qué has estado haciendo por estos lares? to specifically mean 'What have you been up to around here?'
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase ¿qué has estado haciendo? utilizes the present perfect continuous tense to describe a recent or ongoing state of activity.
When do people say it?
When someone asks you this, a common way to indicate that things have been going well is to respond with Todo bien, meaning 'Everything's good.'.
Did you know?
- The word lares in the Mexican phrase ¿Qué has estado haciendo por estos lares? comes from the Latin 'Lares', which were the guardian deities of the Roman household.
- The phrase ¿En qué has andado metido? literally implies that the person has been 'stuck' or 'put into' something, often suggesting they were involved in mischief.
- The word estado in this phrase shares its roots with the English word 'state', but it also historically refers to a unit of measurement representing the height of a grown man.
Examples in context
- No te veo hace mucho, ¿qué has estado haciendo?I haven't seen you in a while, what have you been up to?
Example conversation
Alejandro and Sofía run into each other at a local park.
- Alejandro¡Hola, Sofía! ¿Qué has estado haciendo?Hi, Sofía! What have you been up to?
- Sofía¡Hola, Alejandro! He estado muy ocupada con el trabajo.Hi, Alejandro! I have been very busy with work.
- AlejandroMe imagino, te ves cansada.I imagine, you look tired.
- SofíaSí, pero pronto tendré vacaciones.Yes, but I will have vacation soon.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries estado, qué, CC BY-SA 4.0.
