¿qué haces, mi amor?
In Spanish, 'what are you doing, baby?' can be translated as ¿qué haces, mi amor?
This phrase is an affectionate way to ask a romantic partner what they are currently doing.
What does it mean word for word?
The literal translation of ¿qué haces, mi amor? is 'what do you do, my love?'
Which one should you use?
While ¿qué haces, mi amor? uses the present simple to ask about current activities, you can also use the progressive form ¿qué estás haciendo, mi amor? to place more emphasis on the action that is currently in progress.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Spanish, the present simple ¿qué haces? is the most common way to ask 'what are you doing?', whereas the progressive form ¿qué estás haciendo? is used to emphasize the ongoing nature of the action.
When do people say it?
You can substitute mi amor with cariño (honey/darling) to express similar affection.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, calling someone mi amor is so common that it is often used by strangers, such as a shopkeeper or a taxi driver, as a friendly way to address a customer.
- If you wanted to be even more casual, you could use ¿qué haces, cielo?, which literally translates to 'what are you doing, sky?', a common way to call someone 'heaven' or 'darling'.
- While 'baby' in English is a specific noun, Spanish speakers often use bebé for actual infants, whereas using it for a partner might sound much more unusual or even 'cringey' than in English.
Examples in context
- ¿Qué estás haciendo, cariño?What are you doing, baby?
- Hola, ¿qué haces, mi amor?Hi, what are you doing, baby?
- Dime, ¿qué haces, mi amor?Tell me, what are you doing, baby?
Example conversation
Alejandro calls María on her cell phone while she is at home.
- AlejandroHola, María, ¿qué haces, mi amor?Hi, María, what are you doing, baby?
- MaríaSolo estoy leyendo un libro.I am just reading a book.
- AlejandroTe extraño mucho hoy.I miss you a lot today.
- MaríaYo también te extraño, Alejandro.I miss you too, Alejandro.
