As you broaden your knowledge of common verbs, you’ll want to start applying them to questions in Spanish to ask for information. It’s how you’ll confidently move beyond simple statements to full conversations. For example, instead of memorizing the irregular Spanish verb hacer (to do), you can learn to ask ¿Qué estás haciendo? (What are you doing?).
Knowing how to ask “What are you doing?” in Spanish is essential for engaging in everyday conversation. You can practice asking and answering this question with a Rosetta Stone tutor who can give you feedback on not only your grammar, but also your pronunciation and appropriate use in different contexts.
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Key factors for asking “What are you doing?” in Spanish
The trick to correctly asking “What are you doing?” is understanding a few important Spanish grammar concepts, like tú vs. usted and how to conjugate verbs in different tenses.
Choose the appropriate level of formality
Mastering the distinction between usted and tú in Spanish is foundational for asking questions appropriately. To ask one person what they are doing, you’ll use tú for a friend or family member but usted to address someone formally. The verb conjugation will also change depending on whether you use tú or usted.
Use the correct verb tense
The simple present, present continuous, and informal future, three of the four most used verb tenses in Spanish, can all be used to ask “What are you doing?” Which Spanish verb tense you use depends on the emphasis: what someone is doing in general, right at this moment, or will be doing in the near future.
How do you say “What are you doing?” in Spanish
You have more than one option when you want to ask “What are you doing?” in Spanish. Regardless of which one you use, remember that all questions start with an upside down question mark to let the reader know that a question is coming.
¿Qué haces?
Hacer (to do) is one of the most common -ER verbs in Spanish and forms the foundation of the question “What are you doing?”
To ask someone what they are doing in general, you’ll need to conjugate it in different forms in the simple present tense to indicate whether you’re talking to someone formally or informally, and whether a single person or a group.
- ¿Qué haces en la playa? Deberías estar en casa. = What are you doing at the beach? You should be at home.
- ¿Qué hace usted? ¿Necesita ayuda? = What are you doing? Do you need help?
- ¿Qué hacéis aquí tan tarde, muchachas? = What are you doing here so late, girls?
- ¿Qué hacen con ella? = What are you doing with her?
¿Qué estás haciendo?
¿Qué estás haciendo? is equivalent to ¿Qué haces? but with a slight emphasis on the action happening right now.
Haciendo (the “-ing” form of hacer) remains constant regardless of who you’re talking to, but you’ll need to conjugate estar (to be) according to the Spanish subject pronoun.
- ¿Qué estás haciendo ahora mismo? = What are you doing right now?
- ¿Qué están haciendo? ¿Están ocupados? = What are you doing? Are you busy?
¿Qué vas a hacer?
Using the simple future (ir + a + infinitive) allows you to ask questions like “What are you doing today?” in Spanish, inquiring about someone’s plans.
You’ll conjugate ir based on who you’re talking to and leave the second verb in the infinitive form. For example:
- ¿Qué vas a hacer hoy? = What are you doing today?
- ¿Qué vas a hacer mañana? = What are you doing tomorrow?
- ¿Qué van a hacer esta noche? = What are you doing tonight?
¿En qué andas?
For a more casual tone, use the friendly ¿En qué andas? to ask what someone is up to in Spanish.
- ¿En qué andas? = What are you up to?
- Leyendo una revista. ¿Tú? = Reading a magazine. You?
¿Qué estás tramando?
When talking to native speakers, you’ll undoubtedly hear Spanish slang and colloquial expressions that veer from literal translations, like ¿Qué estás tramando?, which translates literally to “What are you plotting?” In everyday conversation, this is a casual, playful way of asking “What are you doing?” or “What are you up to?”
- Te veo con esa sonrisa traviesa. ¿Qué estás tramando? = I see you with that mischievous smile. What are you doing?
Whether you want to strike up a conversation or are curious about a friend’s activities, being able to ask “What are you doing?” in Spanish is a must. You can practice using the simple present, present progressive, and informal future to ask this essential question with the convenient Rosetta Stone App. With 10-minute lessons you can access anywhere, you’ll be starting conversations in Spanish naturally and confidently wherever you go, one “¿Qué haces?” at a time.
