Qué haces – This is the informal way to say “what are you doing”, but also the most often used in Spanish speaking countries. You will hear this phrase when you aimlessly walk around looking for your destination. Spaniards are quick to help so if you hear them asking what you are doing, kindly ask for help – “¿Me puedes ayudar?”
que estás haciendo – The more formal way to say “what are you doing”.
There are several other ways and phrases one can use to ask this question, but the above two are the most popular. You may not find yourself using this phrase all that often, but it can come in handy if you see something out of the ordinary and want to know what’s going on. Many countries have their own cultures and festivities that it would be great to join in on. Take advantage of every opportunity to take part in others lifestyles.
Examples on when and how to say “What are you doing” in Spanish
1. What are you doing here? – “¿Qué estás haciendo aquí?”
2. What are you doing with that gun? – “Que haces con esa arma”
3. May I ask what you are doing today? – “¿Puedo preguntarte qué estás haciendo hoy?”
4. What are you doing to fix the garage door? – “¿Qué haces para arreglar la puerta del garaje?”
5. Are you busy right now? – Estás ocupado ahora mismo
6. What have you been up to lately? – Qué has estado haciendo últimamente
7. How do you spend your time these days? – Cómo pasas tu tiempo actualmente
8. Are you doing anything fun today? – Estás haciendo algo divertido hoy
9. What kind of activities are keeping you occupied? – Qué tipo de actividades te mantienen ocupado
10. Tell me what it is that has your attention right now! – Dime que es lo que tiene tu atención en este momento
11. Is there something special that’s taking up all of your energy recently? – Hay algo especial que te absorbe toda la energía recientemente
12. Have any new projects caught your interest lately? – Algún proyecto nuevo ha capturado tu interés últimamente
13 What sort of things have been occupying most of your time these days? – Qué clase de cosas ha estado ocupando la
mayor parte de su tiempo últimamente
You wouldn’t think of having to asking someone what they are doing in Spanish, but it will come in handy more than you think. Check out our other greetings in Spanish to learn more.
Situations on when to use this phrase
When traveling to a Spanish-speaking country, it is important to learn the language so that you can communicate with the locals. Here are several ways to say “What are you doing?” in Spanish:
1. ¿Qué estás haciendo? (keh ehs-tahs ah-chee-ehn-doh?) – This phrase literally translates as “What are you doing?” and is used when speaking directly with someone.
2. ¿A qué te dedicas? (ah keh teh deh-dee-kahs?) – This phrase means “What do you dedicate yourself to?” and can be used when asking someone what they do for work or hobbies.
3. ¿En qué andas? (ehn keh ahn-dahs?) – This phrase translates as “In what are you involved?” It implies that whatever activity the person is engaging in has some sort of importance or purpose behind it, rather than just being idle chit chat.
4. ¿Qué ocupas tu tiempo? (keh ohkoo pahs too tyehm po) –This phrase literally translates as “what occupies your time?,” which could refer either to one single activity, such as working on a project, or multiple activities like spending time with family or friends throughout the day.
5¿De qué se trata lo que haces? (de khe se tra ta loh ke he sa ces) – This expression roughly translates into English as “what is it about what you’re doing?”, implying curiosity about why someone might be engaged in a particular task at any given moment.
6¿Cuál es tu actividad actualmente ? (kwahl es too akteeveed ad ahktoo ale mente) – This expression means ‘what activity are you currently engaged in?’ and implies that something specific has captured their attention at present .
