How to Say "What are you doing" in Spanish
The most common way to ask this is ¿Qué estás haciendo?, especially when you mean “right now.” A shorter everyday option is ¿Qué haces?.
The most common way
¿ ?
What are you doing? — usually asking about right now.
How to say it: Stress Qué and TÁS, and keep the h in haciendo silent: ah-SYEN-doh.
Other ways to say it
- casual
¿ ?
What are you doing? / What do you do? — context decides whether it means now or in general.
When to use it: Use it with friends, family, or people you already know when the situation makes “right now” clear.
- formal
¿ ?
What are you doing? — the polite form addressed to one person with usted.
When to use it: Use it with strangers, older people, customers, or anyone you address formally.
- colloquial
¿ ?
What are you up to? — friendly and casual, often suggesting you're doing something somewhere.
When to use it: Use it in relaxed conversation with friends or people you're close to.
- emphatic
¿ ?
What are you doing right now? — makes the present moment explicit.
When to use it: Use it when you need to clarify that you mean this exact moment, such as on the phone.
In a conversation
- A
¿ ?
What are you doing?
- B
. ¿ ?
I'm studying Spanish. And you?
- A
.
I'm watching a series.
Common mistakes
¿Qué estás hacer?→ ¿Qué estás haciendo?After estar, use the gerund haciendo, not the infinitive hacer.