How to Say What Are You Doing in Different Languages

“What are you doing?” is a simple question that can start a conversation, show curiosity, or help you check in with someone you care about. When learning What Are You Doing in 70 Different Languages, it is useful to understand not only the words but also the tone behind them. The question can sound friendly, playful, concerned, or formal depending on how it is expressed.

People use this phrase when texting friends, talking with family, meeting new people, or asking a colleague about their current activity. In another language, however, the most natural expression may depend on the relationship between speakers, the situation, and the local way of speaking. Some languages distinguish formal and informal address, while others change the verb according to the subject or use a different construction in everyday conversation.

This guide explores translations, pronunciation, example sentences, and regional differences across more than 70 languages. You will discover how to ask the question naturally in European, Asian, African, Middle Eastern, and other world languages. Whether you are traveling, learning vocabulary, or sending a message to an international friend, these expressions can help you communicate more thoughtfully. Remember that informal speech often differs from textbook language, so context matters when choosing the right translation.

Interesting Facts About What Are You Doing

It is a question about current activity. The phrase normally asks what someone is doing at the moment, rather than what they do regularly.
Word order differs between languages. English uses the auxiliary verb “are,” while other languages may express the same idea through verb endings or different sentence structures.
Formality can change the wording. Languages such as French, German, Hindi, and Urdu distinguish between familiar and respectful ways of addressing someone.
Tone affects interpretation. Depending on the conversation, the question can express curiosity, concern, surprise, or a simple greeting.
Text messages often use shorter forms. Friends may use contractions, colloquial expressions, or abbreviated spellings that are less suitable for formal writing.
Pronunciation can carry important distinctions. In tonal languages such as Mandarin Chinese, changing a tone can change a word’s meaning.
The question is not always a greeting. In some conversations, asking about someone’s activity is a genuine request for information rather than a general way to say hello.

What Does What Are You Doing Mean?

“What are you doing?” asks someone about the activity they are engaged in at the present moment. You might ask a friend what they are doing at home, a family member what they are working on, or a colleague what task they are handling.

The phrase can have several meanings depending on context:

Casual curiosity: Asking a friend what they are up to.
Checking in: Finding out whether someone is busy or available.
Concern: Asking what someone is doing when their actions seem unusual.
Surprise or disapproval: Questioning an action that seems unexpected or inappropriate.
Conversation starter: Opening a chat with someone you know.

The literal question is about a person’s current activity, but its emotional meaning comes from the surrounding conversation. A friendly message and a sharply spoken question can use the same words while communicating very different feelings.

Why Can What Are You Doing Have Different Translations?

There is no single word-for-word translation that works naturally in every language. Translators must consider how each language expresses ongoing actions, questions, pronouns, and levels of politeness.

Context: Asking a friend what they are doing may require a different expression from questioning a stranger.
Formality: Some languages use separate familiar and respectful pronouns or verb forms.
Gender: In languages with gendered grammar, the speaker’s or listener’s gender may affect certain words, although it does not affect every version of this question.
Regional dialects: Speakers in different regions may use different everyday expressions.
Spoken versus written language: Text messages frequently use contractions and informal vocabulary.
Literal versus natural translation: A phrase that follows English word order may sound awkward in another language.
Relationship between speakers: Friends, family members, colleagues, and strangers may prefer different levels of politeness.

The translations below generally express the question “What are you doing right now?” using a natural, standard or widely understood form. Where an informal alternative is especially useful, it is identified in the notes.

European Languages

European languages belong to several language families, including Romance, Germanic, Slavic, and Uralic. Although the question expresses the same basic idea, verb forms and pronouns differ. The following translations use standard or broadly recognizable forms, with informal wording where indicated.

🌍 Language	Country/Region	Translation	Pronunciation	Example Sentence
English	International	What are you doing?	wuht ar yoo DOO-ing	What are you doing right now?
American English 🇺🇸	United States	What are you doing?	wuht ər yoo DOO-ing	What are you doing this afternoon?
British English 🇬🇧	United Kingdom	What are you doing?	wuht ə yoo DOO-ing	What are you doing later?
Australian English 🇦🇺	Australia	What are you doing?	wuht ah yoo DOO-ing	What are you doing this arvo?
Spanish	Spain, Latin America	¿Qué estás haciendo?	keh ehs-TAHS ah-SYEN-doh	¿Qué estás haciendo ahora? — What are you doing now?
French	France, Belgium, Canada	Qu’est-ce que tu fais ?	kes-kuh tyu feh	Qu’est-ce que tu fais ce soir ? — What are you doing tonight?
German	Germany, Austria	Was machst du?	vahs mahkhst doo	Was machst du gerade? — What are you doing right now?
Italian	Italy, Switzerland	Che cosa stai facendo?	keh KOH-zah stai fah-CHEN-doh	Che cosa stai facendo adesso? — What are you doing now?
Portuguese	Portugal, Brazil	O que você está fazendo?	oo keh voh-SEH es-TAH fah-ZEN-doo	O que você está fazendo agora? — What are you doing now?
Dutch	Netherlands, Belgium	Wat ben je aan het doen?	vaht ben yuh aan hut doon	Wat ben je aan het doen vandaag? — What are you doing today?
Swedish	Sweden, Finland	Vad gör du?	vahd yur doo	Vad gör du just nu? — What are you doing right now?
Norwegian	Norway	Hva gjør du?	vah yor doo	Hva gjør du nå? — What are you doing now?
Danish	Denmark	Hvad laver du?	veh LAI-vuh doo	Hvad laver du lige nu? — What are you doing right now?
Finnish	Finland	Mitä sinä teet?	MEE-tah SEE-nah teet	Mitä sinä teet nyt? — What are you doing now?
Icelandic	Iceland	Hvað ertu að gera?	kvath ER-tu ath YEH-ra	Hvað ertu að gera núna? — What are you doing now?
Irish	Ireland	Cad atá tú a dhéanamh?	kahd ah-TAW too uh YAN-iv	Cad atá tú a dhéanamh anois? — What are you doing now?
Welsh	Wales	Beth wyt ti’n ei wneud?	beth ooit teen ay WED	Beth wyt ti’n ei wneud nawr? — What are you doing now?
Polish	Poland	Co robisz?	tsoh ROH-beesh	Co teraz robisz? — What are you doing now?
Czech	Czechia	Co děláš?	tsoh DYEH-laash	Co právě děláš? — What are you doing right now?
Slovak	Slovakia	Čo robíš?	chaw ROH-beesh	Čo teraz robíš? — What are you doing now?
Ukrainian	Ukraine	Що ти робиш?	shcho ty ROH-bysh	Що ти зараз робиш? — What are you doing now?
Russian	Russia, other Russian-speaking communities	Что ты делаешь?	shtoh ty DYEH-lah-yesh	Что ты сейчас делаешь? — What are you doing now?
Romanian	Romania, Moldova	Ce faci?	cheh fach	Ce faci acum? — What are you doing now?
Hungarian	Hungary	Mit csinálsz?	mit CHEE-naals	Mit csinálsz most? — What are you doing now?
Greek	Greece, Cyprus	Τι κάνεις;	tee KAH-nees	Τι κάνεις τώρα; — What are you doing now?
Bulgarian	Bulgaria	Какво правиш?	kahk-VOH PRAH-veesh	Какво правиш сега? — What are you doing now?
Croatian	Croatia	Što radiš?	shtoh RAH-deesh	Što sada radiš? — What are you doing now?
Serbian	Serbia, neighboring regions	Шта радиш?	shtah RAH-deesh	Шта сада радиш? — What are you doing now?
Slovenian	Slovenia	Kaj delaš?	kai DEH-lash	Kaj delaš zdaj? — What are you doing now?
Lithuanian	Lithuania	Ką veiki?	kah veh-KEE	Ką dabar veiki? — What are you doing now?
Latvian	Latvia	Ko tu dari?	koh too DAH-ree	Ko tu dari tagad? — What are you doing now?
Estonian	Estonia	Mida sa teed?	MEE-dah sah teed	Mida sa praegu teed? — What are you doing right now?

English varieties

The question is essentially the same in American, British, and Australian English. Differences are more noticeable in accent, rhythm, and surrounding slang than in the question itself. For instance, an Australian speaker might add “this arvo” when asking about the afternoon, but that does not change the core translation.

Cultural notes

In French, Qu’est-ce que tu fais ? is familiar and informal. Use Qu’est-ce que vous faites ? with a person you address formally or with multiple people.
In German, Was machst du? is informal; Was machen Sie? is the formal alternative.
Spanish speakers can use ¿Qué estás haciendo? for an ongoing action. In some regions, ¿Qué haces? is also a very natural conversational choice.
In Portuguese, você is common in Brazil, but pronouns and everyday question forms vary by region. Portugal often uses O que estás a fazer?
Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish use different verbs for the same general question, so their expressions should not be treated as interchangeable.

Read More: How to Say Woman in Different Languages

Asian Languages

Asia contains a wide variety of language families, scripts, and grammatical systems. Some languages use particles to form questions, while others change verb endings or omit pronouns when context makes them clear. The examples below focus on asking someone about their current activity.

🌍 Language	Country/Region	Translation	Pronunciation	Example Sentence
Mandarin Chinese	China, Taiwan, Singapore	你在做什么？	nǐ zài zuò shénme	你现在在做什么？ — What are you doing now?
Cantonese	Hong Kong, Guangdong	你做緊乜嘢？	nei5 zou6 gan2 mat1 je5	你而家做緊乜嘢？ — What are you doing now?
Japanese	Japan	何をしているの？	nani o shite iru no	今、何をしているの？ — What are you doing now?
Korean	South Korea, North Korea	뭐 하고 있어요?	mwo ha-go i-sseo-yo	지금 뭐 하고 있어요? — What are you doing now?
Hindi	India	तुम क्या कर रहे हो?	tum kya kar rahe ho	तुम अभी क्या कर रहे हो? — What are you doing right now?
Urdu	Pakistan, India	آپ کیا کر رہے ہیں؟	aap kya kar rahe hain	آپ ابھی کیا کر رہے ہیں؟ — What are you doing right now?
Bengali	Bangladesh, India	তুমি কী করছ?	tumi ki korchho	তুমি এখন কী করছ? — What are you doing now?
Punjabi	Pakistan, India	ਤੁਸੀਂ ਕੀ ਕਰ ਰਹੇ ਹੋ?	tusī̃ kī kar rahe ho	ਤੁਸੀਂ ਹੁਣ ਕੀ ਕਰ ਰਹੇ ਹੋ? — What are you doing now?
Gujarati	India	તમે શું કરી રહ્યા છો?	tame shu kari rahya chho	તમે અત્યારે શું કરી રહ્યા છો? — What are you doing now?
Marathi	India	तू काय करत आहेस?	tu kay karat ahes	तू आत्ता काय करत आहेस? — What are you doing now?
Tamil	India, Sri Lanka, Singapore	நீ என்ன செய்கிறாய்?	nee enna seigiraai	நீ இப்போது என்ன செய்கிறாய்? — What are you doing now?
Telugu	India	నువ్వు ఏమి చేస్తున్నావు?	nuvvu emi chestunnavu	నువ్వు ఇప్పుడు ఏమి చేస్తున్నావు? — What are you doing now?
Kannada	India	ನೀನು ಏನು ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದೀಯ?	neenu enu maaduttiddeeya	ನೀನು ಈಗ ಏನು ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದೀಯ? — What are you doing now?
Malayalam	India	നീ എന്ത് ചെയ്യുന്നു?	nee enthu cheyyunnu	നീ ഇപ്പോൾ എന്ത് ചെയ്യുന്നു? — What are you doing now?
Nepali	Nepal	तिमी के गर्दैछौ?	timi ke gardai chhau	तिमी अहिले के गर्दैछौ? — What are you doing now?
Sinhala	Sri Lanka	ඔයා මොකද කරන්නේ?	oyaa mokada karanne	ඔයා දැන් මොකද කරන්නේ? — What are you doing now?
Thai	Thailand	คุณกำลังทำอะไรอยู่?	khun gam-lang tham a-rai yu	ตอนนี้คุณกำลังทำอะไรอยู่? — What are you doing now?
Vietnamese	Vietnam	Bạn đang làm gì?	ban dang lam zee	Bây giờ bạn đang làm gì? — What are you doing now?
Indonesian	Indonesia	Kamu sedang apa?	KAH-moo suh-dang AH-pah	Kamu sedang apa sekarang? — What are you doing now?
Malay	Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore	Awak sedang buat apa?	AH-wak suh-dang boo-at AH-pah	Awak sedang buat apa sekarang? — What are you doing now?
Filipino/Tagalog	Philippines	Ano ang ginagawa mo?	AH-noh ang gee-NAH-gah-wah moh	Ano ang ginagawa mo ngayon? — What are you doing now?
Burmese	Myanmar	မင်းဘာလုပ်နေတာလဲ။	min ba loat nay ta le	မင်းအခုဘာလုပ်နေတာလဲ။ — What are you doing now?
Khmer	Cambodia	អ្នកកំពុងធ្វើអ្វី?	neak kompong tvei avei	ឥឡូវនេះអ្នកកំពុងធ្វើអ្វី? — What are you doing now?
Lao	Laos	ເຈົ້າກຳລັງເຮັດຫຍັງ?	chao kamlang het nyang	ຕອນນີ້ເຈົ້າກຳລັງເຮັດຫຍັງ? — What are you doing now?
Mongolian	Mongolia	Чи юу хийж байна вэ?	chi yu hiij baina ve	Чи одоо юу хийж байна вэ? — What are you doing now?
Kazakh	Kazakhstan	Сен не істеп жатырсың?	sen ne is-tep zhat-yr-syng	Сен қазір не істеп жатырсың? — What are you doing now?
Uzbek	Uzbekistan	Nima qilyapsan?	nee-mah qi-lyap-san	Hozir nima qilyapsan? — What are you doing now?
Turkish	Türkiye, Cyprus	Ne yapıyorsun?	neh yah-puh-YOR-soon	Şu anda ne yapıyorsun? — What are you doing right now?

Cultural notes

Mandarin Chinese: The particle 在 (zài) can indicate an action in progress. The question 你在做什么？ is a broadly understandable standard form.
Cantonese: The expression uses colloquial Cantonese grammar. Romanization here uses Jyutping, in which numbers indicate tones.
Japanese: 何をしているの？ is familiar and conversational. A more polite form is 何をしていますか？ (nani o shite imasu ka?).
Korean: 뭐 하고 있어요? is a polite conversational form. With close friends, speakers may use 뭐 하고 있어? (mwo hago isseo?).
Hindi and Urdu: The verb can change according to the listener’s gender. The masculine forms shown above would change to कर रही हो in the familiar Hindi feminine form or کر رہی ہیں in the respectful Urdu feminine form.
Punjabi: The wording shown uses a respectful or plural form. Everyday phrasing differs between Punjabi spoken in Pakistan and India, as well as between scripts.
Malay and Indonesian: These languages share some vocabulary but differ in natural phrasing. Do not assume that a sentence in one transfers unchanged to the other.
Japanese and Korean: Both allow different levels of politeness, so the best choice depends on the relationship between speakers.

African Languages

Africa is home to thousands of languages across several language families. Questions about current activities may use different verb forms, pronouns, or conversational conventions depending on the language and region. The following examples represent distinct languages rather than Africa as a single linguistic culture.

🌍 Language	Country/Region	Translation	Pronunciation	Example Sentence
Swahili	Tanzania, Kenya, East Africa	Unafanya nini?	oo-nah-FAHN-yah NEE-nee	Unafanya nini sasa? — What are you doing now?
Afrikaans	South Africa, Namibia	Wat doen jy?	vaht doon yay	Wat doen jy nou? — What are you doing now?
Zulu	South Africa	Wenzani?	wen-ZAH-nee	Wenzani manje? — What are you doing now?
Xhosa	South Africa	Wenza ntoni?	WEN-zah NTOH-nee	Wenza ntoni ngoku? — What are you doing now?
Amharic	Ethiopia	ምን እያደረግህ ነው?	min iyader-ehk neh	አሁን ምን እያደረግህ ነው? — What are you doing now?
Yoruba	Nigeria, Benin	Kí ni o ń ṣe?	kee nee oh n sheh	Kí ni o ń ṣe báyìí? — What are you doing now?
Igbo	Nigeria	Gịnị ka ị na-eme?	GHEE-nee kah ee nah eh-meh	Gịnị ka ị na-eme ugbu a? — What are you doing now?
Hausa	Nigeria, Niger, West Africa	Me kake yi?	meh kah-keh yee	Me kake yi yanzu? — What are you doing now?
Somali	Somalia, Somaliland, Horn of Africa	Maxaad samaynaysaa?	mah-KHAAD sah-mai-nai-SAA	Maxaad hadda samaynaysaa? — What are you doing now?
Shona	Zimbabwe	Uri kuitei?	oo-ree kweh-EE-teh	Uri kuitei iye zvino? — What are you doing now?
Sesotho	Lesotho, South Africa	U etsa’ng?	oo eh-tsah-ng	U etsa’ng hona joale? — What are you doing now?
Setswana	Botswana, South Africa	O dira eng?	oh DEE-rah eng	O dira eng jaanong? — What are you doing now?
Kinyarwanda	Rwanda	Urakora iki?	oo-rah-KOH-rah EE-kee	Urimo gukora iki ubu? — What are you doing now?
Malagasy	Madagascar	Inona no ataonao?	ee-NOO-nah noo ah-too-NAH-oo	Inona no ataonao izao? — What are you doing now?

Cultural notes

In Swahili, Unafanya nini? is a useful everyday question. Adding sasa emphasizes “now.”
Zulu and Xhosa are related Nguni languages, but their vocabulary and spelling differ. Wenzani? and Wenza ntoni? should not be treated as the same translation.
In Yoruba, tone marks help distinguish pronunciation and meaning. They are important in careful written language.
In Amharic, the example uses a masculine singular form. A feminine listener requires a different verb form.
Across African languages, both regional usage and the relationship between speakers can influence the most natural way to ask the question.

Middle Eastern Languages

The Middle East includes Arabic, Persian, Hebrew, Kurdish, Armenian, and other distinct linguistic traditions. Even when two languages share a region, their grammar and everyday expressions can differ substantially. Arabic is especially important to approach with care because formal Arabic and local dialects are not identical.

🌍 Language	Country/Region	Translation	Pronunciation	Example Sentence
Arabic (Modern Standard Arabic)	Middle East, North Africa	ماذا تفعل؟	ma-dha taf-al	ماذا تفعل الآن؟ — What are you doing now?
Arabic (Egyptian dialect)	Egypt	بتعمل إيه؟	bi-taʿ-mil eh	بتعمل إيه دلوقتي؟ — What are you doing now?
Persian (Farsi)	Iran	داری چه کار می‌کنی؟	daa-ree cheh kaar mee-ko-nee	الان داری چه کار می‌کنی؟ — What are you doing now?
Hebrew	Israel	מה אתה עושה?	mah ah-TAH oh-SEH	מה אתה עושה עכשיו? — What are you doing now?
Kurdish (Kurmanji)	Türkiye, Iraq, Syria, Iran	Tu çi dikî?	too chee dee-kee	Tu niha çi dikî? — What are you doing now?
Armenian	Armenia, Armenian-speaking communities	Ի՞նչ ես անում։	inch es ah-NOOM	Հիմա ի՞նչ ես անում։ — What are you doing now?

Cultural notes

Modern Standard Arabic is used in formal settings and writing, while everyday conversation often uses a local dialect. The Egyptian expression above is specifically Egyptian Arabic.
Arabic verbs change according to grammatical person and gender. In Modern Standard Arabic, ماذا تفعل؟ addresses a male listener; ماذا تفعلين؟ addresses a female listener.
In Persian, داری چه کار می‌کنی؟ is a familiar conversational form. A more polite alternative is دارید چه کار می‌کنید؟
In Hebrew, the displayed sentence addresses a male listener. When addressing a woman, use מה את עושה? (mah at osah?).
Kurdish has multiple varieties. The Kurmanji example should not be assumed to represent every Kurdish dialect.

Other World Languages

Languages from Oceania and the Americas add further perspectives on how people ask about current activities. The examples below use common forms, but some languages have regional differences or fewer standardized written conventions than widely taught international languages.

🌍 Language	Country/Region	Translation	Pronunciation	Example Sentence
Māori	New Zealand	Kei te aha koe?	kay teh AH-hah KOH-eh	Kei te aha koe ināianei? — What are you doing now?
Samoan	Samoa, American Samoa	O le ā lau mea o fai?	oh leh ah lao meh-ah oh fai	O le ā lau mea o fai i le taimi nei? — What are you doing now?
Tongan	Tonga	Ko e hā hoʻo meʻa ʻoku fai?	koh eh haa hoh-oh meh-ah oh-koo fai	Ko e hā hoʻo meʻa ʻoku fai he taimí ni? — What are you doing now?
Hawaiian	Hawaiʻi	He aha kāu e hana nei?	heh AH-hah ka-oo eh HAH-nah nay	He aha kāu e hana nei i kēia manawa? — What are you doing now?
Quechua	Andes, including Peru and Bolivia	Imata rurachkanki?	ee-MAH-tah roo-rach-KAN-kee	Imata kunan rurachkanki? — What are you doing now?
Guarani	Paraguay, neighboring regions	Mba’épa rejapo?	mbah-EH-pah reh-HAH-poh	Mba’épa rejapo ko’ág̃a? — What are you doing now?
Haitian Creole	Haiti	Kisa w ap fè?	kee-sah wahp feh	Kisa w ap fè kounye a? — What are you doing now?
Esperanto	International constructed language	Kion vi faras?	kee-on vee FAH-rahs	Kion vi faras nun? — What are you doing now?

Cultural notes

In Māori, Kei te aha koe? is a familiar way to ask what someone is doing. The added word ināianei emphasizes “now.”
Hawaiian, Samoan, and Tongan are distinct Polynesian languages. Similar-looking words or shared linguistic features do not make their translations interchangeable.
Quechua includes multiple varieties, and vocabulary or spelling can vary by region. The example is intended as a general illustrative form rather than a universal version for all Quechua speakers.
Haitian Creole has its own grammar and is not simply informal French.
Esperanto is a constructed international language, not the native language of a particular country.

Quick Reference: What Are You Doing in Different Languages

Use this table to find the translation quickly. Where a language has a familiar and a formal version, the table generally lists the form introduced in its regional section.

Language	Translation
English	What are you doing?
American English	What are you doing?
British English	What are you doing?
Australian English	What are you doing?
Spanish	¿Qué estás haciendo?
French	Qu’est-ce que tu fais ?
German	Was machst du?
Italian	Che cosa stai facendo?
Portuguese	O que você está fazendo?
Dutch	Wat ben je aan het doen?
Swedish	Vad gör du?
Norwegian	Hva gjør du?
Danish	Hvad laver du?
Finnish	Mitä sinä teet?
Icelandic	Hvað ertu að gera?
Irish	Cad atá tú a dhéanamh?
Welsh	Beth wyt ti’n ei wneud?
Polish	Co robisz?
Czech	Co děláš?
Slovak	Čo robíš?
Ukrainian	Що ти робиш?
Russian	Что ты делаешь?
Romanian	Ce faci?
Hungarian	Mit csinálsz?
Greek	Τι κάνεις;
Bulgarian	Какво правиш?
Croatian	Što radiš?
Serbian	Шта радиш?
Slovenian	Kaj delaš?
Lithuanian	Ką veiki?
Latvian	Ko tu dari?
Estonian	Mida sa teed?
Mandarin Chinese	你在做什么？
Cantonese	你做緊乜嘢？
Japanese	何をしているの？
Korean	뭐 하고 있어요?
Hindi	तुम क्या कर रहे हो?
Urdu	آپ کیا کر رہے ہیں؟
Bengali	তুমি কী করছ?
Punjabi	ਤੁਸੀਂ ਕੀ ਕਰ ਰਹੇ ਹੋ?
Gujarati	તમે શું કરી રહ્યા છો?
Marathi	तू काय करत आहेस?
Tamil	நீ என்ன செய்கிறாய்?
Telugu	నువ్వు ఏమి చేస్తున్నావు?
Kannada	ನೀನು ಏನು ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದೀಯ?
Malayalam	നീ എന്ത് ചെയ്യുന്നു?
Nepali	तिमी के गर्दैछौ?
Sinhala	ඔයා මොකද කරන්නේ?
Thai	คุณกำลังทำอะไรอยู่?
Vietnamese	Bạn đang làm gì?
Indonesian	Kamu sedang apa?
Malay	Awak sedang buat apa?
Filipino/Tagalog	Ano ang ginagawa mo?
Burmese	မင်းဘာလုပ်နေတာလဲ။
Khmer	អ្នកកំពុងធ្វើអ្វី?
Lao	ເຈົ້າກຳລັງເຮັດຫຍັງ?
Mongolian	Чи юу хийж байна вэ?
Kazakh	Сен не істеп жатырсың?
Uzbek	Nima qilyapsan?
Turkish	Ne yapıyorsun?
Swahili	Unafanya nini?
Afrikaans	Wat doen jy?
Zulu	Wenzani?
Xhosa	Wenza ntoni?
Amharic	ምን እያደረግህ ነው?
Yoruba	Kí ni o ń ṣe?
Igbo	Gịnị ka ị na-eme?
Hausa	Me kake yi?
Somali	Maxaad samaynaysaa?
Shona	Uri kuitei?
Sesotho	U etsa’ng?
Setswana	O dira eng?
Kinyarwanda	Urakora iki?
Malagasy	Inona no ataonao?
Arabic (Modern Standard)	ماذا تفعل؟
Egyptian Arabic	بتعمل إيه؟
Persian	داری چه کار می‌کنی؟
Hebrew	מה אתה עושה?
Kurdish (Kurmanji)	Tu çi dikî?
Armenian	Ի՞նչ ես անում։
Māori	Kei te aha koe?
Samoan	O le ā lau mea o fai?
Tongan	Ko e hā hoʻo meʻa ʻoku fai?
Hawaiian	He aha kāu e hana nei?
Quechua	Imata rurachkanki?
Guarani	Mba’épa rejapo?
Haitian Creole	Kisa w ap fè?
Esperanto	Kion vi faras?

How to Choose the Right Translation

The best translation depends on who you are talking to, where they speak the language, and why you are asking.

For friends: Choose a familiar, conversational expression, such as Spanish ¿Qué haces? or Japanese 何してるの？
For formal conversations: Use respectful forms when available, such as French Qu’est-ce que vous faites ? or German Was machen Sie?
For texting: Everyday expressions are often more natural than complete, formal textbook sentences.
For travel: Learn the local form and pay attention to how people address strangers, service staff, and older people.
For public messages: Check the region and intended audience before using a translation intended for a specific dialect.

Learning tip: Listen to a reliable audio example, repeat the phrase aloud, and practice it in a short conversation. A correct translation is much more useful when you can pronounce it clearly and recognize when it sounds appropriate.

Common Mistakes When Translating What Are You Doing

Several mistakes can make an otherwise understandable question sound unnatural.

Translating word for word: Different languages form questions differently. Copying English word order can create grammatical errors.
Ignoring formality: A phrase suitable for a close friend may sound too familiar when speaking to a stranger or supervisor.
Mixing dialects: Combining vocabulary from different regional varieties can make a sentence confusing or unusual.
Forgetting grammatical gender: Some languages change verb forms depending on the person being addressed.
Mispronouncing tones: In Mandarin and other tonal languages, tones can distinguish words with different meanings.
Confusing present activity with routine: “What are you doing?” asks about an activity now; “What do you do?” usually asks about a person’s occupation or regular activity.
Assuming one phrase fits every situation: A direct question can sound curious, concerned, or confrontational depending on tone and context.

The most reliable approach is to learn the whole expression, including its pronunciation and typical use, rather than memorizing isolated words.

Why Learn What Are You Doing in Different Languages?

Learning this question in other languages gives you a practical way to start conversations and connect with people. It is useful for travelers, language learners, international students, and anyone who communicates with friends or colleagues across language boundaries.

The phrase also introduces useful grammar. You can observe how languages express ongoing actions, form questions, use pronouns, and distinguish formal speech from familiar conversation. These patterns help you learn other expressions more efficiently.

For people who enjoy multilingual communication, knowing the right question can make a message feel more personal. Asking someone about their current activity in their own language may also help you understand everyday vocabulary and conversational rhythm.

Most importantly, learning expressions from other languages encourages curiosity and cultural awareness. It reminds us that people can communicate the same basic idea in many different ways, and that a natural expression often matters more than a literal translation.

FAQs:

How do you say “What are you doing?” in different languages?

The phrase has different translations across languages. For example, Spanish uses ¿Qué estás haciendo?, French uses Qu’est-ce que tu fais ?, Japanese uses 何をしているの？, and Urdu uses آپ کیا کر رہے ہیں؟. The best choice depends on the language and situation.

What is the most natural translation of “What are you doing?”

There is no single translation that is most natural in every language. In English, the phrase asks about someone’s current activity. In Spanish, ¿Qué estás haciendo? is a useful equivalent, while Was machst du? works in informal German conversation.

Can the translation change by country?

Yes. Speakers may use different expressions depending on the country, region, or dialect. Portuguese spoken in Brazil and Portugal, for example, differs in how people commonly express ongoing actions.

Why do some languages have multiple translations?

Languages offer different ways to express the same idea. A speaker may choose a formal question, a casual expression, or a phrase that emphasizes what someone is doing right now. Context and grammar influence the choice.

Does pronunciation change between regions?

Yes. Accents, rhythm, and vowel or consonant sounds can differ between regions. Some languages also have important tonal distinctions, so learning from audio recorded by a speaker of the intended variety can be helpful.

Conclusion:

Learning how to say “What are you doing?” in different languages is a practical way to build vocabulary and become more comfortable with everyday conversations. From Spanish and French to Mandarin, Swahili, Arabic, and Māori, each language provides its own way to ask about someone’s current activity.

The key is to understand more than the written translation. Pronunciation, context, formality, and regional variation all influence how a question sounds to the person hearing it. A familiar expression may work well with a friend, while a more respectful form is appropriate in a professional or unfamiliar setting.