14 Ways To Ask What Are You Doing In Spanish With Real Spanish Examples

Asking what are you doing in Spanish is a first step towards a bit of a small talk in Spanish-speaking countries. And who wouldn’t want to engage in small talk with Spanish locals?

Easy Spanish makes street interviews asking simple question just like this: what are you doing in Spanish?

In this blog post, we are sharing 14 different ways of asking this question. Here we go!

1. ¿Qué estás haciendo? (What are you doing?)

This is the most common and straightforward way to ask what someone is doing.

You can use it in almost any casual situation with friends, family, or peers. It’s widely understood across all Spanish-speaking countries and is perfect for everyday conversations:

Ana: ¿Qué estás haciendo, Carlos? (What are you doing, Carlos?)
Carlos: Estoy preparando la cena para mi familia. (I’m preparing dinner for my family.)
Ana: ¡Qué bien! ¿Necesitas ayuda? (That’s great! Do you need help?)

2. ¿Qué haces? (What are you doing? / What do you do?)

This versatile phrase can mean both “What are you doing?” and “What do you do?” depending on the context.

It’s a bit more casual and can be used in different situations, from asking about someone’s current activity:

Miguel: Oye, Juan, ¿qué haces? (Hey, Juan, what are you doing?)
Juan: Estoy revisando mis correos electrónicos. ¿Por qué? (I’m checking my emails. Why?)
Miguel: Pensaba si querías ir a tomar un café. (I was wondering if you wanted to go for a coffee.)

3. ¿Qué está haciendo usted? (What are you doing? (formal))

This is the formal version of “What are you doing?”

Use this when speaking to someone you need to show respect to, like an elder, a boss, or someone you don’t know well.

It’s appropriate in professional settings or when addressing strangers:

Empleado: Disculpe, señor García, ¿qué está haciendo usted? (Excuse me, Mr. García, what are you doing?)
Sr. García: Estoy revisando los informes mensuales. (I’m reviewing the monthly reports.)
Empleado: Entiendo. ¿Puedo ayudarle en algo? (I see. Can I help you with anything?)

4. ¿Qué andas haciendo? (What are you up to?)

This colloquial phrase is common in Latin America.

It’s a friendly way to ask what someone is doing or what they’ve been up to lately. Use it with friends or in casual settings when you want to sound more relaxed and approachable:

Lucía: Hola, Pedro! ¿Qué andas haciendo? (Hi, Pedro! What are you up to?)
Pedro: Ando buscando un regalo para mi hermana. ¿Me acompañas? (I’m looking for a gift for my sister. Want to come with me?)
Lucía: ¡Claro! Me encanta ir de compras. (Sure! I love shopping.)

5. ¿Qué onda? (What’s up?)

This very casual expression is primarily used in Mexico and some parts of Central America.

It’s similar to saying “What’s up?” in English and is best used among close friends or in very informal situations.

It can be used to ask what someone is doing or just as a general greeting:

Roberto: ¡Qué onda, María! (What’s up, María!)
María: ¡Qué onda, Roberto! Aquí, viendo una película. (What’s up, Roberto! Here, watching a movie.)
Roberto: ¿Está buena? Tal vez me uno. (Is it good? Maybe I’ll join you.)

6. ¿Qué tal? (How are you? / What’s up?)

This versatile phrase is commonly used in Spain and can mean both “How are you?” and “What’s up?” depending on the context.

It’s a casual greeting that can also be used to inquire about what someone is doing.

It’s perfect for everyday situations with friends, acquaintances, or even people you’ve just met.

Elena: ¡Hola, David! ¿Qué tal? (Hi, David! How are you? / What’s up?)
David: ¡Hola, Elena! Bien, aquí dando un paseo por el parque. ¿Y tú? (Hi, Elena! Good, just taking a walk in the park. And you?)
Elena: Genial, yo estoy de camino al gimnasio. (Great, I’m on my way to the gym.)

7. ¿En qué andas? (What are you up to?)

This colloquial expression is similar to “¿Qué andas haciendo?” but a bit more concise.

It’s commonly used in Latin American countries to casually ask what someone is doing or what they’ve been occupied with lately.

Sofía: Oye, Javier, ¿en qué andas? (Hey, Javier, what are you up to?)
Javier: Ando organizando una fiesta sorpresa para mi novia. ¿Me ayudas? (I’m organizing a surprise party for my girlfriend. Can you help me?)
Sofía: ¡Por supuesto! Cuenta conmigo. (Of course! Count me in.)

8. ¿Qué traes? (What’s going on with you?)

This informal expression is common in Mexico and some other Latin American countries. It’s a friendly way to ask what someone is doing, but it can also imply asking about someone’s mood or if there’s something on their mind.

Use it with close friends when you want to show interest in their current state or activities.

Manuel: Hola, Laura. Te veo pensativa. ¿Qué traes? (Hi, Laura. You look thoughtful. What’s going on with you?)
Laura: Ah, hola Manuel. Estoy planeando mis vacaciones y no me decido. (Oh, hi Manuel. I’m planning my vacation and can’t make up my mind.)
Manuel: ¿Quieres que te ayude a decidir? (Do you want me to help you decide?)

9. ¿Qué cuentas? (What’s new? / What’s going on?)

This friendly expression is used in many Spanish-speaking countries to ask what’s new or what’s going on in someone’s life.

It’s more about catching up on recent events or activities rather than asking about a specific current action.

Use it with friends or acquaintances when you haven’t seen them for a while.

Isabel: ¡Hola, Alejandro! Tiempo sin verte. ¿Qué cuentas? (Hi, Alejandro! Long time no see. What’s new?)
Alejandro: ¡Isabel! Pues, acabo de cambiar de trabajo. Estoy muy emocionado. (Isabel! Well, I just changed jobs. I’m very excited.)
Isabel: ¡Qué buena noticia! Cuéntame más. (What great news! Tell me more.)

10. ¿Qué hay? (What’s up?)

This casual greeting is used in many Spanish-speaking countries as a way to say “What’s up?” or “What’s going on?”

It’s a quick and easy way to greet someone and potentially start a conversation about what they’re doing.

Use it in informal situations with friends or peers.

Diego: ¡Ey, Carla! ¿Qué hay? (Hey, Carla! What’s up?)
Carla: ¡Hola, Diego! Aquí, terminando un proyecto para la universidad. (Hi, Diego! Here, finishing a project for university.)
Diego: Suerte con eso. ¿Nos vemos luego para un café? (Good luck with that. Shall we meet later for coffee?)

11. ¿Qué pasa? (What’s happening? / What’s going on?)

This common expression is used across many Spanish-speaking countries.

It’s a casual way to ask what’s happening or what’s going on, either in general or with a specific person.

You can use it as a greeting or to inquire about someone’s current activities or state of mind. It’s suitable for informal situations with friends, family, or peers.

Raúl: Hola, Marta. ¿Qué pasa? (Hi, Marta. What’s going on?)
Marta: Hola, Raúl. Nada especial, solo estoy esperando el autobús. (Hi, Raul. Nothing special, just waiting for the bus.)
Raúl: Ah, yo voy en esa dirección. ¿Quieres que te lleve? (Oh, I’m going that way. Do you want a ride?)

12. ¿Qué te traes? (What’s up with you? / What are you up to?)

This colloquial expression is commonly used in Mexico and some other Latin American countries.

It’s a bit more personal than “¿Qué traes?” as it directly addresses the person with “te”.

Use it when you want to ask what someone is doing or planning, especially if you suspect they might be up to something interesting or unusual:

Fernanda: Oye, Ricardo, te veo muy misterioso. ¿Qué te traes? (Hey, Ricardo, you look very mysterious. What are you up to?)
Ricardo: ¡Me atrapaste! Estoy planeando una sorpresa para el cumpleaños de mamá. (You caught me! I’m planning a surprise for mom’s birthday.)
Fernanda: ¡Qué lindo! ¿Puedo ayudar? (How sweet! Can I help?)

13. ¿Qué te cuentas? (What’s new with you?)

This friendly expression is a more personal version of “¿Qué cuentas?”

It’s used to ask what’s new in someone’s life or what they’ve been up to recently. It’s a great way to start a conversation and show interest in the other person’s life:

Luisa: ¡Hola, Andrés! Hace tiempo que no nos vemos. ¿Qué te cuentas? (Hi, Andrés! It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other. What’s new with you?)
Andrés: ¡Luisa! Pues, me acabo de mudar a un nuevo apartamento. (Luisa! Well, I just moved to a new apartment.)
Luisa: ¡Qué bien! ¿Y cómo te va allí? (That’s great! How’s it going there?)

14. ¿Qué estás tramando? (What are you plotting? / What are you up to?)

This playful expression is used when you suspect someone is planning something, often in a mischievous or secretive way.

It can be used jokingly with friends or family when you notice they’re acting suspiciously or seem to be hiding something. It’s more informal and implies a sense of curiosity or amusement:

Pablo: Te veo muy sonriente, Emma. ¿Qué estás tramando? (You look very smiley, Emma. What are you plotting?)
Emma: ¡Nada malo, te lo prometo! Solo estoy organizando una fiesta sorpresa. (Nothing bad, I promise! I’m just organizing a surprise party.)
Pablo: ¡Ajá! Sabía que algo te traías entre manos. (Aha! I knew you were up to something.)

Practice saying what are you doing in Spanish with flashcards

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Learn more ways to ask someone what are you doing in Spanish with Conversation Based Chunking

The best way to use these expressions in Spanish is to naturally implement them in your own Spanish sentences.

Chunks are the natural building blocks of the language that native speakers use all the time. If you want, you can learn more about this method by clicking this button here:

In this chunking starter pack, you’ll see essential chunking lists, learn about different methods to learn Spanish, and you’ll even get access to our Full Practice Worksheet Library!