Chinese phrases
How to say what are you doing in Chinese
To ask “What are you doing?” in Chinese, say 你在干什么？ (nǐ zài gàn shén me). In messages, friends just write 干嘛呢？ (gàn má ne).
你在干什么
what are you doing?
在 (zài) before the verb means the action is going on now.
Ways to say what are you doing
你在干什么
Everydaywhat are you doing?
The everyday question, face to face or on the phone.
你在做什么
Everydaywhat are you doing?
The same question with 做. A little softer and more neutral, and the usual form in writing.
你在干嘛
With friendswhat are you up to?
Casual. 干嘛 is the spoken form of 干什么.
干嘛呢
Textingwhat’cha doing?
A common way to start a chat with a friend.
忙什么呢
With friendswhat are you busy with?
A friendly check-in. Often closer to “how are you?” than a real question.
How to answer
In a quick answer, leave out 我: 在 + what you are doing.
没干什么
nothing much
When you are not doing anything special. 没干嘛 is more casual.
在吃饭
eating
At lunch or dinner time.
在上班
at work
When you are at work and can’t talk long.
刚到家
just got home
刚 means “just now.”
在看剧
watching a show
剧 is a TV series.
Common mistakes
Dropping 在
Said short and sharp, 你干什么？ or 你干嘛？ sounds like “What do you think you’re doing?” 在 or 呢 makes it a friendly question: 你在干嘛, 干嘛呢.
Hearing every 干嘛 as “doing what”
干嘛 also means “why,” often with a complaint: 你干嘛不早说？ “Why didn’t you say so earlier?”
Saying gān in 干什么
In 干什么 and 干嘛, the first syllable is gàn, a falling tone. gān means “dry,” as in 干杯.
Texting a friend
干嘛呢？
Qiqi: What’cha doing?
刚到家，在做饭。你呢？
Leon: Just got home, making dinner. You?
在看剧。明天一起吃饭吧？
Qiqi: Watching a show. Dinner tomorrow?
好啊！
Leon: Sure!
