“What are you doing?” is one of the fundamental and common questions you’ll use in Japanese. However, using it naturally in Japanese can be a little complicated. Not to worry! This guide will show you how to use this question naturally in different situations.
In Japanese, it is essential to adjust the politeness/formality of your speech to the social status of the person you are speaking to. The higher someone’s social status, the more formal and polite you should be. For example, you would use much more polite speech when speaking with your boss than talking to your friends. There are even different levels of politeness when talking to your boss and the owner of your company.
So, let’s look at both polite and formal expressions for asking, “What are you doing?” in Japanese.
1. Very Polite/Formal: 何をしていますか？ (Nani O Shiteimasu Ka) – What Are You Doing?
何をしていますか (nani o shiteimasu ka) is the most basic and polite way to ask someone, “What are you doing?” in Japanese. It is very polite and used when talking to someone with a higher status than you (your boss, people you respect, etc.)
However, this question can be used to ask “What do you do?” (asking about someone’s job). This is not much of a problem, though, as it is easy to understand what someone is asking based on the context of the situation.
何をしていますか (nani o shiteimasu ka) is most often used to ask what someone is doing. Using “何をしていますか” to ask someone about their job usually only happens when you first meet someone or are already talking about work (your job).
To avoid confusion, you include specific words like “now” or “job/work” to differentiate these questions clearly:
今、何をしていますか？
(Ima nani o shiteimasu ka?)
What are you doing right now?
お仕事は、何をしていますか？
(Oshigoto wa nani o shiteimasu ka?)
What do you do for work?
2. Semi Formal/Polite: 何をしているんですか？ (Nani O Shiteirun Desu Ka) – What Are You Doing?
何をしているんですか (nani o shiteirun desu ka) is also a polite way to ask someone what they are doing in Japanese, but it is not as formal as 何をしていますか (nani o shiteimasu ka). You can use 何をしているんですか with people like your coworkers or even 先輩 (senpai) or people with higher seniority than you.
何をしていますか (Nani O Shiteimasu Ka) Vs. 何をしているんですか (Nani O Shiteirun Desu Ka)
As we just learned, 何をしているんですか (nani o shiteirun desu ka) is polite but more casual than 何をしていますか (nani o shiteimasu ka).
However, there is a difference in nuance, too.
何をしていますか is often used when you are far away from someone, and you can’t see what the person is doing. In other words, you have no idea what the person is doing now. On the other hand, 何をしているんですか is usually used when you can see the person but are not too sure what they are doing. So you ask them “何をしているんですか” to get clarification or even just to make small talk.
3. Casual/Informal: 何をしているの？ (Nani O Shiteiru No) – Whatcha Doin?
When you talk to someone close to you, like friends or family, you can ask them 何してるの (nani shiteru no). This is a short version of “何をしているの？”
Or, an even more casual question native Japanese speakers often use is:
何してんの?
(Nani shiten no?)
Whatcha doin?
Examples:
1. Formal/Polite: 何をしていますか？ (Nani O Shiteimasu Ka?)
Takashi calls Mr. Tanaka and asks…
健史: 今、何をしていますか？
Takeshi: (Ima nani o shiteimasu ka?)
Takeshi: What are you doing right now?
田中さん: 今、お昼ご飯を食べているところです。
Tanaka san: (Ima ohiru gohan o tabeteiru tokoro desu.)
Mr. Tanaka: I’m having lunch now.
2. Semi Formal/Polite: 何をしているんですか？ (Nani O Shiteirun Desu Ka?)
Emi is cutting a board and making something. Tomoko asks…
朋子: 何をしているんですか？
Tomoko: (Nani o shiteirun desu ka?)
Tomoko: What are you doing?
恵美: 本棚を作っているんですよ。
Emi: (Hondana o tsukutteirun desu yo.)
Emi. I’m making a bookshelf.
Important: Just like with most words in any language, the tone of your voice and the way you say something is vital. While 何をしているんですか (nani o shiteirun desu ka) is polite, it can feel like you are accusing someone if you say it harshly.
Example:
一体*何をしているんですか！
(Ittai nani o shiteirun desu ka!)
What the hell are you doing?
*Note: 一体(ittai) is used to emphasize a question. Here’s another example of this:
Without Using 一体 (Ittai):
犯人は誰なんだろうか？
(Hannin wa dare nan darō ka?)
Who is the criminal?
Using 一体 (Ittai):
犯人は一体誰なんだろうか？
(Hannin wa ittai dare nandarō ka?)
Who exactly is the criminal? (Who the hell is the criminal?)
3. Semi Formal/Polite: 何をしているんですか？ (Nani O Shiteirun Desu Ka?)
A teacher found a student cheating on the test. The teacher says…
一体何をしているんですか！カンニングなんて許しませんよ！
(Ittai nani o shiteirun desu ka! Kanningu nante yurushimasen yo!)
What the heck are you doing!? Absolutely no cheating!
4. 何をやっていますか? (Nani O Yatteimasu Ka): What Are You Doing?
Maybe you’ve heard the expression 何をやっていますか (nani o yatteimasu ka) in anime or a Japanese movie before. Grammatically, this question is correct, and native Japanese speakers will understand you. However, it doesn’t sound natural. “
何をやっていますか means pretty much the same thing as 何をしていますか: What are you doing? But their nuance is a little different.
The plain form of やっている (yatteiru) is やる (yaru), and the plain form of している (shiteiru) is する (suru). Both of them mean “to do,” but やる sounds a little rough and informal, so 何をしていますか sounds a little more polite than 何をやっていますか.
I recommend you use 何をやっていますか (nani o yatteimasu ka) only with people who have the same social status as you (coworkers, classmates, etc.).
The reason why “何をやっていますか? doesn’t sound completely natural when asking someone what they are doing is because it can also be used to ask “what kind of activity/sport do you do?” It can even be used to ask if a restaurant is open,or what kind of movies are playing at a theater.
If you use it to ask if a restaurant is still open for business, you would not say 何を (nani o) and just say, “やっていますか？ (yatteimasu ka?)” to ask, “Are you open?” You could also use やっていますか to ask if they are open at a certain times.
Examples:
1. 明日はやってますか？
(Ashita wa yatteimasu ka?)
Are you open tomorrow?
2. ランチはやってますか？
(Ranchi wa yatteimasu ka?)
Are you open for lunch?
You can also use it for TV shows, like this:
NHKでは何をやってるの？
(Enuecchikei wa nani o yatteru no?)
What’s on NHK (TV channel)?
Let’s take a look at more examples of how to use やっています (yatteimasu) naturally in Japanese.
Examples: Polite/Formal Version
1. 健: スポーツは何をやっていますか？
Ken: (Supōtsu wa nani o yatteimasu ka?)
Ken: What sports do you play?
智也: 空手をやっています。
Tomoya: (Karate o yatteimasu.)
Tomoya: I do karate.
2. 健: 今映画館では何をやっていますか？
Ken: (Ima eigakan dewa nani o yatteimasu ka?)
Ken: What movies are showing at the theater right now?
智也: スーパーマリオをやっています。一緒に観にいきませんか？
Tomoya: (Sūpā mario o yatteimasu. Issho ni mi ni ikimasen ka?)
Tomoya: Super Mario Brothers is playing. Would you like to go with me?
Examples: Casual/Informal Version
When you talk to people who you know well, such as your friends or family, you can use the expression 何やってるの (nani yatteru no) to mean, “What are you doing?” Also, native Japanese speakers often say 何やってんの (nani yatten no) to make it easier to pronounce.
1. 道子: 朋子は習い事をやってるの？
Michiko: (Tomoko wa naraigoto o yatteru no?)
Michiko: Tomoko, do you do any extracurricular activities?
朋子: うん。水泳とピアノをやってるよ。
Tomoko: (Un. Suiē to piano o yatteru yo.)
Tomoko: Yeah. I take swimming and piano lessons.
2. 秋子: 朋子、こんな暗い部屋で何やってんの？
Akiko: (Tomoko, konna kurai heya de nani yatten no?)
Akiko: What are you doing in such a dark room, Tomoko?
朋子: 本を読んでたら暗くなってることに気が付かなかったわ。
Tomoko: (Hon o yondetara kuraku natteru koto ni ki ga tsukanakatta wa.)
Tomoko: I was reading this book and didn’t realize it was getting so dark.
秋子: 暗くなってるのに気がつかずに本を読んでるなんて、よっぽどその本面白いのね。
Akiko: (Kuraku natteru noni ki ga tsukazu ni hon o yonderu nante yoppodo sono hon omoshiroi no ne.)
Akiko: That book must be so interesting if you didn’t even notice it getting dark.
3. 健史: 何やってるの？ / 何やってんの？
Ken: (Nani yatteru no? / Nani yatten no?)
Ken: What are you doing?
智也: 宿題をやってるんだよ。
Tomoya: (Shukudai o yatterun da yo.)
Tomoya: I’m doing my homework.
5. 何やってんのよ (Nani Yatten No Yo) / 何やってんだよ (Nani Yatten Da Yo): What The Heck Are You Doing?
These expressions are usually used when you’re frustrated or upset with someone and have a nuance of “What the heck/hell are you doing?”
These expressions are used only with people you know well. You could use these expressions with strangers if you are annoyed or angry with them to purposely sound rude (of course, try to not use it if possible). These expressions are not appropriate for people of high status or elders.
Usually, 何やってんのよ (nani yatten no yo) is used by women, and 何やってんだよ (nani yatten da yo) is used by men.
Examples:
1. A mother and her son are on the way to school:
息子: お母さん、家に宿題忘れてきちゃった！
Musuko: (Okāsan, ie ni shukudai wasurete kichatta!)
Son: Mom, I forgot my homework at home!
お母さん: 何やってんのよ！もう取りに帰る時間はないわよ！
Okāsan: (Nani yatten no yo! Mō torini kaeru jikan wa nai wa yo!)
Mother: What the heck are you doing? We don’t have time to go back home to pick it up!
2. John spilled milk on an important document:
His mother would say:
お母さん: 何やってんのよ！
Okāsan: (Nani yatten no yo!)
Mother: What the heck are you doing?!
His father would say:
お父さん: 何やってんだよ！
Otōsan: (Nani yatten da yo!)
Father: What the hell are you doing?!
Non-Direct Ways to Ask “What Are You Doing?” in Japanese
The expressions we covered in this guide are all natural ways to ask someone what they are doing, but they can be too direct if you’re talking to someone you don’t know well or someone of high status.
If you are talking to someone you respect or who has a high social status, use these non-direct expressions instead:
1. 今、お忙しいですか？ (Ima Oisogashii Desu Ka?): Are You Busy Now?
When you want to ask your colleague or your boss what they are doing (to see if they are busy), it’s a little weird to ask, “今、何をしていますか？ (Ima nani o shiteimasu ka?).
In this case, you can use the polite expression:
今、お忙しいですか？
(Ima oisogashii desu ka?)
Are you busy now?
While this expression is translated to “Are you busy now?” it also carries a nuance of “Sorry to bother you” in this case.
Let’s see how you would use this in the workplace in Japan:
X Not Natural:
今、何をしていますか？ちょっとお聞きしたいことがあるのですが。
(Ima nani o shiteimasu ka? Chotto okiki shitai koto ga aru no desu ga.)
What are you doing now? I have something to ask you.
〇 Natural and Polite:
すみません。今、お忙しいですか？ちょっとお聞きしたいことがあるのですが。
(Sumimasen. Ima oisogashii desu ka? Chotto okiki shitai koto ga aru no desu ga.)
Sorry to bother you, but I have something to ask you.
2. 今、お時間宜しいですか？ (Ima Ojikan Yoroshii Desu Ka?): Could I Have a Minute of Your Time?
This expression is very polite and is often used in our daily life. You can also use this expression when you call someone on the phone.
When you call someone you don’t know very well over the phone, it is too direct or even rude to ask, “今、何をしていますか？ (Ima, nani o shiteimasu ka?).” Imagine getting a call from someone you don’t know, and the first they ask is, “What are you doing right now?”
Instead, you can use the polite and non-direct question:
今、お時間宜しいですか？
(Ima ojikan yoroshii desu ka?)
Let’s see how this question is used naturally in Japan.
Example: Sachiko is Calling Mr.Tanaka
幸子: 田中さん、今、お時間宜しいですか？
Sachiko: (Tanaka san ima ojikan yoroshii desu ka?)
Sachiko: Mr. Tanaka, could I have a minute of your time?
田中さん: はい。
Tanaka san: (Hai.)
Mr. Tanaka: Okay.
幸子: 明日の会議の予定ですが、１０時に変更になりましたので、ご連絡しました。
Sachiko: (Asu no kaigi no yotei desu ga, jūji ni henkō ni narimashita node gorenraku shimashita.)
Sachiko: I’m calling to inform you that the meeting scheduled for tomorrow has been changed to 10 o’clock.
田中さん: そうですか、わかりました。
Tanaka san: (Sō desu ka. Wakarimashita.)
Mr. Tanaka: Is that so? I see.
Casual Version of 今、お時間宜しいですか (Ima, Ojikan Yoroshii Desu Ka)？
If you are speaking to your family or close friends, you can ask them either of these two questions:
1. 今ちょっといい？
(Ima chotto ii?)
Do you have a minute?
2. 今、大丈夫？
(Ima daijōbu?)
Are you free now?
Example:
朋子: 今ちょっといい？
Tomoko: (Ima chotto ii?)
Tomoko: Do you have a minute?
道子: うん。いいよ。
Michiko: (Un. Ii yo.)
Michiko: Yeah. Sure.
朋子: 明日行くレストランなんだけど、和食とイタリアンどっちがいい？
Tomoko: (Ashita iku resutoran nan dakedo washoku to itarian docchi ga ii?)
Tomoko: Regarding tomorrow’s restaurant, do you prefer Japanese or Italian?
道子: 私は和食がいいな。
Michiko: (Watashi wa washoku ga ii na.)
Michiko: I prefer a Japanese restaurant.
朋子: 分かった。じゃあ予約しておくね。
Tomoko: (Wakatta. Jā yoyaku shite oku ne.)
Tomoko: Okay. I’ll make a reservation.
道子: ありがとう。
Michiko: (Arigatō.)
Michiko: Thanks
