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Questions & Answers about ماذا تفعل الآن؟
I have learned that 'what' is ما. Why are we using ماذا here?
In Arabic, ما is used without a verb (like asking 'What is your name?'), but ماذا is used before verbs. Since تفعل (you are doing) is a verb, we must use ماذا.
Where is the word for 'you' in this sentence?
The 'you' is built right into the verb itself! The letter ت at the beginning of تفعل tells us that the subject is 'you' (talking to a single male). If you were asking a woman, the verb would change to تفعلين.
English says 'are you doing.' How does Arabic show that it's happening right now instead of just generally?
Arabic doesn't have a separate '-ing' tense. The present tense verb تفعل covers both 'you do' and 'you are doing'. The context, especially the word الآن (now), makes it perfectly clear that the action is happening right at this moment.
What is the squiggly line on top of the first letter in الآن?
That symbol is called a madda (آ). It tells you to pronounce a long 'aa' sound, as if you are stretching out the vowel. So, الآن is pronounced 'al-aan'.