Breakdown of Was machst du am liebsten?
du
you (informal singular)
machen
to make, to do
was
what
am liebsten
most of all, best of all (superlative of gern)
Questions & Answers about Was machst du am liebsten?
We learned gern and lieber. How does am liebsten fit into the pattern?
It is the highest level (the superlative) of gern. When talking about how much you enjoy an activity, use gern (like doing), lieber (prefer doing), and am liebsten (like doing most of all).
Where is the verb for "like" in this sentence?
There isn't one! While English uses the verb "like", German uses a regular action verb—in this case, machst (do)—and adds an adverb to express the preference. Literally, this sentence asks, "What do you do most gladly?"
Why is there an am in front of liebsten?
In German, to say "the most" or "the best" when describing an action, you use the fixed pattern am ...-sten. You cannot just use the word liebsten by itself; the am is a required puzzle piece to mean "most of all."
Does Was machst du mean "What are you doing" or "What do you do"?
It can mean both, because German only has one present tense. However, adding a preference word like am liebsten makes it clear you are asking about general hobbies or habits ("What do you do?"), rather than what someone is doing at this exact second.