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Questions & Answers about nǐ zài zuò shénme?
Why is 什么 at the end instead of the beginning like in English?
Mandarin leaves question words “in place” (in-situ). The pattern is Subject + (progressive marker) + Verb + Object. So the object 什么 stays where the object normally goes: 你在做什么？ Literally: “You at-do what?”
What does 在 do here? I thought it meant “at/in.”
Here 在 marks the progressive aspect, i.e., an action in progress, similar to English “-ing.” With a location (e.g., 在学校), it means “at/in.” With a verb (在做) it means “be doing.”
Can I leave out 在 and just say 你做什么？?
Yes. 你做什么？ can mean “What do you do?” (habitually) or “What are you doing?” depending on context. 在 makes the “right now, in progress” meaning explicit.
What’s the difference between 在, 正在, and 正 before the verb?
All indicate an ongoing action. 在 is neutral and very common; 正在 is a bit more emphatic/formal (“right in the middle of”); 正 alone is more written/literary. For this question, 你正在做什么？ is fine but a bit heavier than 你在做什么？
Can I add 呢 at the end (你在做什么呢？)?
Yes. 呢 softens the tone and can highlight ongoingness or friendly curiosity. It sounds a bit more conversational and less abrupt.
How do I pronounce 什么? I often hear something like “shenma.”
Pronounce it shénme: second tone on shén, neutral tone on me. The neutral syllable is very light, often sounding like “shénmə,” which to English ears can resemble “shenma,” but the spelling is shénme.
Any tone-sandhi tips for the whole sentence?
- 你 nǐ is a third tone; before another syllable it’s usually a low “half-third,” not a full rise.
- 在 zài and 做 zuò are both fourth tone; keep the falls crisp.
- 什么 shénme is 2 + neutral; make the second syllable light and short.
Why don’t we use 吗 at the end?
吗 makes yes–no questions. Wh-questions with 什么, 谁, 哪儿 etc. do not take 吗. So 你在做什么吗？ is ungrammatical.
Is 你在做吗？ grammatical?
Usually unnatural because 做 expects an object (“do what?”). In very specific contexts where the object is obvious (e.g., homework just mentioned), you might hear it, but ordinarily ask 你在做什么？ or restructure (e.g., 你在忙吗？ “Are you busy?”).
Can I drop the subject and just ask 在做什么呢？?
Yes, if the subject is clear from context (e.g., on the phone with a friend). Mandarin often omits obvious subjects.
What’s the difference between 你在做什么？, 你在干什么？, and 你干嘛呢？
- 做 is neutral/standard.
- 干 is colloquial, common in the north: 你在干什么？
- 干嘛 is very colloquial: 你干嘛呢？ can sound casual/friendly or, with sharp tone, accusatory (“What on earth are you doing?”).
How do I make it more polite/formal?
Use 您 and softeners like 请问:
- 请问，您在做什么？
You can also add 现在 or 呢 to sound gentler: 请问，您现在在做什么呢？
How is this written in Traditional characters?
你在做什麼？
Colloquial variants: 你在幹什麼？, 你在幹嘛？
How would I answer naturally?
Examples:
- 我在工作。 I’m working.
- 我在开会。 I’m in a meeting.
- 我在吃饭呢。 I’m eating.
- 我在看书。 I’m reading.
- 我在路上。 I’m on the way.
- 没做什么。 Not doing anything in particular.
Does 做 here mean “do” or “make”? Could it mean “cook”?
做 broadly means “do/make.” Without an object, it’s generic (“do”). With objects it specializes: 做饭 = cook, 做作业 = do homework, 做运动 = do sports.
Is 在 always required for the present progressive?
No. Context, time words, or particles can convey it:
- 你干什么呢？ (no 在)
- 你现在做什么？ (time word 现在)
在 is just the most straightforward way.
Is 你现在在做什么？ redundant?
Not redundant; it emphasizes “right now.” It’s very natural in speech.
Can I use this pattern with other verbs?
Yes: [Subject] 在 [Verb (+ Object)].
Examples: 我在看电视。, 他在写邮件。, 他们在学中文。
Are there regional preferences?
Mainland Mandarin loves 干/干嘛 in casual speech: 你干嘛呢？ Taiwan often uses 你在做什么？ and 你在幹嘛？; both sides understand all variants.
What’s the difference between 你做什么？ and 你是做什么的？
- 你做什么？ = What do you do?/What are you doing? (context decides)
- 你是做什么的？ asks about occupation/role/line of work: “What do you do (for a living)?”
Can I add particles like 啊/呀 to adjust tone?
Yes. 你在做什么呀？ sounds softer/warmer. 你在干嘛啊？ can be friendly curiosity or (with sharp intonation) mild reproach.
Why is there no verb “to be” like “are” in the sentence?
Mandarin doesn’t use a “be” verb for progressives. Ongoing action is marked with an aspect marker (在/正在) before the verb, not with a separate “be.”