nǐ zài zuò shénme?

you

Breakdown of nǐ zài zuò shénme?

• 什么shénme: what
• 在zài: progressive marker
• 做zuò: to do

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 ()?