Что здесь творится?

Yes, творить often means to create or to do, but in the expression Что здесь творится?, творится has a different, idiomatic sense: what is going on? / what is happening here?

This use often suggests that something is unusual, chaotic, shocking, or hard to understand. So it is not as neutral as just what is happening?

Compare:

• Что происходит? = What is happening? (neutral)
• Что здесь творится? = What on earth is going on here? / What’s happening here? (often emotional)

Because творится is a reflexive form, with -ся attached.

• творить = to do, to create
• твориться = to be going on, to be taking place

In this expression, Russian uses the reflexive form to mean something like things are happening / something strange is going on.

So:

• Он творит чудеса. = He works miracles / He does amazing things.
• Здесь творится что-то странное. = Something strange is going on here.

Because что is the question word: what.

Russian often puts the question word near the start of the sentence, just like English:

• Что здесь творится? = What is going on here?

That said, Russian word order is more flexible than English. You may hear variations like:

• Что творится здесь?

But Что здесь творится? is the most natural everyday order.

Здесь means here.

Yes, тут can often be used instead, and in many situations they mean almost the same thing:

• Что здесь творится?
• Что тут творится?

Both mean What is going on here?

A rough guideline:

• здесь can sound a little more neutral
• тут can sound a little more conversational

But in this sentence, both are very common and natural.

Because Russian does not normally use a present-tense verb meaning to be in sentences like this.

English says:

• What is going on here?

Russian simply says:

• Что здесь творится?

The meaning of is is understood from context and from the verb form. This is very normal in Russian.

It usually sounds at least somewhat emotional.

Very often it suggests surprise, irritation, alarm, or disbelief, as if the speaker thinks the situation is messy, strange, or unacceptable.

For example, a person might say it when they walk into a room and see:

• a mess
• an argument
• something suspicious
• unexpected chaos

If you want a more neutral version, use:

• Что здесь происходит? = What is happening here?

So the nuance is important:

• происходит = neutral
• творится = often stronger, more expressive

It is present tense, third person singular.

Formally:

• infinitive: твориться
• present tense: творится = is going on / is happening

Even though English may translate it with is going on, Russian uses just one present-tense verb form.

Examples:

• Здесь творится что-то странное. = Something strange is going on here.
• Что у вас там творится? = What’s going on over there with you?

Good question. In Что здесь творится?, the sentence is not really built around a clear plural subject like things. It is more like what is happening here? as a general situation.

Russian often uses the singular in this kind of impersonal or general expression.

If you add a plural subject, then the verb can become plural:

• Какие странные вещи здесь творятся! = What strange things are going on here!

But in Что здесь творится?, что is treated as singular, so творится is singular too.

The stress is:

• Что здесь твори́тся?

A rough pronunciation guide:

• Что = shto
• здесь = roughly zdyes'
• твори́тся = tva-REET-sa

A more natural flow:

• Shto zdes' tva-REET-sa?

The main stress is on -ри- in твори́тся.

Yes, very often.

Depending on tone, Что здесь творится? can be:

• genuinely alarmed
• angry
• playful
• dramatic
• humorous

For example, if friends are laughing loudly and making a mess in the kitchen, someone might walk in and say:

• Что здесь творится?

That could mean:

• What’s going on here?
• What are you people up to?
• What kind of chaos is this?

So intonation matters a lot.

Yes, a few very useful ones:

• Что происходит? = What is happening?
  Neutral and common.

• Что тут происходит? = What is happening here?
  Neutral, conversational.

• Что у вас тут творится? = What’s going on here with you people?
  More expressive, often critical or amused.

• Что за... ? = What kind of... ? / What the... ?
  Often emotional.

So Что здесь творится? is a very useful phrase when you want a stronger, more expressive version of What is happening here?