Questions & Answers about Что ты сейчас делаешь?
Why is Что pronounced with an 'sh' sound instead of 'ch'?
Even though it is spelled with the letter ч (which usually makes a 'ch' sound), the word что is an exception. It is always pronounced as што (shto).
How do I form the verb делаешь?
The dictionary form is делать (to do). To say 'you do' informally, you drop the -ть and add the ending -ешь for the ты (you) form. This makes делаешь. This is the standard pattern for first conjugation verbs ending in -ать.
The translation says 'are doing'. Is there a separate Russian tense for actions happening right now?
No, Russian doesn't have a separate continuous tense like English does. The single present tense verb делаешь translates to both 'you do' and 'you are doing'. Here, the word сейчас (now) makes it clear that the action is happening right at this moment.
Can I drop the word ты (you) and just say Что сейчас делаешь?
Yes! Because the verb ending -ешь in делаешь strictly belongs to ты, the pronoun is often dropped in casual spoken Russian. The meaning remains exactly the same.