What Are You Doing in Chinese: 你在干什么 and 6 Casual Ways to Ask
沉浸 TeamSeptember 16, 20265 min readWhat are you doing in Chinese is 你在干什么？ (nǐ zài gàn shénme). Between friends it shrinks to 你在干嘛？ (nǐ zài gàn má), and in a text it's often just 干嘛呢？ (gàn má ne). All three mean "what are you up to?", and 你在干嘛 is the one you'll hear and type most.
This guide covers the six ways people ask, from polite to very casual, how to answer, the small grammar point (在) that makes the question work, and the 干嘛 that also means "why". It's part of our essential Chinese phrases guide, and pairs with how are you in Chinese, since 你在干嘛 has quietly replaced 你好吗 as the way Chinese friends open a chat.
6 ways to say "what are you doing" in Chinese
- 你在做什么？ (nǐ zài zuò shénme): the textbook version. 做 (do) + 什么 (what). Clear, polite, slightly formal. Good for a teacher or someone older.
- 你在干什么？ (nǐ zài gàn shénme): the everyday version. 干 is a more casual "do". This is what most people say out loud.
- 你在干嘛？ (nǐ zài gàn má): the friendly version. 嘛 is a relaxed contraction of 什么. Friends, family, partners.
- 干嘛呢？ (gàn má ne): "whatcha doing?" with the 你 dropped, plus 呢 to make it sound like an ongoing "so, what's going on?" Texting standard.
- 你在忙什么？ (nǐ zài máng shénme): "what are you busy with?" Warm, and a nice way to ask a coworker.
- 你最近在干嘛？ (nǐ zuìjìn zài gàn má): "what have you been up to lately?" For someone you haven't talked to in a while.
If you want one phrase, pick 你在干嘛. It's the natural middle: casual but never rude.
The grammar: 在 makes it "right now"
在 (zài) before a verb marks an action in progress, like English "-ing". Without it, 你做什么 (nǐ zuò shénme) sounds like "what do you do?" (your job). With it, 你在做什么 is "what are you doing (right now)?"
- 你做什么（工作）？: What do you do for work?
- 你在做什么？: What are you doing right now?
Two optional add-ons: 正在 (zhèngzài) is a stronger "right in the middle of" (你正在干什么？), and 呢 at the end softens the whole thing. Our guide to Chinese grammar covers 在 and 呢 in more depth.
Watch out: 干嘛 also means "why?"
干嘛 is a two-faced word. After 在 it means "doing what". On its own, or before a verb, it means "why on earth?" with a little edge:
- 你在干嘛？: What are you doing?
- 你干嘛？ (nǐ gàn má): What do you want? / What's your problem?
- 干嘛不来？ (gàn má bù lái): Why aren't you coming?
The 在 is doing real work here. Leave it out and "what are you doing?" turns into "what do you want?", which is a different conversation.
How to answer "what are you doing" in Chinese
Mirror the 在 and swap in your activity:
- 我在看书 (wǒ zài kàn shū): I'm reading.
- 我在吃饭 (wǒ zài chīfàn): I'm eating.
- 我在工作 (wǒ zài gōngzuò): I'm working.
- 我在学中文 (wǒ zài xué Zhōngwén): I'm studying Chinese. (Always a good answer.)
- 没干嘛 (méi gàn má): nothing much. The most common answer of all.
- 在家待着 (zài jiā dāizhe): just hanging out at home.
- 刚下班 (gāng xiàbān): just got off work.
Then bounce it back with 你呢？ (nǐ ne, "and you?"), which keeps the chat going.
"What are you doing" as a greeting
Here's the part textbooks skip. In Chinese, 你在干嘛 often isn't a real question. Friends text it the way English speakers text "hey" or "what's up". The expected reply is short (没干嘛，你呢) and then the real message follows. If a Chinese friend opens with 干嘛呢, don't write a paragraph about your afternoon. Say 没干嘛 and ask what's up.
Related questions you'll need next
- 你在哪儿？ (nǐ zài nǎr): Where are you?
- 你在想什么？ (nǐ zài xiǎng shénme): What are you thinking about?
- 你在说什么？ (nǐ zài shuō shénme): What are you saying? (Also "what are you talking about?!")
- 你晚上干嘛？ (nǐ wǎnshang gàn má): What are you doing tonight? (No 在, because it's the future.)
The difference between gàn má and gàn ma is one tone, and one tone is the difference between "what are you doing?" and a puzzled "do what?". Every word linked above has a dictionary page with audio. Create a free Chenjin account to hear the phrases, save them, and see 在干嘛 pop up in the chat scenes of real stories.
FAQ
How do you say what are you doing in Mandarin?
你在干什么？(nǐ zài gàn shénme). With friends, say 你在干嘛？(nǐ zài gàn má), or text 干嘛呢？(gàn má ne).
What does ni zai gan ma mean?
你在干嘛 (nǐ zài gàn má) means "what are you doing?" or "what are you up to?". 在 marks the action as happening now, 干 is "do", and 嘛 is a casual "what".
What does gan ma mean in Chinese?
干嘛 (gàn má) means "do what". After 在 it's "what are you doing?"; on its own (你干嘛？) it's "what do you want?" or "why?", with a slightly annoyed tone.
How do you answer 你在干嘛?
我在 + your activity: 我在看书 ("I'm reading"), 我在工作 ("I'm working"). Or 没干嘛 (méi gàn má, "nothing much"). Add 你呢？("and you?") to return the question.
Is 你在干嘛 rude?
No, it's the normal friendly way to ask. 你干嘛 without 在 can sound confrontational. With a teacher or elder, 您在做什么 is more polite.
