你在干什么？
nǐ zài gàn shénme?
What are you doing · trad. 你在幹什麼？
你在干什么？ (Nǐ zài gàn shénme) is a common, casual way to ask “What are you doing?” It uses 干 (gàn) for “do,” which makes it feel informal and direct.
What does 你在干什么？ (nǐ zài gàn shénme?) mean?
你在干什么？ (nǐ zài gàn shénme?) means “what are you doing” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “You are doing what?”
When to use it
Casual and direct. It's often used among friends, family, or in text messages. For a slightly more neutral or polite version, use 你在做什么？ (Nǐ zài zuò shénme?).
How to pronounce it
Sounds like “nee ZYE gahn SHEN-muh.” The tones are a third tone, a fourth tone, a fourth tone, and a neutral tone.
Other ways to say it
- 你在做什么？nǐ zài zuò shénme?What are you doing? (more neutral)
- 你干嘛呢？nǐ gànmá ne?What are you up to? (very casual)
- 你忙什么呢？nǐ máng shénme ne?What are you busy with?
Examples
你在干什么？我给你打电话。
nǐ zài gàn shénme? wǒ gěi nǐ dǎ diànhuà.
What are you doing? I'm calling you.
别问我在干什么，我很忙！
bié wèn wǒ zài gàn shénme, wǒ hěn máng!
Don't ask what I'm doing, I'm very busy!
你最近在干什么呢？
nǐ zuìjìn zài gàn shénme ne?
What have you been up to lately?
Pro tip: 干 (gàn) is a more casual verb for “to do” compared to 做 (zuò). It's very common in everyday speech and as a text-message opener.
Related phrases
怎么了？ · What's wrong怎么办？ · What should we do现在几点？ · What time is it now
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