What are you doing/reading?

[linguist786]

Can somebody tell me how to say:

"What are you doing?"

and

"What are you reading?"

please?

Thanks!

 

[Flaminius]

What are you doing?
何をしていますか。
nani-o shite imasu-ka?
Wh-ACC do PROGRESSIVE-Q

What are you reading?
何を読んでいますか。
nani-o yonde imasu-ka?
Wh-ACC read PROGRESSIVE-Q

 

[Cereth]

Hello another option (warning: you can use this only if the person in question is your friend and you are very curious about what he/she is doing)....
Nani shiteru no?
Nani yonderu no?

 

[Eso]

I'm not so well-versed in Japanese, but the questions Cereth listed sound feminine to me. Perhaps I am wrong?

And what of this:

Nani shiten da?

 

[Flaminius]

I'm not so well-versed in Japanese, but the questions Cereth listed sound feminine to me. Perhaps I am wrong?

And what of this:

Nani shiten da?

I have an impression that men of their 40s or above are less likely to use this form than the younger generation or women in the same age group. Perhaps -no as the question marker in casual speech was once a female trait. Yet, as part of a younger generation, I don't feel particularly these forms are feminine. They are just casual.

As for "Nani shiten da?", I feel there is a reproachful connotation.

 

[etudian]

Other casual alternatives:

What are you doing?

Nani shiten no?
Nani yatteru no?
Nani yatten no?

What are you reading?

Nani yonden no?