你在做什么 What Are You Doing in Chinese

晚上wǎnshang，我wǒ给gěi朋友péngyou打电话dǎ diànhuà，问wèn：“你nǐ在zài做zuò什么shénme？”

In the evening I call my friend and ask: "What are you doing?"

她tā说shuō：“我wǒ正在zhèngzài做zuò蛋糕dàngāo，明天míngtiān是shì我wǒ妈妈māma的de生日shēngrì。”

She says: "I'm making a cake right now — tomorrow is my mom's birthday."

我wǒ说shuō：“真zhēn有意思yǒu yìsi！我wǒ可以kěyǐ看看kànkan吗ma？”

I say: "That's so fun! Can I take a look?"

她tā说shuō：“等děng一下yíxià就jiù好hǎo了le，你nǐ来lái吃chī吧ba！”

She said, "Give it a moment and it'll be ready — come and have some!"

我wǒ说shuō：“好hǎo，我wǒ现在xiànzài就jiù去qù，我wǒ也yě想xiǎng帮bāng你nǐ。”

I say: "Great, I'll head over right now — I want to help you too."

我wǒ到dào的时候de shíhou，蛋糕dàngāo已经yǐjīng好hǎo了le，我们wǒmen一起yìqǐ等děng妈妈māma回家huí jiā。

By the time I arrive, the cake is already done, and we wait together for mom to come home.

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

正在zhèngzàiright now (in the middle of)

做zuòto do; to make

什么shénmewhat

有意思yǒu yìsiinteresting

等děngto wait

已经yǐjīngalready

你在做什么？（what are you doing?）

在 here marks an ongoing action, so 你在做什么 asks what someone is doing right now.

你在做什么？— What are you doing?

正在 + V（right in the middle of doing something）

正在 emphasizes that an action is happening right now, even more clearly than 在 alone.

我正在做蛋糕。— I'm making a cake right now.

V + 吧（a friendly invitation）

Adding 吧 after a verb turns it into a warm invitation rather than a command.

你来吃吧！— Come and have some!

1. What is the friend doing when the narrator calls?

2. Why is she making it?

3. What do they do at the end of the story?

After this reading

I'm Fei, and I teach Mandarin one-on-one on Preply. Bring this text to a trial lesson — we'll fix your tones and turn it into a real conversation.