Another word for what are you up to

We’ve already met Gabby from Go Natural English. She’s now back to talk about that all important question – “What are you up to?”. When do you use this phrase, what is the meaning and how can you vary it?

How to respond to the question “What are you up to?”

Your friends and people you know might ask you “What are you up to?” How do you respond to this question? You might be eating lunch, watching TV, or working. It’s a casual way saying hello and maybe starting a conversation with you. Let’s see how you can easily answer this question in a variety of situations.

What does “up to” mean?

“Up to” is one of those pesky little phrasal verbs that you can’t translate literally. It just means doing something. So the question “What are you up to?” just means “What are you doing?”

Here’s a sample conversation between friends:

Jana: Hi, Rob, how are you?

Rob: Hey, Jana. Good, thanks, you?

Jana: I’m good. What are you up to?

Rob: Oh, I’m just making dinner.

Jana: Nice. What are you making?

So the question, “What are you up to?” can mean “What are you doing right now? Are you busy? Do you have time to talk?”

“What are you up to?” can be a way to ask “Are you busy?”

Here’s another example:

Jana: Hi Rob, how are you?

Rob: Hey Jan. Good, thanks, you?

Jana: I’m good. What are you up to?

Rob: I’m just leaving for work. I’m sorry I can’t really talk right now.

Jana: It’s ok. I’ll catch you later. Bye.

It’s okay if you are busy and can’t talk. Just tell your friend that you can talk later. Are you doing something interesting? Tell them! You can have a good conversation about it. Are you tired, and just don’t really want to chat right now? That’s okay, too.

Now we know how to use and respond to the question “What are you up to?” but what about how to respond to the question “What HAVE you BEEN up to?”

Ask “What have you been up to?” when talking to someone you don’t see every day

If you are talking to a person you used to know, maybe a friend or a family member you haven’t seen in a long time, the question might change into the present perfect – “What have you been up to?” Now they are asking about things that have happened in your life since the last time you talked. You’ll probably answer a little differently.

Here’s a conversation between a brother and sister who haven’t seen each other in a year:

Mia: Paulo, it’s so good to see you! What have you been up to?

Paulo: Hi Mia! I’m fine, still working a lot. How about you? What have you been up to?

Mia: Oh, the kids are keeping me busy. Tomas is playing soccer this fall. Roberto got a new job and we moved to Chicago three months ago.

Paolo isn’t asking Mia what she is doing right now. He wants to know what’s been happening in her life in the year since they last saw each other. If you have sad news to share, it’s okay to answer the question that way.

Mia: Paolo, it’s so good to see you! What have you been up to?

Paolo: Hi Mia! Nothing much. Ricarda has been in the hospital. She hurt her back at work.

Mia: Oh, I’m sorry! I hope she’s doing better now.

Paolo: Yes, she’s getting better, thanks. So what have you been up to?

How to correctly pronounce “What are you up to?”

Here’s something else to watch for – many times, in casual conversation, this phrase is said pretty fast. Instead of “What are you up to?” listen for “Whatcha up to?” or even “Whatchup to?”

English stresses the words “what” and “up,” and the word “you” is said very quickly with no stress. “You” can even become “cha”… and the word “are” disappears completely! Once you’ve heard it a few times, though, it’s easy to understand. Read about 7 tips for learning English (and other languages).

“What are you up to?” can be another way to say hello

Lots of times, people answer the question “What are you up to?” with “Not much,” or “Nothing.” Then they will ask their friend the same question, and it becomes another way to say hello between friends.

Harold: Hi John, what are you up to?

John: Oh, not much. What are you up to?

Harold: Nothing much. If you’re not too busy, want to go get dinner?

John: Sure, that sounds great.

“What are you up to?” is a pretty easy question to answer, because the person who is asking is usually a friend or a family member. You can be honest with them! The question might be an invitation to have a conversation, and that’s what it’s all about!

Ну вот опять возвращаемся к теме неформального общения. На самом деле, знать разговорные фразы – круто и полезно. С разговорными выражениями английский становится живее, интереснее и приближает нас к этому эталонному термину «native speaker». Ну или хотя бы «upper-intermediate».

Сегодня нас ждет более быстрый вариант фразочек «What are you doing?» (чем занимаешься)
и «What are your plans for …» (Какие планы на). То
есть можно их перефразировать в «What are you up to?»

So what are you up to right now?

(Так какие у тебя планы на сегодня?)

Если разделить выражение на компоненты, то to be up to переводится
как заниматься,
намереваться (что-либо сделать), замышлять:

Thy
are up to do something bad.

(Они замышляют нечто плохое.)

Также есть довольно похожая по смыслу и построению структура to be up for something — намереваться заняться чем-либо, быть
готовым чем-то заняться:

What
is he up for tonight?

(Чем он собирается заняться сегодня вечером?)

He
is up for a trip to the downtown.

(Он не против (готов) прокатиться в центр.)

Как видите, очень похоже. Но все же есть некоторая разница в смысле. Там, где вы хотите узнать о планах на какое-то время, лучше подойдет «What are you up for». Если же вам интересно, чем кто-то хочет заняться, что он такое задумал, то спрашивайте через «What are you up to».

Если тут вы немного застопорились, то не отчаивайтесь. Тут начинаются тонкие материи, которые доходят не сразу, скорее с практикой. Всегда советую прислушиваться к диалогам в фильмах и сериалах. Встретившись с этими выражениями в английском, постарайтесь прочувствовать ситуацию. После to be up to всегда представляется, как героя поймали на горячем, он явно что-то замышлял… Но не факт!)

В обычном общении спрашивайте о планах через to be up for. Ответом на подобный вопрос может быть предложение: «I’m up for drinking something out», например.

Жду Вас на своем блоге! See ya!