Phrase in 30 Seconds
The essential Polish way to ask 'What are you doing?' in casual settings.
- Means: 'What are you doing?' (literally and figuratively).
- Used in: Texting friends, calling family, or entering a room.
- Don't confuse: Use 'Co Pan/Pani robi?' for strangers or bosses.
Explicación a tu nivel:
Significado
Asking about someone's current activity.
Contexto cultural
Poles often use 'Co robisz?' as a literal inquiry. If you ask this, be prepared for a detailed answer about their current task, rather than just a 'Not much'. Among young people, 'Co robisz?' is frequently shortened in texts to 'Co rob?' or replaced by 'Co tam?'. It's the primary way to check availability for gaming or hanging out. Even in modern startups, the 'Pan/Pani' boundary is respected until explicitly invited to use 'Ty'. Using 'Co robisz?' too early can stall your professional integration. In villages, 'Co robisz?' might still carry the older connotation of 'What work are you performing?', reflecting the agrarian roots of the verb.
Drop the 'Ty'
Don't say 'Co ty robisz?' unless you are surprised or angry. Just 'Co robisz?' is more natural.
Watch the Register
Never use this with your Polish mother-in-law unless she has explicitly asked you to use 'Ty'!
Drop the 'Ty'
Don't say 'Co ty robisz?' unless you are surprised or angry. Just 'Co robisz?' is more natural.
Watch the Register
Never use this with your Polish mother-in-law unless she has explicitly asked you to use 'Ty'!
The 'Weekend' Bridge
Use 'Co robisz w weekend?' as the ultimate low-pressure way to ask someone out.
Expect Real Answers
If a Pole tells you they are 'cleaning the toilet,' don't be shocked. They are just answering your question literally!
Ponte a prueba
Complete the question for a friend.
Cześć Marek, co ______?
Since you are talking to Marek (informal 'you'), you use the 2nd person singular form 'robisz'.
You are talking to your boss. Which is correct?
How do you ask your boss what they are doing?
In a formal setting with a male boss, you must use 'Pan' and the 3rd person singular verb form.
Match the phrase to the situation.
Phrases: 1. Co robisz? 2. Co robicie? 3. Co Pani robi?
1 is singular informal, 2 is plural informal, 3 is singular formal (female).
Fill in the missing line.
A: Hej! ______ w sobotę? B: Nic, jestem wolny. Może pójdziemy do kina?
The context of 'Saturday' and 'being free' implies an inquiry about plans.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Ayudas visuales
Formal vs Informal
Banco de ejercicios
5 ejerciciosCześć Marek, co ______?
Since you are talking to Marek (informal 'you'), you use the 2nd person singular form 'robisz'.
How do you ask your boss what they are doing?
In a formal setting with a male boss, you must use 'Pan' and the 3rd person singular verb form.
Empareja cada elemento de la izquierda con su par de la derecha:
1 is singular informal, 2 is plural informal, 3 is singular formal (female).
A: Hej! ______ w sobotę? B: Nic, jestem wolny. Może pójdziemy do kina?
The context of 'Saturday' and 'being free' implies an inquiry about plans.
🎉 Puntuación: /5
Preguntas frecuentes
12 preguntasOnly if used with someone you should address formally (like a teacher or stranger). With friends, it's perfectly polite.
Yes, but usually you add 'zawodowo' (professionally) to be clear: 'Co robisz zawodowo?'.
The plural is 'Co robicie?'. Use this when talking to two or more friends.
Answer with 'Ja' + verb, or just the verb: 'Czytam' (I'm reading), 'Oglądam TV' (I'm watching TV).
'Co porabiasz?' is slightly more casual and 'lighter,' like 'What are you up to?'.
Yes, but it sounds more emphatic, like 'What on earth are you doing?'.
Yes, it is probably one of the top 5 most sent text messages in Poland.
You say: 'Co Pani robi?'.
Yes, 'robić' means both 'to do' and 'to make'. Context tells you which one it is.
Yes, Polish 'r' is always rolled (alveolar trill).
No, that would be considered very aggressive or rude. Use 'Przepraszam...' first.
Usually, you can see them, but in writing, you use 'Państwo' (plural) or 'Pan/Pani'.
Frases relacionadas
Co porabiasz?
similarWhat are you up to?
Co słychać?
similarWhat's new? / How's it going?
Co tam?
synonymWhat's up?
Co Pan robi?
specialized formWhat are you doing? (Formal)
Co się dzieje?
similarWhat's happening?
Dónde usarla
Texting a friend
Ania: Hej, co robisz?
Tomek: Nic wielkiego, oglądam film. A ty?
Walking into the kitchen
Mąż: Co robisz?
Żona: Robię kolację. Jesteś głodny?
Catching a child doing something wrong
Tata: Ej, co ty robisz?!
Dziecko: Nic... tylko się bawię.
Asking about weekend plans
Kasia: Co robisz w sobotę?
Piotr: Jadę do Krakowa. Chcesz jechać ze mną?
Meeting an old friend
Marek: Dawno się nie widzieliśmy! Co teraz robisz?
Ola: Pracuję w banku i kończę studia.
Interrupting someone at work
Kolega: Przepraszam, co robisz? Masz chwilę?
Koleżanka: Wysyłam maila, daj mi minutę.
Memorízalo
Mnemotecnia
Think of 'Co' as 'CO-ntent' and 'Robisz' as 'ROB-ot'. What is the Robot doing with the Content?
Asociación visual
Imagine a small, friendly robot (Robisz) holding a giant question mark (Co) while looking at you curiously.
Rhyme
Co robisz, mój miły? Czy masz jeszcze siły?
Story
You walk into a room and see your friend 'Rob' (Robisz) trying to fix a 'Co' (clock). You ask him 'Co robisz?' to see if he's actually fixing it or just making a mess.
In Other Languages
It is very similar to the English 'What are you doing?' or the German 'Was machst du?'. In all these languages, the verb 'to do' is the core of the inquiry.
Word Web
Desafío
Send a text message to a Polish friend (or a language partner) saying 'Hej, co robisz?' and try to sustain the conversation for 3 turns.
Review this phrase every time you see someone doing something interesting today. Mentally ask: 'Co robisz?'
Pronunciación
Pronounced like 'tso'. The 'c' is always a 'ts' sound in Polish.
The 'r' is rolled. 'sz' is like 'sh' in 'shop'. Stress is on the first syllable.
Espectro de formalidad
Co Pan/Pani robi? (General inquiry)
Co robisz? (General inquiry)
Co porabiasz? (General inquiry)
Co tam? (General inquiry)
From the Proto-Slavic *orbiti (to work), related to *orbъ (slave/servant).
Dato curioso
The word 'robot' comes from the same root as 'robić'!
Notas culturales
Poles often use 'Co robisz?' as a literal inquiry. If you ask this, be prepared for a detailed answer about their current task, rather than just a 'Not much'.
“Co robisz? - Naprawiam kran, bo przecieka od rana.”
Among young people, 'Co robisz?' is frequently shortened in texts to 'Co rob?' or replaced by 'Co tam?'. It's the primary way to check availability for gaming or hanging out.
“Co rob? Idziemy na dwór?”
Even in modern startups, the 'Pan/Pani' boundary is respected until explicitly invited to use 'Ty'. Using 'Co robisz?' too early can stall your professional integration.
“Proszę mi mówić po imieniu. (Please call me by my first name - the signal to start using 'robisz').”
In villages, 'Co robisz?' might still carry the older connotation of 'What work are you performing?', reflecting the agrarian roots of the verb.
“Co robisz w polu? (What are you doing in the field?)”
Inicios de conversación
Cześć! Co robisz w ten weekend?
Przepraszam, co robisz dzisiaj po pracy?
Ciekawi mnie, co robisz, żeby tak szybko uczyć się polskiego?
Co robisz w sytuacjach stresowych?
Errores comunes
Co ty robisz? (to a teacher)
Co Pan robi?
L1 Interference
Co robisz? (to a group of people)
Co robicie?
L1 Interference
Co robisz? (meaning 'How are you?')
Jak się masz? / Co słychać?
L1 Interference
Co robisz? (meaning 'What did you do?')
Co zrobiłeś? / Co zrobiłaś?
L1 Interference
In Other Languages
¿Qué haces?
Spanish uses 'hacer' for both 'do' and 'make', just like Polish 'robić'.
Qu'est-ce que tu fais ?
French word order is more rigid than Polish.
Was machst du?
German requires the pronoun 'du', while Polish usually drops 'ty'.
何をしてるの？ (Nani o shiteru no?)
Japanese levels of politeness are much more complex than the Polish Pan/Pani system.
ماذا تفعل؟ (Madha taf'al?)
Arabic has different verb forms for masculine and feminine 'you' (taf'al vs. taf'alina).
你在做什么？ (Nǐ zài zuò shénme?)
Chinese has no verb conjugation; meaning comes from word order and particles.
뭐해? (Mwohae?)
Korean has multiple levels of honorifics that change the verb ending entirely.
O que você está fazendo?
Polish uses one word ('robisz') where Portuguese uses two ('está fazendo').
Spotted in the Real World
“Co ty tutaj robisz?”
A classic Polish rock song where the singer asks someone what they are doing 'here' in a surprising situation.
“Co ty robisz, człowieku?!”
The protagonist, often frustrated, uses this to yell at people in public.
“Cześć, co robisz? Masz chwilę na rozmowę?”
Constant use in domestic scenes to start conversations.
“Co robicie w ten piękny dzień?”
Common caption for stories to engage followers.
“Co robisz w moich stronach, wiedźminie?”
Characters asking Geralt about his business in their territory.
Fácil de confundir
Learners use 'Co robisz?' to ask how someone is feeling.
Use 'Co robisz?' for actions and 'Jak się masz?' for feelings/state.
Both start with 'Co' and involve actions.
'Co robisz?' is about now; 'Co się stało?' is 'What happened?' (past/problem).
Preguntas frecuentes (12)
Only if used with someone you should address formally (like a teacher or stranger). With friends, it's perfectly polite.
usage contextsYes, but usually you add 'zawodowo' (professionally) to be clear: 'Co robisz zawodowo?'.
usage contextsThe plural is 'Co robicie?'. Use this when talking to two or more friends.
grammar mechanicsAnswer with 'Ja' + verb, or just the verb: 'Czytam' (I'm reading), 'Oglądam TV' (I'm watching TV).
practical tips'Co porabiasz?' is slightly more casual and 'lighter,' like 'What are you up to?'.
comparisonsYes, but it sounds more emphatic, like 'What on earth are you doing?'.
grammar mechanicsYes, it is probably one of the top 5 most sent text messages in Poland.
practical tipsYou say: 'Co Pani robi?'.
grammar mechanicsYes, 'robić' means both 'to do' and 'to make'. Context tells you which one it is.
basic understandingYes, Polish 'r' is always rolled (alveolar trill).
practical tipsNo, that would be considered very aggressive or rude. Use 'Przepraszam...' first.
cultural usageUsually, you can see them, but in writing, you use 'Państwo' (plural) or 'Pan/Pani'.
grammar mechanics
