Meaning
Asking about someone's current activity.
Cultural Background
Finns value directness. This question is a standard way to start a conversation. Similar to Swedish 'Vad gör du?', it's a neutral, common inquiry. This is a universal human question, though the level of formality varies by culture. In texting, it's often used as a 'ping' to see if the other person is busy.
Drop the pronoun
You don't need 'sinä'. 'Mitä teet?' is perfectly natural.
Add the '-s'
Adding '-s' (Mitäs teet?) makes you sound like a local.
Meaning
Asking about someone's current activity.
Drop the pronoun
You don't need 'sinä'. 'Mitä teet?' is perfectly natural.
Add the '-s'
Adding '-s' (Mitäs teet?) makes you sound like a local.
Be direct
Don't worry about being rude. Finns appreciate direct questions.
Test Yourself
Fill in the correct form of the verb 'tehdä'.
Mitä sinä ____?
The second person singular of 'tehdä' is 'teet'.
Choose the most natural way to ask someone what they do for work.
Which is correct?
Adding 'työksesi' clarifies that you are asking about their profession.
Match the question to the appropriate context.
Match: 1. Mitä sinä teet? 2. Mitä sinä teet työksesi?
The first is general, the second is specific to work.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Mitä sinä teet? B: ____.
You need to answer with an activity.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Practice Bank
4 exercisesMitä sinä ____?
The second person singular of 'tehdä' is 'teet'.
Which is correct?
Adding 'työksesi' clarifies that you are asking about their profession.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
The first is general, the second is specific to work.
A: Mitä sinä teet? B: ____.
You need to answer with an activity.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
12 questionsNo, it's a standard, neutral question.
Only if you add 'työksesi' or are asking about a specific task.
'Teet' is for 'sinä' (you), 'tekee' is for 'hän' (he/she).
It's a clitic that adds a friendly, casual tone.
It's better for casual emails or texts, not formal ones.
Just say what you are doing, e.g., 'Luen kirjaa'.
Yes, 'Mitä te teette?' (What are you all doing?).
Only if you add 'työksesi'.
'Mitä kuuluu' is 'How are you', 'Mitä teet' is 'What are you doing'.
Yes, it's a great way to show interest.
No, it's a spoken/informal written phrase.
It's the standard case for the object of this question.
Related Phrases
Mitä kuuluu?
similarHow are you?
Mitäs tässä?
builds onNothing much/Just hanging out.
Mitä teet työksesi?
specialized formWhat do you do for work?
Mitä sinä puuhaat?
synonymWhat are you up to?
