What do you do for work?
A very direct and common alternative, literally 'In what do you work?'.
A more formal question, meaning 'What is your profession?'. Use this when you expect a specific job title like 'doctor' or 'engineer'.
A very casual phrase. It can also mean 'What are you doing right now?', so the conversation's context is important.
The formal 'usted' version of the main phrase. Use it when showing respect to an older person or in a professional setting.
Nice to meet you, I'm Ana. And you, what do you do for work?
My brother is a programmer. What do you do for work?
Excuse me, may I ask what you do for a living?
—I'm a doctor. —Oh, really? And your wife, what does she do?
'¿A qué te dedicas?' is the most common and versatile phrase across the region. '¿En qué trabajas?' is also widely understood and used.
It's very common to hear '¿De qué trabajás?', using the 'vos' form instead of 'tú'.
Both main phrases are used, but it's common to use the formal 'usted' ('¿A qué se dedica?') even in informal settings as a sign of general respect.
While '¿A qué te dedicas?' is used, '¿En qué trabajas?' is arguably more frequent in everyday, casual conversation.
In very informal speech among friends, you might hear '¿En qué trabajái?', which is part of the unique Chilean 'voseo'.
Using '¿Qué es tu trabajo?' — This is a literal translation of 'What is your job?' and sounds unnatural. Spanish speakers ask what a person *does* ('¿qué haces?'), not what their job *is*. Use '¿A qué te dedicas?' or '¿En qué trabajas?' instead.
Saying '¿Qué haces por trabajo?' — This is another direct translation where the preposition 'por' is incorrect. To ask about work, the correct prepositions are 'a' or 'en', as in '¿A qué te dedicas?' or '¿En qué trabajas?'.
Relying only on '¿Qué haces?' — This phrase can mean 'What are you doing?' (right now) or 'What do you do?' (for a living). Without clear context, you might get an answer like 'Estoy viendo la tele' ('I'm watching TV'). It's safer for learners to use a more specific question.
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