Explanation of "你最近忙什么？" in Chinese:

"你最近忙什么？" is a casual question used to ask someone what they have been occupied with recently. Let’s break it down:

你 (Nǐ)

Meaning "you" (second-person singular/plural, informal), used to address the person being asked.

最近 (Zuì jìn)

Meaning "recently" or "lately," referring to a period of time close to the present.

忙 (Máng)

Adjective meaning "busy," here used as a verb meaning "to be occupied with" or "to be busy with."

什么 (Shén me)

Interrogative pronoun meaning "what," used to ask about the specific content of someone’s activities.

Tone and usage:

- **Casual and friendly**, suitable for conversations with friends, family, or acquaintances. - Implies interest in the other person’s life or work and is often used as a follow-up to greetings like "好久不见 (hǎo jiǔ bù jiàn, long time no see)." - Common responses include: - 最近在忙工作/学习。 ("I’ve been busy with work/studies lately.") - 没忙什么，就是瞎忙。 ("Not much, just busy with trivial things.")

Similar expressions:

- More formal: 您最近在忙什么？ ("What have you been busy with recently?," using 您 (nín) for politeness) - Colloquial: 最近在干嘛？ ("What are you up to lately?," using 干嘛 (gàn ma) for "what are you doing")