Italian Phrase
Cosa hai fatto?
Meaning
This phrase literally translates to "What have you done?" but is commonly used in Italian to ask "What did you do?" in the past tense. It's a direct and versatile question used to inquire about someone's recent actions or activities, similar to the English simple past.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to know what someone has been doing, either recently or at a specific past time. It can be used in various contexts, from casual conversations with friends to more serious inquiries about an event or situation. It's suitable for most informal and semi-formal settings.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Cosahaifatto
Cosa
'Cosa' means 'what' and is used as an interrogative pronoun. It can often be interchanged with 'che cosa' or simply 'che' in informal contexts, though 'cosa' is very common and versatile here.
hai
'hai' is the second-person singular conjugation of the verb 'avere' (to have) in the present tense. It acts as an auxiliary verb to form the passato prossimo (present perfect/past simple) for most transitive verbs.
fatto
'fatto' is the past participle of the irregular verb 'fare' (to do/to make). When combined with 'avere', it forms the passato prossimo, indicating an action completed in the past that has a connection to the present or is simply a past event.
🗨In Conversation
Ciao! Non ti ho visto ieri. Cosa hai fatto?
Hi! I didn't see you yesterday. What did you do?
Sono andato al mare con la mia famiglia.
I went to the beach with my family.
✕Common Mistakes
Che hai fatto?
While 'che' can sometimes replace 'cosa' in informal speech, 'Cosa hai fatto?' is generally more standard and common when asking 'what' in this specific context. 'Che' often implies 'which' or 'that'.
Cosa hai fare?
The verb 'fare' (to do/to make) needs to be in its past participle form, 'fatto', when used with the auxiliary verb 'avere' (to have) to correctly form the passato prossimo (present perfect/past simple).
↔Alternatives
Che cosa hai fatto?
What did you do? (More complete/slightly more formal)
Cos'hai fatto?
What did you do? (Contracted form, very common in spoken Italian)
Cosa hai combinato?
What have you gotten yourself into? (More informal, often implies something went wrong or was unexpected)
Cultural Tip
In Italian, 'Cosa hai fatto?' can sometimes carry a slight tone of concern, surprise, or even mild accusation, depending on the context and intonation. For example, if a parent finds a mess, they might ask a child 'Cosa hai fatto?' implying 'What trouble have you caused?'. However, it's also used neutrally to simply inquire about activities, so pay attention to the speaker's tone and facial expressions.