Portuguese Phrase
O que está sendo feito?
Meaning
Literally, “What is being done?” It asks about the current activity or task that is in progress, often when you want to know the status of a project, a work process, or any ongoing action.
When to use
Use this question in meetings, classrooms, or any situation where you need to check the progress of a task, a repair, a cooking recipe, etc. It is more formal than the active "O que você está fazendo?" and is common in written or professional Portuguese.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Oqueestásendofeito
Interrogative pronoun
"O que" means "what" and introduces a question about a thing or action.
Estar (present)
"está" is the third‑person singular present of the verb estar, used for temporary states or ongoing actions.
Sendo (gerund of ser)
"sendo" is the gerund form of ser and appears in the passive progressive construction.
Feito (past participle)
"feito" is the past participle of fazer and agrees in gender/number with the subject (here neutral).
Passive progressive
The pattern estar + sendo + past participle expresses an action that is currently being performed on something.
🗨In Conversation
O que está sendo feito?
What is being done?
Estamos revisando o relatório e enviando os dados ao cliente.
We are reviewing the report and sending the data to the client.
✕Common Mistakes
O que está ser feito?
The verb ser does not form the progressive; you need estar + sendo.
O que está fazendo?
Using "fazendo" changes the meaning to an active question about the subject’s action.
O que está a ser feito?
Correct in European Portuguese, but in Brazilian Portuguese it sounds overly formal; use "está sendo feito" instead.
↔Alternatives
O que está acontecendo?
What is happening?
O que está a ser feito?
What is being done? (European Portuguese)
Qual é a tarefa atual?
What is the current task?
O que você está fazendo?
What are you doing?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, the passive progressive (está sendo + participle) sounds a bit formal and is more frequent in written reports, news, or official announcements. In everyday conversation people usually prefer the active form "O que você está fazendo?" or the simple present "O que está acontecendo?". If you’re speaking with colleagues in a formal setting, the passive version shows politeness and detaches the focus from the person performing the action.