Spanish Phrase
¿Y ahora qué hacemos?
Meaning
Literally, “And now what do we do?” It’s a casual way to ask what the next step or plan is after something has just happened. The tone can be curious, slightly anxious, or even playful, depending on context.
When to use
Use this phrase when a group finishes an activity, a conversation reaches a pause, or a situation changes and you need to decide the next move. It works in informal settings among friends, classmates, or coworkers.
✦Grammar Breakdown
¿Yahoraquéhacemos?
Conjunction "y"
"Y" means "and" and links the previous statement to the question.
Adverb "ahora"
"Ahora" means "now" and sets the time reference for the action.
Interrogative "qué"
The accent on "qué" marks it as a question word meaning "what".
Verb "hacemos" (present, 1st person plural)
"Hacemos" comes from the verb "hacer" (to do/make) and is conjugated for "nosotros/nosotras" – "we do".
Inverted question marks
Spanish uses both opening (¿) and closing (?) question marks to indicate a question from the start.
🗨In Conversation
¡Listo, terminamos la tarea!
All right, we finished the assignment!
¿Y ahora qué hacemos?
And now what do we do?
✕Common Mistakes
¿Y ahora que hacemos?
Do not drop the accent on "qué"; it distinguishes the interrogative from the conjunction "que".
¿Y ahora qué hacen?
Using "hacemos" is correct for “we do.” Avoid "hacen" unless you’re speaking about a third‑person plural group.
Y ahora qué hacemos?
In very formal writing, you might replace the question mark with a period and a colon, but in spoken Spanish the inverted question mark is required.
↔Alternatives
¿Y ahora qué sigue?
And now what’s next?
¿Qué hacemos ahora?
What do we do now?
¿Cuál es el siguiente paso?
What’s the next step?
Cultural Tip
In Spanish‑speaking cultures, it’s common to keep the conversation flowing with a quick “¿Y ahora qué hacemos?” after finishing something. It signals teamwork and shared responsibility. In more formal contexts you might replace it with “¿Cuál es el siguiente paso, por favor?” to sound more polite.