Spanish Phrase
¿Qué opinas de lo que está pasando?
Meaning
Literally, ‘What do you think about what is happening?’ It asks the listener for their opinion on a current event, situation, or news story.
When to use
Use this question when you want to discuss recent news, a developing story, or any ongoing situation with a friend, colleague, or classmate. It works well in informal settings; for formal contexts switch to ‘¿Qué opina usted…?’
✦Grammar Breakdown
Quéopinasdeloqueestápasando
Qué (interrogative pronoun)
Used at the beginning of a question to ask 'what'. It always carries an accent.
opinas (verb opinar)
Second‑person singular present indicative of opinar ‘to have an opinion’. It matches informal 'tú' speakers.
de (preposition)
Introduces the object of the opinion, similar to English ‘of’ or ‘about’.
lo que (relative pronoun)
Means ‘that which’ or ‘what’; it links the clause ‘está pasando’ to the noun phrase.
está pasando (present progressive)
Formed with estar + gerund; expresses an action happening right now.
🗨In Conversation
¿Qué opinas de lo que está pasando en la política?
What do you think about what's happening in politics?
Me parece que hay mucha polarización y que los ciudadanos están cansados.
I think there's a lot of polarization and that citizens are getting tired.
✕Common Mistakes
Que opinas de lo que está pasando?
Missing the accent; ‘Qué’ is required for the interrogative form.
¿Qué opina de lo que está pasando?
‘Opina’ is third‑person singular; use ‘opinas’ for informal ‘tú’. If you need third‑person, the subject must be explicit (e.g., ‘¿Qué opina él…?’).
¿Qué opinas de lo que pasar?
The gerund ‘pasando’ is needed to convey the ongoing action; ‘pasar’ would change the meaning to a simple infinitive.
↔Alternatives
¿Qué piensas de lo que ocurre?
What do you think about what's going on?
¿Cuál es tu opinión sobre lo que está sucediendo?
What is your opinion about what's happening?
¿Qué te parece lo que está pasando?
How do you find what's happening?
Cultural Tip
In many Spanish‑speaking countries, asking for someone's opinion is a sign of respect and engagement. Use the informal ‘¿Qué opinas…?’ with friends or peers, but switch to ‘¿Qué opina usted…?’ in professional or elder‑relative contexts. Also, note that the phrase can sound more urgent if you add ‘en este momento’ (right now).