“What Have You Been Up to?” Meaning

Topping up your vocabulary with new phrases is essential if you want to speak English fluently. Today, we’ll find out more about the phrase “What have you been up to?”

How to use “What have you been up to?” and how to respond

“What have you been up to?” means asking a person about the recent activities they have been doing, especially when they have been away from you. You can use this phrase to ask a friend or close person to you what they have been doing. The aim is to catch up with their progress or know how they are doing since you last met each other.

Examples:

Kelvin: Hi Brenda! What have you been up to?
Brendah: Hi Kelvin! Nothing much, just watching.

The response to “What have you been up to?”

Anyone asking you, “What have you been up to?” is curious to know more about your well-being.

If you just met your friend and they pose this question, they expect you to respond by mentioning any of the activities or engagements you have been involved with recently.

It has been a long since you last met. So ensure you tell that person all the exciting things they might have just missed when you were away.

Responding to a family member

Replying to a family member should be entirely direct and precise – not much storytelling.

Example in a sentence:

Dad: Hi Tamaya! What have you been up to today?
Tamaya: I have been doing my studies for the upcoming end-of-term exam.
Dad: That’s nice to hear.

With the help of English tutoring, when you learn the language in 1-on-1 lessons with a teacher, you will be able to expand your vocabulary and learn how to use “What have you been up to?”. Book a free trial lesson and see for yourself!

Some more examples of using “What have you been up to?”: