estar haciendo

to be doing; to be making

→ estar

phrase Extremely common #453

to be doing; to be making Infinitive progressive form of hacer, used to refer to being in the middle of doing or making something. The exact English translation depends on context and on what is being done or made.

SP: Necesito estar haciendo algo.

EN: I need to be doing something.

Debe de estar haciendo un recado.

He must be running an errand.

— Dil se.. (1998)

Yo debería estar haciendo carbón aquí, ¡y nunca habría tocado una espada!

I should be making charcoal here, and I never would have touched a sword!

— Guardianes de la Noche: Tren infinito (2020)

Exactamente lo que debe estar haciendo un médico.

Exactly what a doctor should be doing.

— हैदर (2014)

Deberías de estar haciendo eso ahorita.

You should be doing that right now.

Espero estar haciendo lo correcto.

I hope I'm doing the right thing.

Tom probablemente no sabe lo que debería estar haciendo.

Tom probably doesn't know what he should be doing.

Tom definitivamente no desea estar haciendo esto.

Tom definitely doesn't want to be doing this.

Eso es lo que todos deberíamos estar haciendo.

That's what we should all be doing.

— TRON: Ares (2025)

Ellis, no deberías estar haciendo esto.

Ellis, you shouldn't be doing this.

— Jungla de cristal (1988)

Necesito estar haciendo algo.

I need to be doing something.

— El maquinista (2004)

Personalmente, pienso que no deberíamos estar haciendo esto.

Personally, I don't think we should be doing this.

Tom no se dio cuenta de que no debería estar haciendo lo que estaba haciendo.

Tom didn't realize that he shouldn't be doing what he was doing.