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casual “-ing?” questions · No. 3 of 16 textbook swaps
しているの？→してるの？→してんの？

している → してる (drop the い) → してんの (る + の becomes んの). This is how people really ask “what are you doing?”

Use it withFriends OKCoworkers OKBoss / teacher avoid

Casual and friendly. Not for a boss, and never shouted at strangers.

1,522 lines with 〜てんの？ from 194 comedians in the library · Counts updated 2026-10-08
Audience laughter in this scene0:18
Top Gun · The Potter's Fan

A customer who came to buy plates from a potter starts shouting strange chants, even as the potter phones the police.

Culture note The kappa, a creature from Japanese folklore, is pictured with a water-filled plate (sara) on top of its head.

The words appear when the audience laughs.

What are you doing?

Textbook何をしているのですか。Textbook 「何をしているのですか」: speech swaps 「する」 for 「やる」 (「やっている」) and drops 「を」; 「ている」 shrinks to 「てる」, 「てるの」 slurs into 「てんの」, and 「ですか」 drops entirely, so rising intonation alone marks the startled casual question.

Speed: normal
All lines
Audience laughter in this scene0:20
Dacquoise · Pumpkin

One performer agrees to play defense while the other gets ready to take shots on goal.

The words appear when the audience laughs.

Are you looking down on me?

Textbookあなたは私をなめているのですか。「なめているのですか」: 「ている」 shrinks to 「てる」, 「てるの」 slurs to 「てんの」, and 「です」 drops, leaving a blunt 「か」. 「私を」 is left unsaid and 「あなた」 becomes 「お前」, tacked on at the end, which turns the question into a challenge.

Tone: RudeSpeed: normal
All lines
Audience laughter in this scene0:18
Richmon · Turning Down Street Touts

A man admits that when street touts flatter him, he gets excited and wants to follow them.

The words appear when the audience laughs.

No, what do they call me?

Textbookいいえ、私は何と呼ばれているのですか。「呼ばれているの？」 drops the い (「呼ばれてるの」), then る softens to ん before の: 「呼ばれてんの？」. Also 「何と」 becomes 「何て」.

Speed: fast
All lines
Audience laughter in this scene0:18
Pabun · Cheating

One half of a comedy duo finally decides to tell the partner what's been bothering them.

Culture note In a Japanese comedy duo, the boke is the funny one and the tsukkomi is the straight man who corrects them.

The words appear when the audience laughs.

What are you even talking about, seriously?

Textbook本当に何を言っているのですか。「言っているの」 becomes 「言ってんの」: い drops and る before の turns into ん; を after 何 vanishes, and マジで is slang for 本当に.

Speed: normal
All lines
Audience laughter in this scene0:17
Bunny Pyonkichiro · The Kotatsu

Someone confronts a partner who has turned bright red and won't cool down.

The words appear when the audience laughs.

is that why you're mad?

Textbook怒っているんですか。'怒っているの？' drops the 'い' and turns 'る' before 'の' into 'ん': '怒ってんの？', a casual 'Are you mad?'

Speed: normal
All lines

More lines with 〜てんの？

From other routines in the library. Automatic transcripts, not yet checked line by line.

Quick answers

What does 〜てんの？ mean?

〜てんの？ means casual “-ing?” questions. している → してる (drop the い) → してんの (る + の becomes んの). This is how people really ask “what are you doing?”

Is 〜てんの？ rude? Who can you say it to?

With friends: OK. With coworkers: OK. With a boss or teacher: avoid. Casual and friendly. Not for a boss, and never shouted at strangers.

How common is 〜てんの？ in real speech?

In 2,334 live comedy routines, 〜てんの？ appears in 1,522 lines from 194 comedians.

Sixteen textbook swaps

いやなんで〜じゃない〜んだよ〜ちゃった〜てくんない？〜かよ！〜だろ！〜なきゃ〜みたいな〜でしたっけ？〜ばっかりマジで？〜ちゃダメやばい