What are you up to meaning in English
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Definition
What are you up to?: What are you doing?; What are you concocting?
-What are you up to this weekend? -I'm going swimming with my dad.
to be up to (the challenge): to be capable of, to be talented enough for (the challenge)
not to be up to not to be able to do something
Examples
- "I wonder what my staff is up to- I miss them too!"
- "Kevin : Hey there, Jean, what are you up to?"
- "Until we find out for sure what they're up to, we won't take any action."
- "It lets me update my status via mobile phone or internet, so everyone knows what I'm up to."
- "I wonder what Brian Jones is up to right now."
Exercise 1
Bruno says, "Until we find out for sure what they're up to we won't take any action".
This means that until Bruno knows what their suppliers are , he won't take any action.
This means that until Bruno knows what their suppliers are , he won't take any action.
Bruno says, "Until we find out for sure what they're up to we won't take any action".
This means that until Bruno knows what their suppliers are doing, he won't take any action.
This means that until Bruno knows what their suppliers are doing, he won't take any action.
doing: This is the best choice. The expression "to find out what someone is up to", means "to know or discover what someone is doing". Bruno wants to know what their suppliers are "doing" before he takes any action. "Doing" shares a similar meaning with "up to" in this context. "To be up to something" is synonymous with "to be doing something".
earning: To "earn (money)" means to "make money". Bruno does not want to know how much money his subcontractors are "earning" but rather "what they are doing", specifically if or if not they are using illegal labor.
planning: Bruno does not want to know what his subcontractors are "planning", but rather "what they are doing", specifically if or if not they are using illegal labor. The issue is not what Delavigne's production partners are "planning" to do in the future, but what they are currently "up to" or "doing" right now.
producing: Bruno already knows what his suppliers are "producing" or "making", he wants to know "what they are doing", specifically if or if not they are using illegal labor.
Exercise 2
Icarus uses the expression It's up to you.
From the list below, select the sentences that correctly use the idiom "to be up to" in the same way Icarus uses it. There may be more than one correct answer!
From the list below, select the sentences that correctly use the idiom "to be up to" in the same way Icarus uses it. There may be more than one correct answer!
Icarus uses the expression It's up to you.
From the list below, select the sentences that correctly use the idiom "to be up to" in the same way Icarus uses it. There may be more than one correct answer!
From the list below, select the sentences that correctly use the idiom "to be up to" in the same way Icarus uses it. There may be more than one correct answer!
This is incorrect. In this sentence, "up to" means "approaching" or "as far as", and is used to describe the level of something. Example: The rate of child poverty in Africa is up to its highest level in years. The expression is different than Icarus' use of the idiom in the dialogue.
This sentence uses the expression in the same way as Icarus uses it. "If it were up to me" is synonymous with "If it were my decision" or "If I had the power to decide". "It's up to you" means "it is your responsibility" or "it is your decision or choice". Example: I don't care if we go to Cancun or Manchester for our holidays, it's up to you. In the dialogue, Icarus is expressing that it is the board's responsibility to make any decisions regarding the budget allocations.
This is incorrect. In this sentence, "to be up to" is used with a negative construction to describe being incapable of doing something, as in the example: Rocky looked scared and never looked like he was up to beating Ali. The expression is different than Icarus' use of the idiom in the dialogue.
This is incorrect. Although "What are you up to" is a common expression, it is different than Icarus' use of the idiom in the dialogue. In this sentence, "up to" is an informal way of saying "doing". "I'm up to nothing at the moment" means "I'm doing nothing at the moment".
This sentence uses the expression in the same way as Icarus uses it. The expression "it's up to you" means that "it is your decision or choice (to make)", and "it is your responsibility", as in the example: It's up to you to finish the report on time. In this dialogue, Icarus is expressing that it is the board's responsibility to make any decisions regarding the budget allocations for the new year.
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