English Language & Usage Asked by Mehper C. Palavuzlar on December 11, 2020
Is there a semantic difference between What’s going on? and What’s happening? Can they be used interchangeably?
Yes, they can. But consider this difference:
"What's going on?" can also be accusatory, as in "What's going on here? I didn't give permission for you to have a party in my house!"
"What's happening?" ranges from innocuous to friendly. It's a "defanged" version of "What's going on?" But most of the time, the latter statement is innocuous as well.
Correct answer by Robusto on December 11, 2020
It's the same with a little difference on each.
What's going on? something "running" that continues to happening right now
What's happening? as Event and occurrence.
Answered by Translator46 on December 11, 2020
Makes me think... If they are used neutrally, that is, the one who asks does not make a comment on the situation, but literally asks to be informed about the events that are taking place, then, I guess they are perfectly interchangeable.
However, if the speaker wishes to express an opinion or feeling about that which he/she knows very well or has just found out that it is happening, then we enter the realm of connotations through intonation, emphasis, contexts... It is such a large spectrum of interpretations, that we would need a more precise context to pin down the actual specific connotation.
Answered by fev on December 11, 2020
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