1) What do you do for a living? 2) What are you doing now? 3) What do you study? In fact, the word "заниматься" is relative to the word "занят" (busy). So, anything that makes you busy can be ment. The answer can be: Я - врач. (I am a doctor.) Я ужинаю. (I am dining.) Я изучаю латинский язык. (I study Latin.) The answer CANNOT be like: Я улыбаюсь. (I am smiling.) Я старею. (I grow old.) because these things do not make you busy.

The verb занимаеться means to be involved or to spend time on doing something. The question means "what do you do?" or "what is your main occupation?"

//Что значит "Чем ты занимаешься?" на английском? // This question have a basic meaning - "What are you doing" for me it also have additional meaning - "+now" It can have other meaning, but its can be said by other way - like "Кем ты рабочаешь"/What is your job. "Чем ты увлекаешься"/What are you interested in? So I think that question is about your action in this moment. Of couse accept additional versions if Anyone want to know about your work or hobby.... So it must depend on situation. If you just sit and talk - what the point to ask you - what are you doing now? anyone can see - you sit and speak. So it must work if anyone came and saw like you doing something unussual - and ask about it. Other way - if you talk like - who are you, whats you name, what are you doing? So its sure close to what you job or what you ussual action in life... :)

As an example, if you asked with that, I'd have replied like "I'm a student" and might have also added "I study Chinese and English at university". :) Sometimes it is also used to say "Hi! What are you doing?" which is equal to "Привет, чем занимаешься?" but more often it is being said like this "Привет, что делаешь?". So, basically, you ask this question to someone when you want to know how the person you're speaking to makes money and what he does in order to not to simply die of hunger. :) Or you can use it as to ask about somebodys' hobbies as well as about somebody's job like "Чем ты любишь заниматься в свободное время?" which means "What do you like doing in your spare time?". Or you can be asked, say at school "Чем занимаются твои родители?" which is equal to "What do your parents do?" in other words, "What job do they do?" or "What kind of work do your parents work at?".

Gracias por tú pregunta, I learned some Russian. ;) Wayne