“When are you” is correct when you’re asking a direct question — like “When are you leaving?” The verb “are” comes before the subject “you” because that’s how English forms questions. Flip it around to “when you are,” and you’ve made a statement or the start of an indirect question, not a question on its own.
Both phrases are grammatically fine. The trick is knowing which job each one does, because using the wrong order in the wrong context is one of the most common English mistakes for learners and even native speakers typing fast.
The Short Answer
Use “when are you” to open a direct question:
- When are you free this week?
- When are you getting married?
- When are you coming home?
Use “when you are” inside a statement, or after a phrase like “I wonder,” “tell me,” or “I don’t know”:
- Call me when you are ready.
- I don’t know when you are arriving.
- Let’s talk when you are free.
Why the Word Order Flips
Standard English questions invert the subject and the auxiliary verb. In a statement, the subject leads: “You are late.” Turn that into a direct question, and the auxiliary “are” jumps in front of “you”: “Are you late?” Add a question word like “when,” and the pattern holds: “When are you late?”
Indirect questions and time clauses don’t invert. They keep the statement order because, grammatically, they’re not really asking anything on their own — they’re describing a question or a condition inside a larger sentence. That’s why “I wonder when you are coming” keeps “you are” together, even though the sentence is clearly about a question.
A Simple Test
Ask yourself: is this sentence, on its own, a question mark sentence? If you’d naturally end it with a question mark, use “when are you.” If it’s tucked inside a longer sentence or ends with a period, use “when you are.”
| Sentence Type | Correct Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Direct question | when are you | When are you leaving for the airport? |
| Indirect question | when you are | She asked when you are leaving. |
| Time clause / statement | when you are | Text me when you are done. |
| Embedded question after “know,” “wonder,” “tell” | when you are | I don’t know when you are free. |
Common Mistakes
- Wrong: “I wonder when are you coming.” Right: “I wonder when you are coming.”
- Wrong: “Do you know when are you leaving?” Right: “Do you know when you are leaving?”
- Wrong: “Tell me when are you ready.” Right: “Tell me when you are ready.”
Notice the pattern: once a question word like “when” gets buried inside another clause (after “wonder,” “know,” “tell,” “ask”), the inversion disappears. This trips up a lot of speakers, because the sentence still feels like a question in meaning — it’s just not phrased as one grammatically.
Examples in a Sentence
- When are you planning to visit? (direct question)
- I’m not sure when you are planning to visit. (indirect, statement order)
- When are you free for a call this week? (direct question)
- Let me know when you are free for a call. (statement order)
- When are you going to tell her? (direct question)
Key Takeaways
- “When are you” starts a direct question and ends in a question mark.
- “When you are” belongs inside statements, time clauses, and indirect questions.
- Test it: if the sentence stands alone as a question, invert to “are you.” If it’s part of a bigger sentence, keep “you are.”
- Words like “wonder,” “know,” “ask,” and “tell” almost always signal you need “when you are,” not “when are you.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Is “when are you” grammatically correct?
Yes, it’s correct when used to open a direct question, such as “When are you coming over?” The subject-verb inversion is standard for English questions.
Is “when you are” also correct?
Yes. It’s correct inside statements, time clauses, and indirect questions, such as “Call me when you are ready” or “I don’t know when you are arriving.”
Why does “when are you” sound wrong after “I wonder” or “I don’t know”?
Because those phrases turn the question into an indirect one, which uses normal statement word order. “I wonder when you are coming” is correct; “I wonder when are you coming” is not.
Can I use “when are you” and “when you are” interchangeably?
No. Swapping them changes whether the sentence reads as a direct question or a smoothly embedded clause. Native speakers notice the mismatch immediately, even if the meaning is still clear.
What’s an easy way to remember the rule?
If the sentence would end in a question mark by itself, use “are you.” If it’s folded into a longer sentence, use “you are.”
Word order like this is a small detail, but it’s exactly the kind of thing that makes writing sound natural rather than translated. Explore more of our grammar and usage guides to keep sharpening those instincts.
