Italian Phrase
Quando esci di casa?
Meaning
Literally ‘When do you leave the house?’, this question asks for the time someone plans to step out of their home. It’s used to coordinate meet‑ups, pick‑ups, or simply to satisfy curiosity about someone’s schedule.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need to know a friend’s departure time, when arranging a ride, or before making plans that depend on when the other person will be out of the house.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Quandoescidicasa?
Quando (interrogative adverb)
‘Quando’ asks about time and is placed at the beginning of a question.
esci (present of uscire)
‘esci’ is the second‑person singular present of ‘uscire’ (to go out, to leave).
di + casa (prepositional phrase)
In Italian the verb ‘uscire’ is followed by the preposition ‘di’ when the meaning is ‘to leave the house’. ‘di casa’ functions as a fixed phrase.
Question word order
When a question starts with an interrogative word, the verb follows directly; no subject pronoun is needed.
🗨In Conversation
Quando esci di casa?
When are you leaving the house?
Alle otto, verso le otto e mezza.
At eight, around eight‑thirty.
✕Common Mistakes
Quando esci a casa?
The verb ‘uscire’ takes the preposition ‘di’ when referring to leaving the house, not ‘a’.
Quando esci della casa?
The article is not used; ‘di casa’ is a set expression.
Quando esci fuori di casa?
‘Fuori di casa’ is redundant; ‘esci di casa’ already means ‘go out of the house’.
↔Alternatives
A che ora esci di casa?
At what time do you leave the house?
Quando parti di casa?
When do you depart from home?
A che ora vai fuori?
What time are you going out?
Cultural Tip
In Italy punctuality can be fluid, especially in social settings. Asking ‘Quando esci di casa?’ is perfectly normal, but be prepared for a flexible answer. In formal contexts you would avoid the colloquial ‘esci di casa’ and say something like ‘Quando lascia la sua abitazione?’, though this sounds overly stiff in everyday conversation.