Grammar fix
Are you serious?
check surprising news
You say this to check whether surprising information is really true.
expression
How oftenVery common
LevelB1
Used inMostly spoken
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
Are you serious? They lost our reservation after we paid in advance.
When my brother told me he was moving abroad, I asked, 'Are you serious?' because he had never mentioned it before.
Fix the pattern
One small grammar move makes it sound right.
Not: Are you seriously?
Say: Are you serious?
Use the adjective 'serious' after 'are you' when checking whether surprising news is true.
Don't confuse it
Other ways to say it
React to surprising news
How strong?QuestioningEmphatic
Are you serious?You're here · Checking whether surprising news is really true.
You're kidding!Informal surprise at something hard to believe.No way!A strong, informal reaction to astonishing news.