Learn Spanish (Spain): Necesito saber cuándo llega el proveedor con la decoración. - I need to know when the supplier arrives with the decoration.

Even though this is not a direct question, it is an indirect question. In Spanish, question words like qué, dónde, and cuándo always keep their accent marks when they are used to report or transmit a question, such as after phrases like necesito saber (I need to know) or él pregunta (he asks).

Why is the verb llega placed before the subject el proveedor?

In Spanish, it is very common to invert the subject and verb in questions, putting the verb right after the question word. This habit carries over into indirect questions. While cuándo el proveedor llega would be understood, cuándo llega el proveedor sounds much more natural.

Could I use the future tense (llegará) instead of the present tense (llega) here?

Yes, you could use the future tense, but using the present tense (llega) is extremely common in Spanish for scheduled events or things happening in the near future. It makes the arrival feel certain, similar to saying 'when the supplier is arriving' in English.

Why do we use saber instead of conocer for 'to know' here?

We use saber because it is followed by a question word (cuándo) and introduces a specific piece of information or fact. Conocer is used for being acquainted with people, places, or things, never for knowing facts like what time someone arrives.