B1 Danish GrammarReported Speech
Report what others said in Danish using at-clauses and learn the tense and pronoun shifts.
Practice in interactive stories
With instant translation and audio
1Basic Reported Speech
Use 'at' (that) after reporting verbs. Unlike English, 'at' is usually kept.
Reporting Verbs
| Danish | English |
|---|---|
| siger at | says that |
| sagde at | said that |
| fortæller at | tells that |
| tror at | thinks that |
Examples
Han siger, at han kommer.
He says that he is coming.
present reporting
Hun sagde, at hun var træt.
She said that she was tired.
past reporting
De fortæller, at filmen er god.
They say that the movie is good.
fortæller + at
Jeg tror, at det er rigtigt.
I think that it is correct.
tror + at
2Tense Shifts
When the reporting verb is past, tenses often shift back (backshift).
Tense Backshift
| Direct | Reported |
|---|---|
| er (is) | var (was) |
| har (has) | havde (had) |
| vil (will) | ville (would) |
| kan (can) | kunne (could) |
Examples
Han sagde, at han var syg.
He said that he was sick.
er → var
Hun sagde, at hun havde set filmen.
She said that she had seen the movie.
har → havde
De sagde, at de ville komme.
They said that they would come.
vil → ville
Han sagde, at han kunne hjælpe.
He said that he could help.
kan → kunne
3Pronoun and Time Shifts
Pronouns and time expressions change to match the reporter's perspective.
Common Shifts
| Direct | Reported |
|---|---|
| jeg (I) | han/hun (he/she) |
| min (my) | hans/hendes (his/her) |
| i dag (today) | den dag (that day) |
| i morgen (tomorrow) | næste dag (the next day) |
Examples
Han sagde, at han elskede sin kone.
He said that he loved his wife.
jeg → han, min → sin
Hun sagde, at hun kom den dag.
She said that she came that day.
i dag → den dag
De sagde, at de havde været der dagen før.
They said that they had been there the day before.
i går → dagen før
Han sagde, at vi skulle mødes næste dag.
He said that we should meet the next day.
i morgen → næste dag
4Reported Questions
Use 'om' for yes/no questions and question words for wh-questions. Word order changes.
Question Words
| Direct | Reported |
|---|---|
| Kommer du? | ...om du kommer |
| Hvad laver du? | ...hvad du laver |
| Hvor bor han? | ...hvor han bor |
Examples
Han spurgte, om jeg ville komme.
He asked if I wanted to come.
om for yes/no
Hun spurgte, hvad jeg lavede.
She asked what I was doing.
hvad + normal word order
De spurgte, hvor jeg boede.
They asked where I lived.
hvor + statement order
Han spurgte, hvorfor hun græd.
He asked why she was crying.
hvorfor + statement order
Practice Exercises
5 exercises
Complete: 'Han sagde, ___ han var træt.' (He said that he was tired.)
Complete: 'Hun spurgte, ___ jeg ville komme.' (She asked if I wanted to come.)
Direct: 'Jeg er syg.' → Reported: 'Han sagde, at han ___ syg.' (He said he was sick.)
Direct: 'Jeg vil hjælpe.' → Reported: 'Hun sagde, at hun ___ hjælpe.' (She said she would help.)
Complete: 'Han spurgte, ___ jeg boede.' (He asked where I lived.)
See Real Examples in Stories
Now that you've practiced, see this grammar in context
“Heksen sagde, at hun vidste, hvorfor havfruen var kommet til hende.”
“Emma spurgte, om der var nogen bøger om den franske revolution, hun kunne låne.”
“Sarah sagde, at hun var taknemmelig for sin kærlige familie.”
“Han sagde, at det nye abonnement ville starte fra næste faktureringsperiode.”
“Sophie spurgte, om varmeudgifterne var inkluderet i huslejen.”
Practice with B1 Stories
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