B1 Spanish GrammarReported Speech
Learn to report what others said using indirect speech in Spanish. Master the tense shifts that occur when moving from direct to reported speech. Understand reporting verbs like decir, preguntar, and contar, and practice transforming questions into indirect questions.
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1Basic Reported Speech with Decir
To report speech, use a reporting verb like decir + que + reported clause. When the reporting verb is in the past (dijo), tenses shift back: present becomes imperfect, preterite becomes pluperfect, future becomes conditional.
Tense Shifts in Reported Speech
| Direct Speech | Tense | Reported Speech |
|---|---|---|
| 'Estoy cansado' | present → imperfect | Dijo que estaba cansado |
| 'ComĂ pizza' | preterite → pluperfect | Dijo que habĂa comido pizza |
| 'VendrĂ© mañana' | future → conditional | Dijo que vendrĂa al dĂa siguiente |
| 'He terminado' | present perf. → pluperfect | Dijo que habĂa terminado |
Examples
MarĂa dijo que estaba enferma.
MarĂa said she was sick.
present → imperfect
Pedro dijo que habĂa ido al mĂ©dico.
Pedro said he had gone to the doctor.
preterite → pluperfect
Ella dijo que llegarĂa tarde.
She said she would arrive late.
future → conditional
Juan dijo que no podĂa venir.
Juan said he couldn't come.
imperfect stays imperfect
2Time and Place Changes
When reporting speech, time and place expressions often change to reflect the new context. Hoy becomes ese dĂa/aquel dĂa, mañana becomes al dĂa siguiente, ayer becomes el dĂa anterior, aquĂ becomes allĂ, ahora becomes entonces.
Expression Changes
| Direct | Reported | English |
|---|---|---|
| hoy | ese dĂa / aquel dĂa | that day |
| mañana | al dĂa siguiente | the next day |
| ayer | el dĂa anterior | the day before |
| ahora | entonces / en ese momento | then / at that moment |
| aquĂ | allĂ | there |
| esta semana | esa semana | that week |
Examples
Dijo: 'Vengo hoy.' → Dijo que venĂa ese dĂa.
'I'm coming today.' → He said he was coming that day.
hoy → ese dĂa
Dijo: 'Lo harĂ© mañana.' → Dijo que lo harĂa al dĂa siguiente.
'I'll do it tomorrow.' → He said he'd do it the next day.
mañana → al dĂa siguiente
Dijo: 'Trabajo aquĂ.' → Dijo que trabajaba allĂ.
'I work here.' → He said he worked there.
aquà → allĂ
Dijo: 'LleguĂ© ayer.' → Dijo que habĂa llegado el dĂa anterior.
'I arrived yesterday.' → He said he had arrived the day before.
ayer → el dĂa anterior
3Reporting Questions
To report yes/no questions, use si (if/whether). For wh-questions, keep the question word (qué, dónde, cuándo, etc.) but use normal word order, not question order. The reporting verb is usually preguntar (to ask).
Reporting Questions
| Direct Question | Type | Reported Question |
|---|---|---|
| 'ÂżVienes?' | Yes/No | PreguntĂł si venĂa |
| 'ÂżDĂłnde vives?' | Wh- | PreguntĂł dĂłnde vivĂa |
| '¿Cuándo llegas?' | Wh- | Preguntó cuándo llegaba |
| 'ÂżHas comido?' | Yes/No | PreguntĂł si habĂa comido |
Examples
Me preguntĂł si querĂa cafĂ©.
He asked me if I wanted coffee.
yes/no question with si
Preguntó dónde estaba el baño.
She asked where the bathroom was.
wh-question, normal word order
Me preguntĂł quĂ© habĂa pasado.
He asked me what had happened.
qué + pluperfect
Preguntaron cuándo Ăbamos a llegar.
They asked when we were going to arrive.
cuándo + imperfect
4Other Reporting Verbs
Beyond decir and preguntar, Spanish uses many reporting verbs: contar (tell/recount), explicar (explain), comentar (comment), afirmar (affirm), negar (deny), prometer (promise), ordenar (order), sugerir (suggest), pedir (ask for/request).
Common Reporting Verbs
| Verb | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| contar | tell a story | Me contĂł que habĂa viajado |
| explicar | explain | ExplicĂł que no podĂa ir |
| prometer | promise | PrometiĂł que volverĂa |
| ordenar | command | OrdenĂł que salieran (subj.) |
Examples
Me contĂł que habĂa conocido a alguien.
She told me she had met someone.
contar for narrating
PrometiĂł que me ayudarĂa.
He promised he would help me.
prometer + conditional
Sugirió que fuéramos al cine.
She suggested we go to the movies.
sugerir requires subjunctive
NegĂł que hubiera robado el dinero.
He denied having stolen the money.
negar requires subjunctive
Practice Exercises
5 exercises
Direct: 'Estoy cansado.' → Reported: 'Él dijo que ___ cansado.'
Direct: 'VendrĂ© mañana.' → Reported: 'Ella dijo que ___ al dĂa siguiente.'
Direct: 'ÂżTienes hambre?' → Reported: 'Me preguntĂł ___ tenĂa hambre.'
Direct: '¿Dónde vives?' → Reported: 'Me preguntó dónde ___.'
Which reporting verb would you use to report 'Please help me'?
See Real Examples in Stories
Now that you've practiced, see this grammar in context
“El señor Weber estaba contento y dijo que prepararĂa el contrato.”
“La Oruga le dijo que un lado del hongo la harĂa crecer más alta.”
“Ella le dijo que nunca volverĂa a ver a Rapunzel.”
“Sarah explicĂł que buscaba nuevos desafĂos y oportunidades de crecimiento.”
Practice with B1 Stories
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