B1 Dutch GrammarReported Speech
Report what others said in Dutch using dat-clauses and learn the tense and pronoun shifts.
1Basic Reported Speech
Use 'dat' (that) after reporting verbs. The verb goes to the end of the dat-clause.
Reporting Verbs
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| zeggen dat | say that |
| vertellen dat | tell that |
| denken dat | think that |
| geloven dat | believe that |
Examples
Hij zegt dat hij komt.
He says that he is coming.
present reporting
Zij zei dat ze moe was.
She said that she was tired.
past reporting
Ik denk dat het regent.
I think that it's raining.
opinion
Hij vertelde dat hij had gestudeerd.
He told that he had studied.
past with backshift
2Tense Shifts
When the reporting verb is past, tenses often shift back (backshift).
Tense Backshift
| Direct | Reported |
|---|---|
| is (is) | was |
| heeft (has) | had |
| zal (will) | zou |
| kan (can) | kon |
Examples
Hij zei dat hij ziek was.
He said that he was sick.
is → was
Zij zei dat ze het boek had gelezen.
She said that she had read the book.
heeft → had
Hij zei dat hij zou komen.
He said that he would come.
zal → zou
Zij zei dat ze kon helpen.
She said that she could help.
kan → kon
3Pronoun and Time Shifts
Pronouns and time expressions change to match the reporter's perspective.
Common Shifts
| Direct | Reported |
|---|---|
| ik (I) | hij/zij (he/she) |
| mijn (my) | zijn/haar (his/her) |
| vandaag (today) | die dag (that day) |
| morgen (tomorrow) | de volgende dag (the next day) |
Examples
Hij zei dat hij zijn vrouw miste.
He said that he missed his wife.
ik → hij, mijn → zijn
Zij zei dat ze die dag zou komen.
She said that she would come that day.
vandaag → die dag
Hij zei dat hij de dag ervoor was aangekomen.
He said that he had arrived the day before.
gisteren → de dag ervoor
Ze zeiden dat ze de volgende dag zouden vertrekken.
They said that they would leave the next day.
morgen → de volgende dag
4Reported Questions
Use 'of' for yes/no questions and question words for wh-questions. Verb goes to end.
Question Words
| Direct | Reported |
|---|---|
| Kom je? | ...of je komt |
| Wat doe je? | ...wat je doet |
| Waar woon je? | ...waar je woont |
Examples
Hij vroeg of ik kwam.
He asked if I was coming.
of for yes/no
Zij vroeg wat ik deed.
She asked what I was doing.
wat + verb at end
Hij vroeg waar ik woonde.
He asked where I lived.
waar + verb at end
Zij vroeg waarom ik huilde.
She asked why I was crying.
waarom + verb at end