what is reported speech in spanish

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How to Use Reported Speech in Spanish

Reported speech is everywhere.

In English, you use it dozens (if not hundreds) of times every day without even realizing it.

The good news is that you can be that natural in Spanish, too. You’re literally just an article away from becoming a Spanish reported speech master yourself!

Don’t believe me? Give this post just 10 minutes of your time, and you’ll see how easy it can be.

What Is Spanish Reported Speech?

Basics of spanish reported speech, spanish reporting verbs, decir  (to say, to tell), preguntar  (to ask), querer saber (to want to know), pedir  (to ask), querer (to want), other reporting verbs in spanish, using  que (that), spanish reported speech word order: subject + verb + object, spanish reported speech based on questions, yes or no questions, “wh-” questions, other changes in spanish reported speech, personal pronouns and possessives, time and place expressions, verb tenses, and one more thing….

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Direct and reported speech are two of the most frequently-used grammar points in languages, and Spanish is no exception. Whenever you talk about what someone else has said, you use either direct or reported speech.

When you repeat exactly what another person has said and explicitly indicate who said it, you’re using direct speech. For example:

Daniel dice: “Estoy muy cansado hoy.” (Daniel says: “I am very tired today.”)

Now, let’s say you don’t remember exactly what your  compadre (buddy) Daniel said, but you do remember the gist of it. If someone else asks you what Daniel said, you’d say something like:

Daniel dice que está muy cansado hoy.  (Daniel says he is very tired today.)

That, in a nutshell, is reported speech. Spanish reported speech is where you talk about someone (other than yourself and the person you’re talking to) and what that person said without necessarily quoting them verbatim.

In written texts or messages, it’s usually easier to differentiate between Spanish direct and reported speech. For starters, direct speech uses quotation marks to enclose the statement being quoted, while reported speech doesn’t. Direct speech quotes the person being talked about word-for-word, while reported speech may or may not use their exact words, though the gist of what they said is always present.

So that’s it, right? Differentiating direct and reported speech in Spanish is just a matter of using the right punctuation marks and whether you used the other person’s exact words, yes? 

Not quite. Although English and Spanish reported speech are similar for the most part, the latter has some unique quirks that we’ll be discussing in the next sections.

Like in English, reported speech in Spanish consists of a few basic elements: reporting verbs, connecting words like que (“that”) and the message from the person being talked about—whether the message is verbatim or not.

Let’s break them down below.

Similar to English, Spanish reporting verbs (also known as communication verbs ) are used to signal that you’re either quoting someone directly (direct speech) or paraphrasing them (reported speech).

There are dozens of reporting verbs in every language, although we tend to use some of them more often than others.

Here are a few of the most common reporting verbs in Spanish:

Decir is probably the most common Spanish word to use when talking about what someone else said.

If you want to tell someone about what another person is asking, use preguntar.

Querer saber can be used in a similar way as preguntar.

When you’re talking about what someone else wants, use pedir.

Instead of pedir, you can also use querer.

As I’ve mentioned earlier, there are so many Spanish reporting verbs that it would be impossible to list them all here. However, I can give you some of the most common ones:

You may have noticed that almost all of our examples above have the word que . I’m telling you now: que is going to be your new best friend, because every single reported statement and command in Spanish will include it, even if you omit or don’t need “that” in English.

Let’s look at a few examples:

It doesn’t matter if you’re talking about a statement, command or question. The word order will always be Subject + Verb + Object, as is typical of Spanish sentence structure .

When the reported speech Spanish speakers use is based on questions , it deviates slightly from the structure we just discussed and is based on whether you’re using a “yes or no” question or a “wh-” question.

In reported speech that’s based on this kind of question, you use si (if, whether) instead of que .

Recall the Spanish equivalents of the English “wh-” questions:

When you’re reporting a “wh-” question, you use the appropriate question words above instead of  que or  si .

One thing to keep in mind: when using the verb preguntar , you can add que just before the question word.

Don’t be afraid to write two que together! They aren’t the same word, and they don’t have the same function.

In reported speech, the personal pronouns and possessives change from the reported version. Luckily, it works the same way in English—that is, the change is necessary so that the core message isn’t lost or misinterpreted.

Again like English, time and place expressions in the reported speech Spanish speakers use change from their direct counterparts.

Here are some of the main changes that take place:

There’s a group of words I’d like to include in this section. They’re neither time nor place expressions, but they imply distance from the speaker.

Undoubtedly, the most troublesome part of reported speech in Spanish is that the verbs change their tenses.

The good news is that these changes don’t happen all the time, and you have almost identical changes in English.

But when do we need to make changes in verb tenses? How do we know?

The only thing you have to bear in mind here is the reporting verb. Yes, that little friend present at the beginning of the reported sentences we studied before.

There are only two straightforward rules, really:

1. If the reporting verb is in the present simple or the present perfect tense, you DON’T have to change any verb tenses unless you have a command.

2. If the reporting verb is in the preterite, the imperfect or the past perfect tense ( pluscuamperfecto ), you DO need to make changes.

Have a look at the following examples. The reporting verbs (in bold) are in the present simple or the present perfect, so there are no verb changes in the reported sentences.

As stated before, when you have a command, you do need to make changes even when the reporting verb is in the present or the present perfect tense. Therefore, the imperative changes into the present subjunctive .

Similarly, if the command’s reporting verb is in the past tense, the imperative changes into the imperfect subjunctive.

In those sentences where the reporting verb appears in the past tense, you need to make verb tense changes in the reported fragment. These changes are almost identical to those in English, but here are the most important ones for your convenience:

In those sentences where the verb is in the imperfect , conditional or past perfect ( pluscuamperfecto ), there are no tense changes.

I know this can all sound very overwhelming and confusing, so I’d like to introduce you to the language learning platform FluentU , where you can watch reported speech in Spanish in action.

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You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.

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And that’s all!

As you can see, Spanish and English reported speeches are very similar.

Just remember the few rules I’ve taught you in this post, and you’ll have no problem at all!

If you've made it this far that means you probably enjoy learning Spanish with engaging material and will then love FluentU .

Other sites use scripted content. FluentU uses a natural approach that helps you ease into the Spanish language and culture over time. You’ll learn Spanish as it’s actually spoken by real people.

FluentU has a wide variety of videos, as you can see here:

FluentU brings native videos within reach with interactive transcripts. You can tap on any word to look it up instantly. Every definition has examples that have been written to help you understand how the word is used. If you see an interesting word you don’t know, you can add it to a vocab list.

Review a complete interactive transcript under the Dialogue tab, and find words and phrases listed under Vocab .

Learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentU’s robust learning engine. Swipe left or right to see more examples of the word you’re on.

The best part is that FluentU keeps track of the vocabulary that you’re learning, and gives you extra practice with difficult words. It'll even remind you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. Every learner has a truly personalized experience, even if they’re learning with the same video.

Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

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by Alison Maciejewski Cortez

Updated on August 7, 2023

An intro to reported speech in Spanish

In Spanish, we use estilo indirecto (reported speech) to report on what somebody else has said. You most likely use it all the time, though you may not realize it. For example, you might use reported speech to get out of an awkward situation . If you want to express a strong opinion without taking full responsibility for it, you can use reported speech to express what somebody else thinks.

In this blog, we’ll review the basics of reported speech in Spanish — from how to use it to some real-life examples of reported speech in action. 

• What is “estilo indirecto” (reported speech)? 

How to use reported speech in Spanish

Reported speech example sentences in spanish, learn languages at your pace, what is “estilo indirecto” (reported speech).

In English, we use the terms “direct speech” and “reported speech.” In Spanish, we use the terms estilo directo and estilo indirecto. Here’s a refresher on indirect speech in English to make a clear distinction.

Direct speech in Spanish and English occurs when you quote a person. You repeat their words exactly as the person said them. When writing, you must use quotation marks to demonstrate that the words are directly quoted: 

• El maestro dijo: “La tarea se entrega el viernes.” (The teacher said, “The homework is due on Friday.”)

Reported speech occurs when you report on a speaker’s words without quoting the speaker directly . Reported speech uses some specific verbs that help to report the general message of what someone has said. 

Here are some common Spanish verbs that will alert you that reported speech is being used:

Now, let’s jump into the rules about how to create reported speech in Spanish. There are five major rules to follow when using reported speech.

1. Reported speech is used with statements, commands and questions

Reported speech is used to report a command (otherwise known as the imperative mood in Spanish) . It’s also used to report a statement or question.

• La maestra quiere que Miguel repita la clase. (The teacher wants Miguel to repeat the class.)
• Mi mamá me dijo que hiciera la cama y guardara los platos. (My mom told me to make the bed and put away the dishes.)
• Mi hermana nos preguntó si íbamos a reunirnos para su cumpleaños. (My sister asked us if we were going to get together for her birthday.)

2. A conjunction must follow the reporting verb

The conjunction que (that) or si (if) follows the reporting verb

3. Check subject agreement

Subject pronouns and possessives need to agree with the new subject in the reported speech. 

• Direct : Mario dijo: “Quiero mi celular.” (Mario said, “I want my phone.”)
• Reported : Mario dijo que él quería su celular. (Mario said that he wants his phone.)

Note: Here we must change the first-person subject pronoun in the direct speech ( yo ) and the possessive mi (my) to él (he) and su (his), respectively. 

4. Check time and location

We must also change the time and location when using reported speech. In the examples below, hoy (today) changes to ese día or aquel día (that day) and aquí (here) changes to allí or ahí (there).

• Direct : Mary dice: “Llego hoy .”   (Mary says, “I arrive today.”)
• Reported : Mary dijo que llegaba ese día. (Mary said that she would arrive that day.)
• Direct : Sara dijo: “Voy aquí . (Sara said, “I’m going here.”)
• Reported : Sara dijo que iba allí . (Sara said that she is going there.)

5. Changing verb tenses in reported speech

Finally, if the reporting verb is in the present tense, it can stay in the present.

• Direct : El doctor dice: “No puedo atenderte.” (The doctor says, “I can’t see you.”)
• Reported : El doctor dice que no puede atenderme. (The doctor said he cannot see me.) 

If the scenario occurs in the past, we need to change the reporting verb to the past tense.

• Direct : El doctor dijo: “No puedo atenderte.” (The doctor said, “I cannot see you.”)

Reported : El doctor dijo que no podía atenderme. (The doctor said he could not see me.)

You have seen plenty of reported speech example sentences in Spanish above, but let’s look at how to structure a question: 

• Direct : Mi hermano preguntó: “¿Tienes dinero?” (My brother asked, “Do you have money?”)
• Reported : Mi hermano preguntó si tenía dinero. (My brother asked if I had money.)

Notice that here we do not use the conjunction que (that) . Instead, we use the conjunction si (if) because the direct question expects a “yes/no” answer.

But, if we are reporting a question that has a question word (who, what, when, where, why) we keep the question word and do not use que :

• Direct : Erica quiere saber: ¿Cuándo es la película? (Erica wants to know, “When is the movie?”)
• Reported : Erica quiere saber cuando es la película . (Erica wants to know when the movie is.)

Did you hear what she said?

Knowing how to use reported speech in Spanish is a very important skill. Communicating somebody else’s words or messages to others is a scenario that comes up everywhere, from the staff meeting to a hallway gossip session. In this blog, we’ve covered the basics of reported speech — but an in-person Spanish class wouldn’t hurt if you need some extra practice. 

Alison Maciejewski Cortez

Alison Maciejewski Cortez is Chilean-American, born and raised in California. She studied abroad in Spain, has lived in multiple countries, and now calls Mexico home. She believes that learning how to order a beer in a new language reveals a lot about local culture. Alison speaks English, Spanish, and Thai fluently and studies Czech and Turkish. Her tech copywriting business takes her around the world and she is excited to share language tips as part of the Lingoda team. Follow her culinary and cultural experiences on X .

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How to use reported speech in Spanish?

Reported speech, also known as indirect discourse, is the reproduction or “repackaging” of someone else’s message. In English and in Spanish, we normally begin reported speech with a reporting verb ( dijo ( " he/she said " ) ), preguntó ( " he/she asked " ) , etc.), followed by a conjunction ( que ( " that " ) ) and then the message. With that said, reported speech in Spanish has a few rules we need to keep in mind. Are you ready to be the messenger? Let’s get started!

Table of Contents

Direct vs indirect speech.

Spanish and English both have different means of communicating what someone has said. One way is called direct speech. Direct speech works the same in both languages: you use direct quotations and a punctuation mark to introduce the message. In English, we use a comma, but in Spanish, we introduce direct speech with a colon. Here is an example of direct speech:

El profesor fue claro. Nos dijo: “Hagan la tarea para mañana.”

The professor was clear. He told us, “Do your homework for tomorrow.”

Indirect speech, while still relaying a message, has a few more things to consider. In Spanish, we can indirectly report statements, questions (yes/no and content), and commands/requests . Because we use indirect speech way more than direct speech in our daily life, we need to make sure you know how to use it and how to build it to avoid confusion or mixed messages. What does indirect speech look like, you ask? Here are some examples:

Indirect statement:

La señora explicó que para abrir la puerta necesitábamos jalar, no empujar .

The lady explained that t o open the door we needed to pull, not push .

Indirect command:

Mi mamá me dijo que hiciera la cama y guardara los platos .

My mom told me to make the bed and put away the dishes .

Indirect question:

Mi hermana nos preguntó si íbamos a reunirnos para su cumpleaños .

My sister asked us if we were going to get together for her birthday .

While still relaying a message, see how the reported/indirect messages have to change in both languages? Let’s get our learning going!

How to build indirect speech in Spanish?

Before we begin any type of indirect speech, we must start our clause with a verb of reporting. The following are some frequently used verbs of reporting:

• decir ( " to say, to tell " )
• preguntar ( " to ask " )
• querer ( " to want " )
• explicar ( " to explain " )
• afirmar ( " to assert " )
• añadir ( " to add " )
• contestar ( " to reply, to answer " )
• insistir ( " to insist " )

The verb of reporting can refer to the present or the past . If it refers to the present, the verb of reporting will be in the present (simple or progressive) or present perfect :

El niño dice/ha dicho que quiere su biberón.

The boy says/has said that he wants his bottle.

If it refers to the past, the most common form is the preterite :

El niño dijo que quería su biberón.

The boy said that he wanted his bottle.

The second ingredient in indirect speech is a conjunction that follows the verb of reporting. The conjunctions are normally que ( " that " ) or si ( " if " ) .

Finally, we must adapt three additional items when building indirect speech. The three changes are: relation , time , and location . Keep reading to learn more!

Subject pronouns and possessives

When using indirect speech, we need to make sure we change subject pronouns No definition set for subject pronouns Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. and possessives to match the message that was given. This also happens in English. Here’s an example:

Direct speech:

María dijo: “( yo ) Quiero mi burrito.”

María said, “ I want my burrito.”

Indirect speech:

María dijo que ella quería su burrito.

María said that she wanted her burrito.

Notice how the indirect speech goes from first to third person since we are indirectly referring to what has been said.

Change in location and time

When we are using indirect speech, we must adjust our time and location references as well. This also happens in English! It should not be too difficult to pick up.

Time changes:

hoy ( " today " ) → ese día/aquel día ( " that day " )

Julio dice: “Llego hoy.”

Julio says, “I arrive today.”

Julio dijo que llegaba ese día.

Julio said that he would arrive that day.

ahora ( " now " ) → entonces ( " then " )

La niña insiste: “Quiero jugo ahora.”

The girl insists, “I want juice now.”

La niña insistió que quería jugo entonces.

The girl insisted that she wanted juice then.

mañana ( " tomorrow " ) → al día siguiente ( " the next day " )

El estudiante añadió: “No estaré en clases mañana.”

The student added, “I will not be in classes tomorrow.”

El estudiante añadió que no estaría en clases al día siguiente.

The student added that he would not be in classes the next day.

Click the link to see some additional Spanish expressions and how they change with indirect speech !

Notice that if you're reporting in the present, you might not need to change the time reference. It’s all a matter of time relativity! For instance, llego hoy ( " I arrive today " ) , if you're relaying this message on the same day then there is no need to change:

Location changes:

Adverbs of place: aquí ( " here " ) → allí, ahí ( " there " )

Mi papá dijo: “Estaciónate aquí.”

My dad said, “Park here.”

Mi papá quiso que me estacionara allí.

My dad wanted me to park there.

These include demonstratives, adjectives, and pronouns because they deal with distance from the speaker!

este, esta ( " this " ) → ese, esa, aquel, aquella ( " that " ) estos, estas ( " these " ) → esos, esas, aquellos, aquellas ( " those " )

Directionality/verbs of direction will also change!

llevar ( " to take " ) → traer ( " to bring " )

ir ( " to go " ) → venir ( " to come " )

And vice versa!

Ana says, “I’ll bring coffee for everyone.”

Ana says she’ll bring coffee for everyone.

For more on how to use these particular verbs in Spanish , head over to our post!

Adapting verb tenses in indirect speech

The last crucial change in building indirect speech happens to verb tenses. Just like we change time expressions above, sometimes we need to change verb tenses to ensure the message is being communicated appropriately. Here are a couple of examples:

If the reporting verb is related to the present , then there is NO NEED to change the verb tense.

El doctor dice : “No ⤷ present puedo atenderte.”

The doctor says, “I can’t see you.”

El doctor dice que no ⤷ present puede atenderme.

The doctor says he cannot see me.

If the reporting verb is related to the past , then you will need to change the verb tense.

El doctor dijo : “No ⤷ present puedo atenderte.”

El doctor dijo que no ⤷ imperfect podía atenderme.

For a full list of Spanish verb tenses and their corresponding tense in indirect speech , click the link!

We will see next that these rules also apply to indirect questions, but they do not when using commands. Keep reading to find out which verb tenses you use with Spanish commands.

Indirect questions in Spanish

If you are relaying a question with indirect speech, there are a couple of different options for doing so. However, the most common verbs of reporting for questions are: preguntar ( " to ask " ) and querer saber ( " to want to know " ) . With regard to verb tenses, it works exactly like the indirect statements above. Let’s check questions and indirect speech, shall we?

Yes and no questions

Mi hermano preguntó: “¿Tienes chicle?”

My brother asked, “Do you have gum?”

Mi hermano preguntó si tenía chicle.

My brother asked if I had gum.

To report a yes/no answer, you can say:

Questions words

f you are reporting a question that originally had a question word (who, what, when, where, etc.), you will not require the use of que ( " that " ) or si ( " if " ) . Instead, you will keep the original question word in Spanish as your "bridge" between the reporting verb and indirect speech. For example:

El chico preguntó: “¿ Dónde está la Rambla?”

The boy asked, “Where is the Rambla?”

El chico preguntó dónde estaba la Rambla.

The boy asked where the Rambla was.

Erica quiere saber: ¿Cuándo es la asamblea?

Erica wants to know, “When is the assembly?”

Erica quiere saber cuándo es la asamblea.

Erica wants to know when the assembly is.

In colloquial speech it is common to insert " que " between the reporting verb “ preguntar " and the question word or before si for yes/no indirect questions.

Enrique me preguntó (que) por qué habías llegado tarde.

Enrique asked me why you had arrived late.

Los estudiantes preguntaron (que) si podían tener una extensión.

The students asked if they could have an extension.

For more on questions, check out: " How to build questions in Spanish? "

Indirect commands in Spanish

To use indirect speech to relay commands, the format continues being similar to indirect statements:

Introduce the indirect speech with a verb of reporting.

• exigir ( " to demand " )
• mandar ( " to command " )
• pedir ( " to ask for/request " )

Follow it with the conjunction que ( " that " ) .

Finally, if the verb of reporting is in the present, present continuous, or present perfect, then the command will be in the present subjunctive . For example:

Compra leche, por favor.

Buy milk, please.

Tu papá pide que compres leche, por favor.

Your dad asks that you buy milk, please.

On the other hand, if the verb of reporting is in the preterite, imperfect, or past perfect, then the command will be in the imperfect subjunctive .

Tu papá pidió que compraras leche, por favor.

Your dad asked you to buy milk, please.

Need a refresher on these subjunctive tenses? We have you covered with these posts on the Spanish present subjunctive and the Spanish imperfect subjunctive .

To sum it up

Indirect speech is used for indirectly reporting statements, questions (yes/no and content), and commands/requests. In order to build indirect speech appropriately, we need to keep in mind the following pieces:

Start the clause with a verb of reporting, such as decir ( " to say, to tell " ) , preguntar ( " to ask " ) , querer ( " to want " ) , etc.

Follow the verb of reporting with a conjunction .

que ( " that " ) for indirect statements and commands, or

si ( " if " ) for yes/no questions

a question word (who, what, when , where, etc.) for content questions.

Finally, we must adapt three additional items when building indirect speech:

Time changes: making sure the time expressions are appropriately adjusted to fit an indirect message.

Location changes: making sure words that imply distance from the speaker also match the indirect speech.

Verb tense changes: We change verb tenses to ensure the message is being communicated appropriately.

Statements and questions use verbs in the indicative.

Commands use verbs in the subjunctive.

While it seems like a lot of stuff to remember, these changes make sense because so many of them also happen in English. The best way to master indirect speech is to practice it, so I have created an activity for you to get you started with it. You can check it out by clicking the link!

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Indirect Speech in Spanish

El estilo indirecto ( indirect speech / reported speech ) is used in Spanish to report what someone has said without quoting them directly . In this article, you’ll learn the difference between direct and indirect speech and about the different types of indirect speech.

Direct Speech vs. Indirect Speech

Just like in English, we can report what another person said with direct speech or indirect speech. Direct speech is used to narrate the exact words expressed by the speaker. It is primarily used in writing.

Let’s take a look at a few examples using direct speech!

By using indirect speech, we don’t have to repeat what the speaker has said word-for-word. By omitting the direct quotation, we can paraphrase someone else's words, focusing more on the content of what someone said, rather than their exact words. Note that, since it is used to relay what someone said, it is almost always used in a past tense.

Let’s change the previous examples of direct speech to indirect speech.

He Said, She Said

There are three types of indirect speech: indirect statements , indirect questions , and indirect commands . Let’s take a closer look.

Indirect Statements

Reporting verbs , followed by the conjunction que ( that ), are used to introduce someone else's statement indirectly . Decir ( to say / to tell ) is the most common verb used to report a statement, but there are many more:

Let’s take a look at some examples!

Indirect Questions

When reporting a question, we use the verb preguntar ( to ask ) or the verb phrase querer saber ( to want to know ) followed by si ( if / whether ).

For example:

When reporting who , what , where , when , why , or how questions, use preguntar or querer saber followed by the question word. Since it is indirect speech, we do not need to use question marks.

Indirect Commands or Requests

To report a command, we use a variety of reporting verbs followed by que . Here is a list of the most common verbs used to report a command or request:

Check out these examples!

Important Changes

When using indirect speech, you often need to change the verb tense. Here's a table to help you remember what tense you need to use!

Pronouns and Possessives

When changing direct speech to reported speech, make sure to change any necessary pronouns and possessive adjectives .

Time and Place Expressions

Finally, when using indirect speech, we need to change references to time and place. Here’s a list of the most common changes:

When using indirect speech, you need to know your past tenses well. Review your past tenses in Spanish with these articles!

• Preterite vs. Imperfect
• Verbs that Change Meaning in the Preterite
• Past Participles
• Irregular Spanish Past Participles
• Sequence of Tenses in Spanish
• The Simple Past vs. Past Continuous in Spanish
• Past Perfect Progressive in Spanish
• Past Perfect
• Past Perfect Subjunctive

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Spanish Reported Speech – How to Become an Expert

• November 7, 2021

Joanna Lupa

For someone who is not a grammar fan, the term “Spanish reported speech” may sound as mysterious as the dark side of the Moon. What hides behind it, however, is quite straightforward and easy to grasp. 

Imagine you’re at a party. The music is so loud that you can hardly hear what other people are saying. The fact that you’re deaf in one ear does not help things. 

You’re trying to establish a conversation with that nice-looking girl you’ve had your eye on all night. Luckily, a friend of yours, who does not suffer from impaired hearing, offers to give you a hand. 

“I’m Mike. What’s your name? ” – is what you are shouting, but the girl can’t hear you. 

So, your friend comes to the rescue: “ He says he’s Mike and wants to know what your name is ”. 

That first sentence, articulated by the main speaker, is an example of the so-called “ direct speech” o “discurso director”, in Spanish. 

The second one, in which an intermediate (a friend, a journalist, a lawyer, etc.) reports on what you just said is nothing other than reported speech, called “discurso reportado o indirecto” in Spanish.  

Mystery solved!

Spanish Reported Speech – Common Reporting Verbs

Let’s go back to our example of reported speech for a second. Pay attention to how Mike’s friend introduces his sentences: “ He says…”

“ To say ” is one of the most common reporting verbs in English. 

How about Spanish? Below you’ll find a list of verbs and expressions that will come extremely handy when reporting on someone else’s words:

• decir – to say / to tell
• pedir – to ask (for something)
• indicar – to indicate
• sugerir – to suggest
• aclarar – to clarify
• asegurar – to assure
• anunciar – to announce
• quejarse / reclamar – to complain
• explicar – to explain
• preguntar – to ask (if)
• contestar – to answer /  to respond
• querer saber – to want to know
• preguntarse – to wonder

These verbs can be used either in present or in past and you’ll have to conjugate them accordingly. 

Here are a few ideas of how you can start your sentence in Spanish reported speech. 

🇪🇸 Pedro dice / dijo … 🇬🇧 Pedro says / said…

🇪🇸 Tu papá pregunta / preguntó… 🇬🇧 Your dad is asking / asked…

🇪🇸 El doctor sugiere / sugirió… 🇬🇧 The doctor suggests / suggested…

🇪🇸 El gobierno indica / indicó… 🇬🇧 The government indicates / indicated…

🇪🇸 Tu mamá pide / pidió que… 🇬🇧 Your mom is asking (you) / asked (you) to …

🇪🇸 Nos gustaría saber… 🇬🇧 We’d like to know…

🇪🇸 ¿Puedes / podrías aclarar… 🇬🇧 Can / could you clarify…

🇪🇸 Me pregunto… 🇬🇧 I wonder…

🇪🇸 El cliente reclama / reclamó… 🇬🇧 The customer is complaining / complained …

Of course, you can adjust the subject freely according to what is logical for your sentence. 

Picking a verbal tense for reported speech in Spanish – present or past –  brings consequences regarding the rest of your sentence. 

Keep reading to see what they are. 

🇪🇸 Test Your Spanish Knowledge 🇪🇸

Spanish Reported Speech – Talking About What People Say

Respanish reported speech in positive or negative statements.

When you want to report on simple affirmative or negative ideas with the verb “ dice ” in the present tense,  all you have to remember is to adjust the verb conjugation, just like in the examples below. 

The verbal tenses used in your original sentence remain the same.  

🇪🇸 “Necesito descansar” – Mi mamá dice que necesita descansar. 🇬🇧 “I need to rest” – My mom says she needs to rest. 

🇪🇸 “Estoy muy preocupado” – Pedro dice que está muy preocupado. 🇬🇧 “I’m very worried” – Pedro says he is very worried.  

🇪🇸 “No queda leche.” – Juan see queja que no queda leche. 🇬🇧 “There is no milk left” – Juan complains (that) there is no milk left. 

🇪🇸 “Ayer fui al dentista” – El abuelo dice que ayer fue al dentista. 🇬🇧 “I went to the dentist’s yesterday” –  Grandpa says he went to the dentist the day before.

🇪🇸 “Vamos a casarnos.” – Ana y Miguel anuncian que se van a casar. 🇬🇧 “We are going to get married” – Ana and Miguel announce they are going to get married.

Spanish Reported Speech in Yes / No Questions

“Do you drink coffee?”, “Are you upset?”, “Can you help me? ” – these are examples of the so-called closed questions . You can easily recognize them, as the only logical answer to them is  “yes” or “no”.

Turning closed questions into reported speech is a little tricky in English, as it requires you to eliminate the auxiliary and switch from interrogative word order to affirmative. 

In Spanish, however, there is no such need. Why? Well, to start with, there are no auxiliaries for present actions. Besides, closed questions in Spanish have the same word order as affirmative sentences, but a different intonation. 

All you’ll have to do this time is to add the word “ SI ” (“ IF ”) to connect your main question with the introductory expression, just like in the examples below:

🇪🇸 “¿Tienes hambre?” – Alex pregunta si tienes hambre.  🇬🇧 “Are you hungry?” – Alex asks if you are hungry. 

🇪🇸 “¿Hay un cajero por aquí?” – Quisiera saber si hay un cajero por aquí.  🇬🇧 “Is there an ATM nearby?” – I’d like to know if there is an ATM nearby. 

🇪🇸 “¿Te gustan los mariscos?” – Mi mamá se pregunta si te gustan los mariscos.   🇬🇧 “Do you like seafood?” – My mom wonders if you like seafood. 

🇪🇸 “¿Has leído algo de Dickens?” – La maestra pregunta si has leído algo de Dickens.  🇬🇧 “Have you read something by Dickens?” – The teacher asks if you’ve read something by Dickens.

Spanish Reported Speech in Open Questions

“Where do you live?”, “What’s your name?”, “When are you coming?” – you can’t answer “yes” or “no” to questions like that. They require specific information according to the “WH-” word that comes at the beginning. 

Questions like that are called “ open ”. To report on them in Spanish, you keep their original form (as long as you are using reporting verbs in present). Just make sure that you know all the necessary question words in Spanish .

🇪🇸 “¿Dónde está el mesón del servicio al cliente?” – ¿Me puede decir dónde está el mesón del servicio al cliente? 🇬🇧 “Where is the customer service counter?” – Can you tell me where the customer service counter is?

🇪🇸 ¿Cómo llegar a este lugar?” – ¿Me puede explicar cómo llegar a este lugar? 🇬🇧 “How do I get to this place?” – Can you tell me how to get to that place?

🇪🇸 ¿Quién está a cargo aquí?” – ¿Me puede aclarar quién está a cargo aquí? “Who’s in charge here?” – Can you clarify who is in charge here?

🇪🇸 “¿Cuándo llega el abuelo?” – Mamá, ¡dime cuando llega el abuelo! 🇬🇧 “When is grandpa coming?” – Mom, tell me when grandpa is coming!

Have you noticed how the last question changed into the imperative mood ? That’s because “¡ Dime !” is a command, not a question. 

Spanish Reported Speech – Talking About What People Said

When your reporting verb is in past, you have to adjust the verbal tense of the original message, according to the “One-Step-Back” rule .

The table below shows the way this rule works for different tenses:

Reporting On Present Actions or Conditions

🇪🇸 “Tengo miedo” –  Mi hermana dijo que tenía miedo. 🇬🇧 “I’m scared” – My sister said she was scared.

🇪🇸 “Estoy muy orgulloso de tí” –  Tu papá dijo que estaba muy orgulloso de tí. 🇬🇧 “I’m very proud of you” – Your father said he was very proud of you.

🇪🇸 “Hay un problema” –  Alex dijo que había un problema. 🇬🇧 “There is a problem” – Alex said there was a problem.

🇪🇸 “Voy a salir” –  Pedro dijo que iba a salir. 🇬🇧 “I’m going out” – Pedro said he was going out. 

🇪🇸 “Necesito ayuda” –  Mi prima dijo que necesitaba ayuda.  🇬🇧 “I need help” – My cousin said she needed help.

🔔 Note that “ prima ” refers to a girl. A male cousin would be “ primo ” in Spanish. If you’d like to review the vocabulary related to family members in Spanish, feel welcome to read my post about that topic. 

Reporting On Future Actions or Conditions

🇪🇸 “Un día serás un gran hombre” –  Mi papá prometió que un día sería un gran hombre.  🇬🇧 “One day you’ll be a great man” – My dad promised that one day I would be a great man. 

🇪🇸 “Tu abuela se pondrá muy contenta” –  Ella dijo que mi abuela se pondría muy contenta. 🇬🇧 “Your granny will get very happy” – She said my granny would get very happy. 

🇪🇸 “Él será nuestro nuevo presidente” –  Escuché que él sería nuestro nuevo presidente.  🇬🇧 “He’ll be our next president” – I heard he’d be our next president. 

🇪🇸 “¿Adónde irás si hay un ataque zombie?” –  Mi hijo preguntó adónde iría si hubiera un ataque zombie.  🇬🇧 “Where will you go if there is a zombie attack?” – My son asked where I’d go if there was a zombie attack. 

🇪🇸 “¿Qué harás si te asaltan?” –  Preguntó qué haría si me asaltaran.  🇬🇧 “What will you do if you get mugged?” – He/ she asked what I’d do if I got mugged. 

If you pay close attention, you’ll realize that the last 2 examples are in fact conditional sentences . 

🔔 According to the “ one-step-back rule ”, the 1st (realistic) conditional gets replaced with the 2nd (hypothetical) conditional. 

Reporting On Past Actions or Conditions

If you have read my previous grammar posts, you’ll know that there are four different Past Tenses in Spanish: Pretérito Indefinido , Pretérito Perfecto , Imperfecto, and Pluscuamperfecto . 

Luckily, turning them into reported speech in Spanish is easier than you might think. 

Pretérito Indefinido in Spanish Reported Speech

🔔 Just like in English, the Spanish Simple Past tense gets converted to Past Perfect (Pluscuamperfecto). Here is a bunch of examples to show you how it is done:

🇪🇸 “Anoche fuimos al cine” –  Dijeron (ellos/ellas) que la noche anterior habían ido al cine.  🇬🇧 “We went to the movies last night” – They said they had gone to the movies the night before. 

🇪🇸 “Te lo entregué ayer” –  Sandra dijo que te lo había entregado el día anterior. 🇬🇧 “There is a problem” – Alex said there was a problem.

🇪🇸 “Nos casamos en 2020” –  Luis dijo que se había casado con su señora en 2020.  🇬🇧 “We got married in 2020” – Luis said he had married his wife in 2020. 

🇪🇸 “Cuándo te mudaste aquí?” –  La vecina preguntó cuándo me había mudado allá.  🇬🇧 “When did you move here? – The neighbor asked when I had moved there. 

🇪🇸 “No te vi” –  Ella dijo que no te había visto.  🇬🇧 “I didn’t see you” – She said she hadn’t seen you.  

Have you noticed how “ anoche ” changes to “ la noche anterio r” and “ ayer ” to “ el día anterior ”. Paying attention to such details is what differentiates a B-level student from a C-level one. 

Pretérito Perfecto in Spanish Reported Speech

Pretérito Perfecto is the Spanish equivalent of Present Perfect. And guess what?

When reporting on an action in this verbal tense, you’ll also transform it into Pluscuamperfecto. 

🇪🇸 “Te he comprado un regalo” –  Dijiste que me habías comprado un regalo. 🇬🇧 “I’ve bought you a gift” -You said you had bought me a gift. 

🇪🇸 “Aún no he almorzado” –  Raúl se quejó de que aún no había almorzado. 🇬🇧 “I haven’t had lunch yet” – Raúl complained he hadn’t had lunch yet.

🇪🇸 “Las ventas han bajado últimamente” –  El gerente informó que las ventas habían bajado últimamente.  🇬🇧 “The sales have dropped lately” –  The manager reported that the sales had dropped lately.

🇪🇸 “¿Has terminado por hoy?” –  Queríamos saber si ya habías terminado por hoy.  🇬🇧 “Have you finished for today?” –  We wanted to know if you had finished for today. 

🇪🇸 “¿Alguna vez te han asaltado?” –  Luis preguntó si alguna vez me habían asaltado. 🇬🇧 “Have you ever been mugged?” –  Luis asked if I had ever been mugged. 

🔔 If you pay close attention, you’ll realize that the last 2 examples are, again, Spanish conditionals . Don’t forget to apply the correct “one-step-back” rule!

Pretérito Imperfecto in Spanish Reported Speech

As you (hopefully) know, Pretérito Imperfecto describes past habits, routines, and other repetitive actions from the past. 

🔔 Given that “repetitive” aspect, it steps into the reported speech unchanged . Trying to replace it with Pluscuamperfecto would make it sound like a single, one-time event or action. 

🇪🇸 “Antes fumaba mucho” –  Lucas dijo que antes fumaba mucho.  🇬🇧 “I used to smoke a lot” – Lucas said he used to smoke a lot. 

🇪🇸 “Veía esta serie cuando era niña” –  Ignacia dijo que veía esa serie cuando era niña.  🇬🇧 “I used to watch this series as a kid” – Ignacia said she used to watch that series as a kid. 

🇪🇸 “A tu edad no tenía celular” –  Mi madre dijo que a mi edad no tenía celular.  🇬🇧 “I didn’t have a cell phone at your age” –  My mom said she didn’t have a cell phone at my age. 

🇪🇸 “¿Con qué jugabas cuando chico?” –  Quería saber con que jugabas cuando era chico. 🇬🇧 “What did you play with as a child?” –  I wanted to know what you played with as a child.

🇪🇸 “¿Tu mamá te leía cuentos?” –  Enrique preguntó si mi mamá me leía cuentos.  🇬🇧 “Would your mom read you tales?” –  Enrique asked if my mother would read me tales. 

Spanish Reported Speech – The Imperative Mood

In one of my recent posts , I explained what imperative mood is and how it is created in Spanish. It’s loaded with examples and you are more than welcome to use it as your reference. 

How do commands expressed in the imperative mood behave when reported on?

In English, all you do is to drop the imperative and replace it with “TO” + infinitive:

🇬🇧 “Wash your hands” 🇬🇧 Mom is asking me to wash my hands.  or 🇬🇧 Mom told me to wash my hands.

It couldn’t get any easier, could it?

Unfortunately, converting the imperative mood into reported speech in Spanish is slightly more complex than that. Have a look:

🇪🇸 “Lávate las manos”. 🇪🇸 La mamá me dice que me lave las manos.  or 🇪🇸 La mamá me dijo que me lavara las manos. 

“ Lave ”? “ Lavara ? Do you recognize these verb forms?

That’s right. They are present and past subjunctive (subjuntivo) . The Spanish subjunctive is used in a variety of situations, one of them being the reported speech. 

Do you want to see more examples of how to report on simple commands or prohibitions? 

Here you go:

Reporting on Commands With The Reporting Verb in Present

🇪🇸 “Traigan sus libros mañana” –  La maestra pide que traigamos nuestros libros mañana.  🇬🇧 “Bring your books tomorrow” – The teacher is asking us to bring our books tomorrow. 

🇪🇸 “Ven a verme a mi oficina” –  El jefe dice que vayas a verlo a su oficina.  🇬🇧 “Come see me in my office” – The boss tells you to go see him in his office. 

🇪🇸 “Bajen la música” –  El vecino pide que bajemos la música.  🇬🇧 “Turn down the music” – The neighbor is asking us to turn down the music. 

🇪🇸 “No cierres la puerta” –  La secretaria dice que no cierres la puerta. 🇬🇧 “Close the door” – The secretary is telling you to close the door. 

🇪🇸 “No me grites” –  Ignacia pide que no le grites. 🇬🇧 “Don’t yell at me” – Ignacia is asking you not to yell at her. 

🇪🇸 “Juntémonos mañana” –  Pedro sugiere que nos juntemos mañana.  🇬🇧 “Let’s get together tomorrow” – Pedro suggests we get together tomorrow. 

Reporting on Commands With The Reporting Verb in Past

🇪🇸 “Lava los platos” –  Le dije a mi hija que lavara los platos.  🇬🇧 “Wash the dishes” – I told my daughter to wash the dishes. 

🇪🇸 “No me hables así” –  Le dije a Pedro que no me hablara así.  🇬🇧 “Don’t talk to me like this” –  I told Pedro not to talk to me like that. 

🇪🇸 “¡Ayúdame, Luis!” –  Le pedí a Luis que me ayudara.  🇬🇧 Help me, Luis!” – I asked Luis to help me. 

🇪🇸 “¡Apúrate, amor!” –  Mi esposa me dijo que me apurara.  🇬🇧 “Hurry up, sweetheart!” – My wife told me to hurry up. 

🇪🇸 “Niños, no hablen con la boca llena” –  Les pedí a mis hijos que no hablaran con la boca llena.  🇬🇧 “Don’t speak with your mouth full, kids” – I asked my kids not to speak with their mouths full. 

🇪🇸 “No vayamos allí” –  Sugerí que no fuéramos allí.  🇬🇧 “Let’s not go there” –  I suggested we didn’t go there. 

Spanish Reported Speech – Time and Place expressions

Some of the sample sentences I’ve shown you included certain time expressions, like “anoche”, “ayer”, “acá”, “ahora” , “la semana pasada”, “mañana” , etc.  

When reporting on a statement that contains such phrases, don’t forget to adjust them, if the logic requires it. Here’s how it is done:

Hoy 🠊 Ese día

🇪🇸 “Hoy es mi cumpleaños” – Pablo dijo que ese día era su cumpleaños. 🇬🇧 “Today is my birthday” – Pablo said it was his birthday that day”.

🔔 However, if the reporting happens on the same day, you can keep the word “ hoy ” unchanged. Apply the same rule for all the other expressions from the list:

Ayer 🠊 El día anterior

🇪🇸 “Ayer tuve mucho trabajo” – Luis dijo que había tenido mucho trabajo el día anterior.  🇬🇧 “I had a lot of work yesterday” – Luis said he had had a lot of work the day before.

Mañana 🠊 El día siguiente

🇪🇸 “Mañana vamos a la playa” – El papá prometió que el día siguiente iríamos a la playa.  🇬🇧 “We’re going to the beach tomorrow” – Dad promised we would go to the beach the following day. 

El año pasado 🠊 El año anterior

🇪🇸 “Nos conocimos el año pasado” – Laura se acordó que nos habíamos conocido el año anterior.  🇬🇧 “We met last year” – Laura remembered we had met the year before. 

El próximo mes 🠊 El mes siguiente

🇪🇸 “El próximo mes viajo a Asia” – Juan dijo que el mes siguiente viajaría a Asia.  🇬🇧 “I’m traveling to Asia next month” – Juan said he was traveling to Asia the following month. 

Anoche 🠊 La noche anterior

🇪🇸 “Anoche dormí muy mal” – Alex se quejó de que había dormido muy mal la noche anterior.  🇬🇧 “I slept badly last night” – Alex complained that he had slept badly the night before. 

Ahora 🠊 En ese momento

🇪🇸 “Ahora estoy ocupada” – Carmen dijo que en ese momento estaba ocupada.   🇬🇧 “I’m busy now” – Carmen said she was busy at that moment / then.  

Acá – Allá

🇪🇸 “Mis abuelos viven acá” – Jorge dijo que sus abuelos vivían allá 🇬🇧 “My grandparents live here” – Jorge said his grandparents lived there. 

En este lugar 🠊 En ese lugar

🇪🇸 “¡Juntémonos en este lugar a las 4!” – Sugerí que nos juntáramos en ese lugar a las 4.  🇬🇧 “Let’s meet in this place at 4 PM” – I suggested we met in that place at 4 PM. 

Hace 2 años 🠊 2 años antes / hacía 2 años

🇪🇸 “Vivo acá hace 2 años” – Ana dijo que vivía allá hacía 2 años.  🇬🇧 “I’ve lived here for 2 years” – Ana said she’d lived there for 2 years. 

🇪🇸 Ana dijo que se había mudado allá 2 años antes.  🇬🇧 Ana said she had moved there 2 years ago. 

Spanish Resources

9 spanish jokes for kids to learn the language, body parts in spanish – master them head to toe, say “no” in spanish – negations and negative words, your spanish journey starts here, privacy overview.

Indirect Speech in Spanish Grammar

What is estilo indirecto .

Indirect speech or reported speech (el estilo indirecto) is when we repeat what another person has said without directly quoting it.

This means that we often have to adapt or change certain parts of speech such as pronouns , tenses and time and place markers to reflect that we are only reporting what was said, not repeating it word-for-word.

Learn all about reported speech in Spanish with Lingolia, then practise in the interactive exercises.

Indirect speech: the basics

How to change direct speech to indirect speech, changing the tense in indirect speech, changing information about place and time in indirect speech, the verbs ir/venir & llevar/traer in indirect speech, related topics.

• Exercises – Indirect Speech

Direct speech repeats someone’s utterance word-for-word and is placed within quotation marks (comillas: «…»).

Indirect speech reproduces something a person has said without quoting them exactly. To do so, we use a reporting verb + que

The most common reporting verbs are decir say , afirmar confirm , contar tell , exclamar exclaim , explicar explain , preguntar ask  …

When converting direct speech to indirect speech in Spanish, we have to change several parts of speech.

Luckily, the process is almost exactly the same as it is in English, which means that you already know more than you realise!

Let’s start off with a sentence in English:

In this example, we can see that the following parts of speech have changed:

• personal pronoun (I → she)
• verb conjugation (have signed → had signed)
• demonstrative (these → those)
• possessive (my → her)

In Spanish, we change the exact same things. Let’s break them down in detail with some Spanish examples:

• personal pronouns (yo, tú, él, ella …) and corresponding verb ending
• possessives (mi, tu, su  …) and demonstratives (este, esta, ese …)
• information about time and place ( see more below )
• the tense (see more directly below)

If the reporting verb is in the present tense (dice, asegura …) or the perfect tense (ha dicho, ha asegurado …) , the tense of the verb in the indirect speech stays the same .

In general, the tense also remains unchanged when the information is scientific or expresses a universal truth.

Otherwise, if the reporting verb is in a past tense , we have to set the tense in the indirect speech back by one degree. This is known as backshifting .

Table of tense changes

The table below shows how to backshift the tense in indirect speech in Spanish:

*The imperative in indirect speech

As shown in the table above, the imperative becomes the imperfect subjunctive after a reporting verb in the past.

However, unlike the other tenses, the imperative does not stay the same after a reporting verb in the present or perfect tenses; it becomes the present subjunctive .

References to time and place also have to be adapted in indirect speech.

Questions in indirect speech

Questions in indirect speech do not appear between question marks (¿…?) .

Yes-no questions (las oraciones interrogativas totales) are introduced by a reporting verb (preguntar, sugerir, proponer …) + sí (= if/whether).

They keep the word order subject + verb .

When a question contains a question word (una oración interrogativa parcial) , we use this question word in place of sí : reporting verb + question word .

They keep the word order verb + subject .

Indirect questions

Remember: questions in indirect speech are not the same thing as indirect questions (las oraciones interrogativas indirectas).

To learn more, check out our page on indirect questions in Spanish grammar .

In Spanish, the use of the verb pairs ir/venir and llevar/traer in indirect speech depends on the perspective or location of the speaker.

When a sentence in indirect speech contains one of these verbs, we have to consider the location of the original speaker as well as the location of the speaker reporting the sentence and change the verb if necessary.

→ Learn more about the verb pairs ir/venir and llevar/traer over in our section on Confusing Word Pairs .

• Indirect Questions
• ir vs. venir
• llevar vs. traer

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Reported Speech in Spanish

Mappa concettuale.

Understanding reported speech in Spanish is crucial for conveying what others have said without direct quotes. It involves changing verb tenses, pronouns, and temporal phrases to fit a new context. This guide covers the distinction between direct and reported speech, conjugation adjustments, and practical applications in everyday communication. Advanced techniques include mastering complex structures and the subjunctive mood to maintain the original tone and intent.

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Definition of Reported Speech

Also known as indirect speech.

Reported speech is a way of conveying someone else's words without quoting them directly

Adjustments needed for reported speech

Verb tenses

To accurately reflect the original message, verb tenses must be adjusted in reported speech

Pronouns must be changed to match the new speaker's perspective in reported speech

Temporal phrases

Temporal phrases must be updated to fit the new narrative context in reported speech

Importance of distinguishing between direct and reported speech

Understanding the difference between direct and reported speech is crucial for clear communication in Spanish

Converting Direct Speech to Reported Speech

Structure of reported speech.

Reported speech involves systematic alterations to sentence structure, including verb tense, pronouns, and temporal expressions

Transition from direct to reported speech

In transitioning from direct to reported speech, direct quotations are replaced with the conjunction 'que' and verb tenses are shifted to a past form

Examples of converting direct to reported speech

"Ella dijo, 'Estoy cansada.'" (She said, "I am tired.") becomes "Ella dijo que estaba cansada." (She said that she was tired.) in reported speech

Uses of Reported Speech in Spanish

Recounting previous conversations.

Reported speech is commonly used to retell past conversations in Spanish

Disseminating information from third parties

Reported speech is also used to share information obtained from others in Spanish

Integration of stories within conversations

Reported speech is a vital narrative tool that allows for the smooth integration of stories within conversations in Spanish

Mastery of Reported Speech in Spanish

Key adjustments for reported speech.

Mastery of reported speech in Spanish requires an understanding of adjusting verb tenses, pronouns, and temporal expressions

Advanced proficiency in reported speech

Advanced proficiency in reported speech involves a deep understanding of nuanced expressions and complex sentence structures, including the use of different moods

Importance of practice

Practicing with examples of direct and reported speech is crucial for reinforcing the conversion process and improving comprehension and accuracy in Spanish

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Verb Tense Shift in Reported Speech

Shift from present to past tense to match time frame of reporting speaker.

Pronoun Adjustment in Reported Speech

Change pronouns to align with the current speaker's perspective.

Temporal Phrase Modification in Reported Speech

Alter temporal phrases to fit the context and time of the reporting speaker.

When changing from direct to reported speech in Spanish, the conjunction '______' is used, verb tenses are changed to the past, and pronouns are adjusted for the new perspective.

Verb Conjugation Adjustment

Verbs are re-conjugated to match speaker's perspective and time.

Pronoun Realignment

Pronouns shift to align with the new speaker's point of view.

Temporal Expression Update

Time references are adjusted to fit the narrative's timeframe, e.g., 'hoy' to 'ese día'.

The word '______' is often used in Spanish to introduce a reported statement, much like '______' in English.

Transition from Direct to Reported Speech

Involves changing speech from quotes to narration, often shifting verb tenses and pronouns.

Verb Tense Modifications in Reported Speech

Requires changing present tense to past tense to reflect time passed since original statement.

Adapting Temporal Expressions and Locations

Temporal phrases and place references must be contextually adjusted to align with the time of reporting.

In Spanish, the sentence 'Ella dijo que era posible que ______ al partido mañana' demonstrates the use of the ______ mood in reported speech.

fuera subjunctive

Tense adjustment in reported speech

Shift tense of main verb from direct to match reported speech perspective; past tense often used.

Pronoun changes in reported speech

Modify pronouns to align with the speaker's perspective in reported speech.

Temporal expressions in reported speech

Revise time references to fit the timeframe of the reported speech.

Transforming the Spanish question '¿Podrías cerrar la puerta?' into reported speech, it becomes 'Él ______ si podrías cerrar la puerta.'

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What is the purpose of reported speech in spanish, and how is it constructed, how does reported speech differ from direct speech in spanish, what changes are made when converting direct speech to reported speech in spanish, how is reported speech used in everyday spanish conversations, what is necessary to master the structure of reported speech in spanish, what advanced skills are required for reported speech in spanish, what is the step-by-step process for converting direct speech to reported speech, why is practicing with direct and reported speech examples important, contenuti simili, esplora altre mappe su argomenti simili.

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Understanding Reported Speech in Spanish

The Distinction Between Direct and Reported Speech

Conjugation and contextual adjustments in reported speech, practical application of reported speech in everyday spanish, mastering reported speech structure, advanced techniques in reported speech, step-by-step conversion from direct to reported speech, practicing with direct and reported speech examples.

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