Indirect Speech For Intermediate learners
Indirect Speech in French (Le discours indirect)
Indirect speech (discours indirect) is used when you report what someone said without quoting their exact words. Instead of repeating the original sentence, you reformulate it using a subordinate clause, usually introduced by que or si.
Unlike direct speech, indirect speech:
does not use quotation marks
often requires changes in pronouns, verb tense, and time expressions
Basic Structure
Indirect speech typically follows this structure:
Reporting verb + subordinate clause
Paul dit qu'il est fatigué.
Paul says that he is tired.
Marie explique qu'elle part demain.
Marie explains that she is leaving tomorrow.
The most common reporting verbs include:
dire – to say
expliquer – to explain
affirmer – to state
déclarer – to declare
répondre – to answer
demander – to ask
Introducing Clauses in Indirect Speech
In indirect speech, the original sentence becomes a subordinate clause introduced by a connector that depends on whether the statement is declarative, interrogative, or imperative.
statements → que: Use que to introduce reported statements.
Direct: « Je suis fatigué », dit Paul. → Indirect: Paul dit qu'il est fatigué.
Direct: "I'm tired," said Paul. → Indirect: Paul said that he is tired.
Direct: « Nous partons ce soir. » → Indirect: Elle dit que nous partons ce soir.
Direct: "We're leaving tonight." → Indirect: She says we're leaving tonight.
yes/no questions → si: When reporting a yes/no question, use si.
Direct: « Tu viens ? » → Indirect: Il demande si tu viens.
Direct: "Are you coming?" → Indirect: He's asking if you're coming.
Direct: « Est-ce que tu comprends ? » → Indirect: Elle demande si tu comprends.
Direct: "Do you understand?" → Indirect: She is asking if you understand.
information questions → interrogative words: Keep the interrogative word (pourquoi, quand, où, comment, etc.).
Direct: « Où habites-tu ? » → Indirect: Il demande où j'habite.
Direct: "Where do you live?" → Indirect: He is asking where I live.
commands and requests → de + infinitive: When reporting imperatives (orders, advice, requests), French does not keep the imperative form. Instead, it uses de + infinitive after the reporting verb.
Direct: « Ferme la porte ! » → Indirect: Il dit de fermer la porte.
Direct: "Close the door!" → Indirect: He says to close the door.
Direct: « Écoutez-moi ! » → Indirect: Elle demande d'écouter.
Direct: "Listen to me!" → Indirect: She asks to listen.
Direct: « Ne parle pas ! » → Indirect: Il dit de ne pas parler.
"Don't speak!" → He said not to speak.
Pronoun Changes
Pronouns must change depending on the perspective of the speaker.
Direct: Marie dit : « Je suis prête. » → Indirect: Marie dit qu'elle est prête.
Direct: Marie says, "I am ready." → Indirect: Marie says that she is ready.
Direct: Il dit : « Nous partons. » → Indirect: Il dit qu'ils partent.
Direct: He says: "We are leaving." → Indirect: He says that they are leaving.
Tip!
je often becomes il or elle
tu may become je or il/elle depending on context
Tense Changes (Sequence of Tenses)
Tense changes depend on the tense of the reporting verb.
a) reporting verb in present → no change
If the reporting verb is in the present, the tense usually stays the same.
Direct: « Je mange. » → Indirect: Il dit qu'il mange.
Direct: "I'm eating." → Indirect: He says he's eating.
Direct: « Je vais partir. » → Indirect: Elle dit qu'elle va partir.
Direct: "I'm going to leave." → Indirect: She says she's going to leave.
b) reporting verb in the past → tense shift
If the reporting verb is in the past, the verb inside the clause often shifts back.
Common shifts:
Direct speech | Indirect speech |
|---|---|
présent | imparfait |
passé composé | plus-que-parfait |
futur simple | conditionnel présent |
Direct: « Je suis fatigué. » → Indirect: Il a dit qu'il était fatigué.
Direct: "I am tired." → Indirect: He said he was tired.
Direct: « J'ai fini. » → Indirect: Elle a dit qu'elle avait fini.
Direct: "I'm finished." → Indirect: She said she was finished.
Direct: « Je partirai demain. » → Indirect: Il a dit qu'il partirait le lendemain.
Direct: "I'll leave tomorrow." → Indirect: He said he would leave the next day.
Time and Place Changes
When reporting speech in the past, time expressions often change.
Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|
aujourd'hui | ce jour-là |
demain | le lendemain |
hier | la veille |
ici | là |
Direct: « Je pars demain. » → Indirect: Il a dit qu'il partait le lendemain.
Direct: "I'm leaving tomorrow." → Indirect: He said he was leaving the next day.
Direct: « Je suis ici. » → Indirect: Elle a dit qu'elle était là.
Direct: "I am here." → Indirect: She said she was here.
Comments
(0)
Recommended
