Reported speech is in all places.
In English, you utilize it dozens (if not lots of) of occasions on daily basis with out even realizing it.
The excellent news is you could be that pure in Spanish, too. You’re actually simply an article away from turning into a Spanish reported speech grasp your self!
Don’t consider me? Give this publish simply 10 minutes of your time, and also you’ll see how simple it may be.
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What Is Spanish Reported Speech?
Direct and reported speech are two of essentially the most frequently-used grammar factors in languages, and Spanish is not any exception. Everytime you speak about what another person has stated, you utilize both direct or reported speech.
While you repeat precisely what one other individual has stated and explicitly point out who stated it, you’re utilizing direct speech. For instance:
Daniel cube: “Estoy muy cansado hoy.”
(Daniel says: “I’m very drained at the moment.”)
Now, let’s say you don’t bear in mind precisely what your compadre
(buddy) Daniel stated, however you do bear in mind the gist of it. If another person asks you what Daniel stated, you’d say one thing like:
Daniel cube que está muy cansado hoy.
(Daniel says he’s very drained at the moment.)
That, in a nutshell, is reported speech. Spanish reported speech is the place you speak about somebody (apart from your self and the individual you’re speaking to) and what that individual stated with out essentially quoting them verbatim.
In written texts or messages, it’s often simpler to distinguish between Spanish direct and reported speech. For starters, direct speech makes use of citation marks to surround the assertion being quoted, whereas reported speech doesn’t. Direct speech quotes the individual being talked about word-for-word, whereas reported speech could or could not use their precise phrases, although the gist of what they stated is at all times current.
In order that’s it, proper? Differentiating direct and reported speech in Spanish is only a matter of utilizing the fitting punctuation marks and whether or not you used the opposite individual’s precise phrases, sure?
Not fairly. Though English and Spanish reported speech are related for essentially the most half, the latter has some distinctive quirks that we’ll be discussing within the subsequent sections.
Fundamentals of Spanish Reported Speech
Like in English, reported speech in Spanish consists of some fundamental parts: reporting verbs, connecting phrases like que (“that”) and the message from the individual being talked about—whether or not the message is verbatim or not.
Let’s break them down under.
Spanish Reporting Verbs
Just like English, Spanish reporting verbs (often known as communication verbs) are used to sign that you simply’re both quoting somebody straight (direct speech) or paraphrasing them (reported speech).
There are dozens of reporting verbs in each language, though we have a tendency to make use of a few of them extra usually than others.
Listed here are just a few of the most typical reporting verbs in Spanish:
Decir
(to say, to inform)
Decir might be the most typical Spanish phrase to make use of when speaking about what another person stated.
Preguntar
(to ask)
If you wish to inform somebody about what one other individual is asking, use preguntar.
Querer saber
(to wish to know)
Querer saber can be utilized in an analogous method as preguntar.
Pedir
(to ask)
While you’re speaking about what another person desires, use pedir.
Querer
(to need)
As an alternative of pedir, you too can use querer.
Different Reporting Verbs in Spanish
As I’ve talked about earlier, there are such a lot of Spanish reporting verbs that it could be unimaginable to record all of them right here. Nonetheless, I may give you a few of the commonest ones:
Utilizing Que
(That)
You will have observed that the majority of our examples above have the phrase que. I’m telling you now: que goes to be your new finest pal, as a result of each single reported assertion and command in Spanish will embody it, even for those who omit or don’t want “that” in English.
Let’s have a look at just a few examples:
Spanish Reported Speech Phrase Order: Topic + Verb + Object
It doesn’t matter for those who’re speaking a few assertion, command or query. The phrase order will at all times be Topic + Verb + Object, as is typical of Spanish sentence construction.
Spanish Reported Speech Based mostly on Questions
When the reported speech Spanish audio system use is predicated on questions, it deviates barely from the construction we simply mentioned and is predicated on whether or not you’re utilizing a “sure or no” query or a “wh-” query.
Sure or No Questions
In reported speech that’s based mostly on this sort of query, you utilize si
(if, whether or not) as a substitute of que.
“Wh-” Questions
Recall the Spanish equivalents of the English “wh-” questions:
While you’re reporting a “wh-” query, you utilize the suitable query phrases above as a substitute of que or si.
One factor to bear in mind: when utilizing the verb preguntar, you’ll be able to add que simply earlier than the query phrase.
Don’t be afraid to write down two que collectively! They aren’t the identical phrase, and so they don’t have the identical operate.
Different Modifications in Spanish Reported Speech
Private Pronouns and Possessives
In reported speech, the private pronouns and possessives change from the reported model. Fortunately, it really works the identical method in English—that’s, the change is critical in order that the core message isn’t misplaced or misinterpreted.
Time and Place Expressions
Once more like English, time and place expressions within the reported speech Spanish audio system use change from their direct counterparts.
Listed here are a few of the essential modifications that happen:
There’s a gaggle of phrases I’d like to incorporate on this part. They’re neither time nor place expressions, however they suggest distance from the speaker.
Verb Tenses
Undoubtedly, essentially the most troublesome a part of reported speech in Spanish is that the verbs change their tenses.
The excellent news is that these modifications don’t occur on a regular basis, and you’ve got nearly an identical modifications in English.
However when do we have to make modifications in verb tenses? How do we all know?
The one factor you will have to keep in mind right here is the reporting verb. Sure, that little pal current at the start of the reported sentences we studied earlier than.
There are solely two easy guidelines, actually:
1. If the reporting verb is within the current easy or the current good tense, you DON’T have to alter any verb tenses except you will have a command.
2. If the reporting verb is within the preterite, the imperfect or the previous good tense (pluscuamperfecto), you DO must make modifications.
Take a look on the following examples. The reporting verbs (in daring) are within the current easy or the current good, so there are not any verb modifications within the reported sentences.
As said earlier than, when you will have a command, you do must make modifications even when the reporting verb is within the current or the current good tense. Subsequently, the crucial modifications into the current subjunctive.
Equally, if the command’s reporting verb is up to now tense, the crucial modifications into the imperfect subjunctive.
In these sentences the place the reporting verb seems up to now tense, it’s essential make verb tense modifications within the reported fragment. These modifications are nearly an identical to these in English, however listed below are crucial ones in your comfort:
In these sentences the place the verb is within the imperfect, conditional or previous good ( pluscuamperfecto
), there are not any tense modifications.
I do know this may all sound very overwhelming and complicated, so I’d prefer to introduce you to the language studying platform FluentU, the place you’ll be able to watch reported speech in Spanish in motion.
And that’s all!
As you’ll be able to see, Spanish and English reported speeches are very related.
Simply bear in mind the few guidelines I’ve taught you on this publish, and also you’ll haven’t any downside in any respect!
Obtain:
This weblog publish is accessible as a handy and transportable PDF that you simply
can take anyplace.
Click on right here to get a replica. (Obtain)
And One Extra Factor…
For those who’ve made it this far which means you in all probability take pleasure in studying Spanish with participating materials and will then love FluentU.
Different websites use scripted content material. FluentU makes use of a pure method that helps you ease into the Spanish language and tradition over time. You’ll be taught Spanish because it’s truly spoken by actual folks.
FluentU has all kinds of movies, as you’ll be able to see right here:
FluentU brings native movies inside attain with interactive transcripts. You’ll be able to faucet on any phrase to look it up immediately. Each definition has examples which were written that can assist you perceive how the phrase is used. For those who see an attention-grabbing phrase you don’t know, you’ll be able to add it to a vocab record.
Assessment an entire interactive transcript below the Dialogue tab, and discover phrases and phrases listed below Vocab.
Be taught all of the vocabulary in any video with FluentU’s sturdy studying engine. Swipe left or proper to see extra examples of the phrase you’re on.
One of the best half is that FluentU retains observe of the vocabulary that you simply’re studying, and offers you additional apply with troublesome phrases. It will even remind you when it’s time to assessment what you’ve realized. Each learner has a very personalised expertise, even when they’re studying with the identical video.
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