Direct Speech vs. Indirect Speech
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Reported speech lets you repeat what someone else said by changing the verb tense and pronouns to match your perspective.
- Use 'da' to connect the reporting verb to the reported clause: 'Rekao je da dolazi.'
- Shift pronouns to match the new speaker: 'Ja sam gladan' becomes 'Rekao je da je on gladan.'
- Keep the original tense if the reporting verb is in the present, shift it if it's in the past.
Meanings
Reported speech is used to convey what someone else said without quoting them directly. It requires adjusting pronouns and sometimes verb tenses.
Reporting statements
Relaying facts or opinions stated by others.
“On je rekao da voli pizzu.”
“Ona je tvrdila da je završila posao.”
Reporting questions
Relaying a question asked by someone else.
“Pitao me je li gladan.”
“Pitala je gdje radim.”
Reported Speech Structure
| Reporting Verb | Conjunction | Reported Clause |
|---|---|---|
| On kaže | da | on radi. |
| Ona je rekla | da | ona radi. |
| Pitao je | li | on radi? |
| Zanimalo ih je | gdje | on radi. |
| Obećali su | da | će doći. |
| Tvrdio je | da | nije kriv. |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Verb + da + Clause | Rekao je da dolazi. |
| Negative | Verb + da + ne + Verb | Rekao je da ne dolazi. |
| Question (Yes/No) | Verb + li + Clause | Pitao je li dolazi. |
| Question (Wh-) | Verb + Wh-word + Clause | Pitao je gdje dolazi. |
| Past Tense | Verb(past) + da + Verb(past) | Rekao je da je došao. |
| Future Tense | Verb(past) + da + Verb(future) | Rekao je da će doći. |
طیف رسمیت
Izjavio je da dolazi. (General)
Rekao je da dolazi. (General)
Rekao je da dolazi. (General)
Rekao je da stiže. (General)
Reported Speech Components
Reporting Verbs
- reći to say
- pitati to ask
Connectors
- da that
- li if
Direct vs. Indirect
مثالها بر اساس سطح
On kaže da je gladan.
He says that he is hungry.
Ona kaže da ide kući.
She says that she is going home.
Oni kažu da je film dobar.
They say that the movie is good.
Kažem da je to istina.
I say that it is the truth.
Rekao je da je bio u školi.
He said that he was at school.
Pitala je gdje si.
She asked where you are.
Rekli su da neće doći.
They said they won't come.
Pitao me je li gladan.
He asked me if he is hungry.
Tvrdio je da nije ništa ukrao.
He claimed that he stole nothing.
Obećala je da će mi pomoći.
She promised that she would help me.
Zanimalo ih je zašto kasnimo.
They were interested in why we are late.
Rekao je da bi volio putovati.
He said that he would like to travel.
Izjavio je da su optužbe neosnovane.
He declared that the accusations are baseless.
Naglasila je da je suradnja ključna.
She emphasized that cooperation is key.
Pitao se bi li bilo bolje otići.
He wondered if it would be better to leave.
Tvrdili su da su radili cijeli dan.
They claimed they had been working all day.
Sugestirao je da se razmotre sve opcije.
He suggested that all options be considered.
Tvrdilo se da je projekt bio osuđen na propast.
It was claimed that the project was doomed to fail.
Upitao je bi li se moglo učiniti više.
He asked if more could have been done.
Nagovijestio je da bi moglo doći do promjena.
He hinted that changes might occur.
Izrazio je sumnju bi li se itko usudio.
He expressed doubt whether anyone would dare.
Tvrdio je da, bez obzira na sve, ostaje pri svome.
He maintained that, regardless of everything, he stands by his word.
Pitao se je li ikada bilo moguće izbjeći taj ishod.
He wondered if it had ever been possible to avoid that outcome.
Smatrao je da bi bilo neprimjereno komentirati.
He considered that it would be inappropriate to comment.
بهراحتی اشتباه گرفته میشود
Learners often mix punctuation and pronouns.
Using 'da' for questions.
Keeping the original tense in the past.
اشتباهات رایج
Rekao je on dolazi.
Rekao je da on dolazi.
Rekao je da ja sam gladan.
Rekao je da je on gladan.
Pitao je da li sam gladan.
Pitao je je li gladan.
Kaže da on je radio.
Kaže da je on radio.
Rekao je da on će doći.
Rekao je da će on doći.
Pitala je gdje sam ja bio.
Pitala je gdje sam bio.
Rekao je da on ne bi došao.
Rekao je da ne bi došao.
Tvrdio je da on nije bio tamo.
Tvrdio je da nije bio tamo.
Pitao me da li sam ja to uradio.
Pitao me je li sam to uradio.
Rekao je da on radi jučer.
Rekao je da je on radio jučer.
Smatrao je da bi se to trebalo uraditi.
Smatrao je da bi to trebalo uraditi.
Izjavio je da on je bio u pravu.
Izjavio je da je on bio u pravu.
الگوهای جملهسازی
Rekao je da ___.
Pitao me je li ___.
Tvrdio je da ___.
Zanimalo ih je zašto ___.
Real World Usage
Mama je pitala kad dolaziš.
Šef je rekao da moramo završiti projekt.
Svi kažu da je film odličan.
Vodič je rekao da autobus kreće u 8.
Rekli su da hrana stiže za 20 minuta.
Rekao sam da imam iskustva.
The 'da' rule
Pronoun shifts
Question particles
Formality
Smart Tips
Use 'li' instead of 'da' to sound like a native speaker.
Always check if the pronoun matches the person you are talking about.
Use 'izjaviti' for official statements.
Keep the future tense marker 'će'.
تلفظ
Conjunction 'da'
Pronounced clearly as /da/. Ensure it is not swallowed.
Statement
Rekao je da dolazi ↘
Falling intonation at the end of a statement.
Question
Pitao je je li gladan ↗
Rising intonation for questions.
حفظ کنید
روش یادسپاری
Remember 'D-A' for 'Direct-to-Indirect' conversion: always use 'da' to bridge the gap.
تداعی تصویری
Imagine a telephone wire connecting two people. The message travels through the wire, but it changes shape (pronouns/tenses) as it moves from the sender to the receiver.
Rhyme
When you report what others say, use 'da' to lead the way.
Story
Marko told me he was hungry. I told my mom that Marko said he was hungry. My mom told my dad that I said Marko was hungry. The story keeps changing as it passes through each person!
شبکه واژگان
چالش
For the next 5 minutes, report everything you hear someone say to yourself in Croatian using 'da'.
نکات فرهنگی
Reported speech is highly structured and formal in business settings.
Often uses different reporting verbs and slightly more relaxed syntax.
Tends to be very direct and clear in reporting.
Reported speech evolved from the need to relay information accurately in legal and social contexts.
شروعکنندههای مکالمه
Što ti je prijatelj rekao danas?
Što su ti roditelji rekli o planovima?
Što misliš, što bi šef rekao na ovo?
Kako bi prepričao vijesti koje si čuo?
موضوعات نگارش
Test Yourself
Rekao je ___ dolazi.
Direct: 'Ja sam gladan.'
Find and fix the mistake:
Pitao je da li sam gladan.
Ona kaže: 'Ja radim.'
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
rekao / da / on / dolazi
Rekao je da on ___ (raditi).
Reported speech always uses 'da'.
Score: /8
تمرینهای عملی
8 exercisesRekao je ___ dolazi.
Direct: 'Ja sam gladan.'
Find and fix the mistake:
Pitao je da li sam gladan.
Ona kaže: 'Ja radim.'
1. 'Ja sam tu.' 2. 'Gdje si?'
rekao / da / on / dolazi
Rekao je da on ___ (raditi).
Reported speech always uses 'da'.
Score: /8
سوالات متداول (8)
Yes, for statements. For questions, use 'li'.
Because the perspective shifts from the speaker to the reporter.
No, that would be direct speech.
You don't need to shift the tense as much.
It can be both formal and informal.
Forgetting to shift pronouns.
Use 'da' + present tense or 'da' + infinitive structure.
No, use 'li' or question words like 'gdje', 'kada'.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Konjunktiv I
German changes the verb mood; Croatian changes the pronoun/tense.
Discours indirect
French requires strict sequence of tenses.
Estilo indirecto
Spanish has more complex subjunctive requirements.
To iu
Japanese quotes are often kept direct.
Kalam manqul
Arabic grammar is highly inflectional.
Jianjie yinyong
Chinese has no verb conjugation.
