B1 · 中級 チャプター 3

Reporting Commands and Time

4 トータルルール
42 例文
7 分
このチャプターのルール クイック練習

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the art of relaying commands and shifting time in French conversation.

  • Convert direct commands into indirect reports using the preposition 'de'.
  • Adjust time expressions to maintain logical flow in reported stories.
  • Identify the 'discours indirect libre' style for expressive storytelling.
Tell better stories by mastering the art of reporting.

学べること

Hey there, future French speaker! Ready to level up your conversations? This chapter is going to be super cool! Have you ever wanted to tell someone what another person said, but weren't sure how to handle commands or adjust the timing? Don't worry, that's exactly what we're diving into! First, you'll master how to report commands given by others in your own words. For example, when your mom says, Eat your food!, how do you tell your friend,

My mom told me to eat my food
? You'll do it easily with a tiny word de and the infinitive verb! We'll even learn how to report negative commands like "Don't go out!
. Imagine telling your friend your teacher said,
Don't go outside" – you wouldn't say it exactly as they did in the moment; you'd adjust it so it makes sense in your current conversation. Next, we'll tackle how to change time-related words like yesterday or tomorrow when you're reporting someone's speech. This is crucial for keeping your story logical and ensuring no one gets confused. You can't say He said yesterday... if you're recounting it today; you'll learn to shift it to something like
He said the day before...
You'll sound like a pro storyteller! Finally, you'll get a peek into a fascinating literary technique called 'Discours indirect libre'. While you might not use it in everyday conversation yet, understanding it will totally transform how you read French novels, making you feel like you're directly hearing the characters' thoughts without the he said interruptions. So, get ready! After this chapter, you'll be able to relay what others said much more smoothly, tell stories without timeline blips, and appreciate French texts on a deeper level. It's way easier than you think, I promise! Let's go!

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: report commands accurately using the infinitive structure.
  2. 2
    By the end you will be able to: shift temporal markers like 'hier' to 'la veille' naturally.

チャプターガイド

Overview

Welcome to your next step in mastering French grammar, specifically designed for B1 French learners! This chapter is all about making your conversations smoother and your storytelling more precise. As you move beyond basic sentence structures, being able to accurately report what others have said becomes incredibly important.
Imagine trying to explain a friend's advice or recounting a funny anecdote – you wouldn't want to misrepresent the original message or confuse your listeners with incorrect timelines. This guide will equip you with the essential tools to handle reported speech in French, transforming you into a more confident and articulate speaker.
We'll dive deep into how to transform direct commands into indirect commands in French, using the elegant de + infinitif construction. No more awkward direct quotes when you're trying to summarize! You'll also learn the crucial art of adjusting time references, like changing yesterday to the day before, a skill that ensures your narratives always make perfect sense.
These techniques are fundamental for natural communication and are key components of achieving fluency at the B1 level and beyond.
Beyond everyday conversation, we'll even explore a fascinating literary device: Discours indirect libre. While you might not use it daily, understanding it will open up a new dimension in your appreciation of French literature, helping you to truly grasp character perspectives. By the end of this chapter, you'll not only avoid common reported speech French mistakes but also sound incredibly natural and sophisticated when relaying information.
Let's make your French storytelling shine!

How This Grammar Works

Let's break down the mechanics of reporting commands and time in French. First up, Reporting Commands: 'to do' (de + infinitif). When someone gives a direct command, like Mange ta soupe! (Eat your soup!), and you want to report it, you typically use a reporting verb such as *dire* (to say), *demander* (to ask), *ordonner* (to order), or *conseiller* (to advise), followed by de and the infinitive form of the verb.
For example, "Il m'a dit de manger ma soupe" (He told me to eat my soup). This structure simplifies the command into a single, reported action.
Next, we tackle Reporting Negative Commands (Discours indirect : impératif négatif). If the original command was negative, like Ne pars pas! (Don't leave!), the ne...pas structure remains, but it wraps around the de + infinitif phrase. So, "Elle m'a dit de ne pas partir" (She told me not to leave).
Notice how ne pas stays together before the infinitive. This is a common point of confusion but easy to master with practice.
Crucially, Reported Speech: Changing Time Words ensures your stories are always logical. When you report something that was said in the past, time adverbs often need to shift. For instance, hier (yesterday) becomes la veille (the day before), demain (tomorrow) becomes le lendemain (the next day), and aujourd'hui (today) becomes ce jour-là (that day).
So, "Il a dit : 'Je viendrai demain'" (He said: 'I will come tomorrow') becomes "Il a dit qu'il viendrait le lendemain" (He said that he would come the next day). This B1 French grammar adjustment is vital for clarity.
Finally, we have French Inner Monologue Style (Discours indirect libre). This advanced technique blends direct and indirect speech without explicit reporting verbs or conjunctions. It's often found in literature, allowing the narrator to convey a character's thoughts or words directly, but with the grammatical tense and pronoun shifts of indirect speech.
For example, instead of "Elle pensait : 'Je suis fatiguée'" (She thought: 'I am tired') or "Elle pensait qu'elle était fatiguée
(She thought that she was tired), *discours indirect libre* might present it as
Elle était fatiguée. Elle n'en pouvait plus" (She was tired. She couldn't take it anymore).
The feeling of direct thought is preserved without the direct quote marks.

Common Mistakes

  1. 1✗ Wrong: "Il m'a dit manger ma soupe."
✓ Correct: "Il m'a dit de manger ma soupe."
*Explanation:* When reporting a command with verbs like *dire*, *demander*, *ordonner*, etc., you must use de before the infinitive. Forgetting de is a very common error for French learners.
  1. 1✗ Wrong: "Elle a dit qu'elle viendrait demain." (said today, reporting yesterday's statement)
✓ Correct: "Elle a dit qu'elle viendrait le lendemain."
*Explanation:* If the original statement was Je viendrai demain made yesterday, and you are reporting it today, demain needs to shift to le lendemain to reflect the new temporal context. Always adjust time adverbs to match the reporting context.
  1. 1✗ Wrong:
    Il nous a demandé de pas faire de bruit.
✓ Correct:
Il nous a demandé de ne pas faire de bruit.
*Explanation:* In reported negative commands, the ne...pas structure must surround the infinitive, not just pas after de. Remember de ne pas + infinitif.

Real Conversations

A

A

Mon professeur a dit :
Lisez ce chapitre pour demain !
(My teacher said:
Read this chapter for tomorrow!
)
B

B

Ah oui ? Il nous a aussi demandé de lire ce chapitre pour le lendemain. (Oh really? He also asked us to read this chapter for the next day.)
A

A

Ma mère m'a dit : "N'oublie pas tes clés !
(My mother told me:
Don't forget your keys!")
B

B

Ah, la mienne m'a toujours dit de ne pas oublier les miennes. C'est classique ! (Ah, mine always told me not to forget mine. That's classic!)
A

A

Hier, mon patron a annoncé : "La réunion aura lieu aujourd'hui.
(Yesterday, my boss announced:
The meeting will take place today.")
B

B

Donc, il a annoncé que la réunion aurait lieu ce jour-là, c'est ça ? (So, he announced that the meeting would take place that day, right?)

Quick FAQ

Q

What are the most common verbs used to report commands in French?

Common verbs include *dire* (to say/tell), *demander* (to ask), *ordonner* (to order), *conseiller* (to advise), *proposer* (to suggest), and *interdire* (to forbid). All of these are followed by de + infinitif.

Q

How do you change la semaine prochaine (next week) in reported speech?

La semaine prochaine typically becomes

la semaine suivante
(the following week) in reported speech, similar to how demain becomes le lendemain.

Q

Is *Discours indirect libre* something I should try to use in everyday French conversations?

While understanding *Discours indirect libre* is valuable for reading, it is primarily a literary device. Using it extensively in everyday spoken French might sound unnatural or confusing. Stick to direct or standard indirect speech for daily conversations.

Q

Can I use que instead of de after reporting verbs for commands?

No, for reporting commands, you must use de + infinitif. Que is used to introduce a reported statement (e.g., *Il a dit qu'il viendrait* - He said that he would come), not a command.

Cultural Context

In everyday French, using reported speech, particularly indirect commands with de + infinitif, is extremely common and essential for natural conversation. Native speakers constantly summarize or relay information, making these structures integral to fluid communication. While the changing of time words like hier to la veille is a standard grammatical rule, in very informal spoken French, you might occasionally hear less strict adherence, especially if the context is absolutely clear.
However, for clear and correct French, especially at B1 level, mastering these shifts is crucial. *Discours indirect libre*, as mentioned, is almost exclusively a written, literary technique, adding depth and immediacy to narratives in novels and stories.

重要な例文 (4)

1

Le serveur me dit de choisir un dessert.

店員さんにデザートを選ぶように言われました。

命令の伝達：「〜するように言う」(de + infinitif)
2

Ma mère me demande d'acheter du pain.

お母さんからパンを買ってくるように頼まれました。

命令の伝達：「〜するように言う」(de + infinitif)
3

Il a dit qu'il arrivait ce jour-là.

He said he was arriving that day.

間接話法：時を表す言葉の変化 (hier → la veille)
4

Elle m'a envoyé un message pour dire qu'elle finirait le lendemain.

She sent me a message to say she would finish the next day.

間接話法：時を表す言葉の変化 (hier → la veille)

ヒントとコツ (4)

🎯

母音のショートカット

母音や無音の 'h' で始まる動詞の前では 'de' は 'd'' になります。 "Il me demande d'attendre."
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 命令の伝達：「〜するように言う」(de + infinitif)
🎯

いつでも不定詞（原形）！

元の命令が ne sois pas (être) や "n'aie pas« (avoir) でも、報告する時は辞書にある形のまま使います。 »Il me dit de ne pas être en retard."
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 否定命令の伝聞 (Discours indirect : impératif négatif)
💡

The 'Yesterday' Rule

Always think: if I say 'yesterday' now, does it mean the same day as the speaker? If not, change it to 'la veille'.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 間接話法：時を表す言葉の変化 (hier → la veille)
🎯

「雰囲気」で見分けるコツ

文法的には三人称（Il/Elle）なのに、まるで本人の独り言のように感情がこもっていたら自由間接話法だよ。
Il devait partir tout de suite !
のようにね。
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: フランス語の内心の独白スタイル (Discours indirect libre)

重要な語彙 (5)

la veille the day before ordonner to order le lendemain the next day penser to think interdire to forbid

Real-World Preview

briefcase

A Busy Office Day

Review Summary

  • Verb (dire/ordonner) + de + infinitif
  • Verb + de + ne pas + infinitif
  • hier -> la veille; demain -> le lendemain
  • No reporting verb + third-person perspective

よくある間違い

In French, we use the indirect object pronoun 'me' (m') before the verb, not 'moi' after 'dit'.

Wrong: Il a dit moi de manger.
正解: Il m'a dit de manger.

The 'ne pas' structure stays together before the infinitive verb.

Wrong: Il a dit de ne pas ne manger pas.
正解: Il m'a dit de ne pas manger.

When reporting past speech, you must shift 'hier' to 'la veille' to maintain narrative logic.

Wrong: Il a dit hier.
正解: Il a dit la veille.

Next Steps

You are making amazing progress! Keep practicing these structures and you'll be a master storyteller in no time.

Rewrite a dialogue from a French novel into reported speech.

Continue to: Shifting Tenses in Reported Speech

クイック練習 (10)

Fill in the correct time shift.

Il a dit : 'Je pars demain.' ➔ Il a dit qu'il partait ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: le lendemain
Demain shifts to le lendemain.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 間接話法：時を表す言葉の変化 (hier → la veille)

正しい文章を選んでください

How do you report the command 'Attendez !'?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Il nous demande d'attendre.
命令 'Attendez !' を報告する際は、'de' が母音の前で 'd'' になり、不定詞が続きます。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 命令の伝達：「〜するように言う」(de + infinitif)

Find the error.

Find and fix the mistake:

Elle a dit qu'elle partait demain.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: demain
Should be 'le lendemain'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 間接話法：時を表す言葉の変化 (hier → la veille)

Choose the correct sentence.

Which sentence is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Il a dit qu'il était venu la veille.
Pluperfect + la veille is correct.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 間接話法：時を表す言葉の変化 (hier → la veille)

空欄を埋めてください

Ma mère me dit ___ mes devoirs.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: de finir
命令 'Finis !' を報告するには、'de' ＋ 不定詞の 'finir' を使います。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 命令の伝達：「〜するように言う」(de + infinitif)

時制を直してね： 'Elle se demandait : est-elle prête ?'（'est' を自由間接話法にふさわしい過去形にしよう）。

Find and fix the mistake:

Était-elle prête ?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Était-elle prête ?
自由間接話法では 'se demandait' を消して、'est' を 'était' にシフトさせるよ。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: フランス語の内心の独白スタイル (Discours indirect libre)

Select the correct time marker.

Elle a dit qu'elle avait fini ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: la veille
Past tense requires a past marker.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 間接話法：時を表す言葉の変化 (hier → la veille)

間違いを見つけて直してください

Find and fix the mistake:

Le prof nous dit de ne dormir pas.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Le prof nous dit de ne pas dormir.
間接話法の否定命令では、'ne pas' は不定詞の前にセットで置く必要があります。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 命令の伝達：「〜するように言う」(de + infinitif)

自由間接話法を使っている文を選んでね。

どの文が 'libre' かな？

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Il partait enfin !
最後の文は導入動詞がなく、半過去と感嘆符を使っているから自由間接話法だね。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: フランス語の内心の独白スタイル (Discours indirect libre)

Fill in the blank.

Ils ont dit qu'ils partiraient ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: le lendemain
Future-in-the-past requires le lendemain.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 間接話法：時を表す言葉の変化 (hier → la veille)

Score: /10

よくある質問 (6)

命令形（命令、依頼、助言）で言われた内容を、第三者に伝える時に使います。
Il me dit de partir.
いいえ、命令の時だけです。普通の事実は que を使って文章をつなげます。
基本は「伝達動詞 ＋ de ＋ ne pas ＋ 不定詞」です。例えば
Il me dit de ne pas sortir.
のようになります。
文法的には可能ですが、 point は非常に古風で文学的です。現代の会話では ne pas を使うのが普通です。
Because the perspective of the speaker has shifted from the original moment to the reporting moment.
Only in very informal, spoken French, but it is technically incorrect in standard grammar.
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Reporting What People Say
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Shifting Tenses in Reported Speech
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