Indirect Speech: Changing Pronouns (Discours indirect)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
When moving from direct to indirect speech, pronouns must shift to reflect the new speaker's perspective.
- First person (je/nous) usually shifts to third person (il/elle/ils/elles). Ex: 'Je mange' -> 'Il dit qu'il mange.'
- Second person (tu/vous) shifts to first or third depending on the context. Ex: 'Tu es prêt?' -> 'Il m'a demandé si j'étais prêt.'
- Possessive adjectives must also shift to match the new subject. Ex: 'Mon livre' -> 'Son livre.'
Overview
Indirect speech, known in French as le discours indirect, is a fundamental linguistic mechanism for relaying what someone else has said or thought without quoting their exact words. It involves integrating the original statement into a new sentence, typically introduced by a reporting verb and a conjunction. The core challenge in discours indirect lies in adjusting elements that refer directly to the original speaker, listener, or their immediate context.
This grammatical structure is essential for summarizing conversations, reporting news, conveying instructions, or simply sharing information efficiently. For B1-level French learners, mastering the transformation of pronouns is a critical step, as these deictic elements – words that shift meaning based on who is speaking, to whom, and when – are central to accurate reporting. While advanced stages introduce changes in verb tenses and temporal/spatial adverbs, this chapter focuses exclusively on the crucial skill of adapting pronouns to the new narrative perspective.
How This Grammar Works
discours indirect functions by shifting the deictic center – the pivot point of reference – from the original speaker to the person reporting the speech. When someone speaks directly, they are the 'I' (je) of their utterance, addressing a 'you' (tu/vous) and referring to 'my' (mon/ma/mes) possessions. When you report their speech, you become the new deictic center.il) or 'she' (elle) from your perspective, and their 'you' will become 'I' (je) or 'he/she' (il/elle), depending on who the reporter is.dire (to say), expliquer (to explain), annoncer (to announce), affirmer (to affirm), penser (to think), or croire (to believe).Il dit... (He says...) or Elle pense... (She thinks...). These verbs act as signals that what follows is reported speech.que (that) is almost always mandatory in French discours indirect for statements. It serves as the connective tissue between the main clause (e.g., Il dit) and the subordinate clause containing the reported content. French grammar is strict about avoiding the hiatus of two consecutive vowels, so que consistently elides to qu' before a word starting with a vowel or a silent h.Il dit qu'il arrive. (He says that he is arriving), not que il.je, tu, il, elle, nous, vous, ils, elles) but also to object pronouns (me, te, lui, nous, vous, leur) and possessive adjectives/pronouns (mon, ton, son, etc.). The transformation ensures that the reported statement makes grammatical sense from the perspective of the new speaker.« Je suis fatigué. » (I am tired), you report it as Il dit qu'il est fatigué. (He says that he is tired), changing je to il and adjusting the verb accordingly. This systematic re-alignment of deictic references is what allows discours indirect to convey information clearly and concisely.Formation Pattern
discours indirect in French for statements is: Reporting Clause + que/qu' + Reported Clause. The primary focus for B1 learners is the transformation of pronouns within the reported clause.
je (I) | il/elle (he/she) | « Je viendrai. » (I will come.) | Il/Elle dit qu'il/elle viendra. (He/She says that he/she will come.) |
je (I) | je (I, if reporting one's own words) | « Je suis prêt. » (I am ready.) | J'ai dit que j'étais prêt. (I said that I was ready.) |
tu (you, singular informal) | je (I, if the reporter was the tu) | « Tu es en retard. » (You are late.) | Il/Elle dit que je suis en retard. (He/She says that I am late.) |
tu (you, singular informal) | il/elle (he/she, if reporter is a 3rd party) | « Tu es courageux. » (You are brave.) | Il dit qu'il est courageux. (He says that he is brave.) |
nous (we) | ils/elles (they, if reporter is a 3rd party) | « Nous partons. » (We are leaving.) | Il dit qu'ils partent. (He says that they are leaving.) |
nous (we) | nous (we, if reporter was part of nous) | « Nous avons réussi. » (We succeeded.) | Nous avons dit que nous avions réussi. (We said that we succeeded.) |
vous (you, plural/formal) | ils/elles (they, if reporter is a 3rd party) | « Vous êtes libres. » (You are free.) | Elle dit qu'ils sont libres. (She says that they are free.) |
vous (you, plural/formal) | nous (we, if reporter was part of vous) | « Vous pouvez nous aider. » (You can help us.) | Il nous a dit que nous pouvions l'aider. (He told us that we could help him.) |
je (first person singular) changes to il (third person singular), the verb form must also change from the first person singular conjugation to the third person singular. For example, « Je suis français. » becomes Il dit qu'il est français. (He says that he is French). Similarly, « Nous parlons italien. » becomes Elle dit qu'ils parlent italien. (She says that they speak Italian).
me (me) becomes le/la/lui (him/her); te (you) becomes me (me) or le/la/lui; nous (us) becomes les/leur (them) or nous; vous (you) becomes nous (us) or les/leur. For example, « Il me voit. » (He sees me.) -> J'ai dit qu'il me voyait. (I said that he saw me.) or Elle a dit qu'il la voyait. (She said that he saw her.)
mon/ma/mes (my), ton/ta/tes (your) typically shift to son/sa/ses (his/her/its) when reported by a third party. If you are reporting what someone said to you about your possession, it might remain mon/ma/mes. For example, « C'est mon livre. » (It's my book.) -> Il dit que c'est son livre. (He says that it's his book.) However, « C'est ta voiture. » (It's your car.) -> Il dit que c'est ma voiture. (He says that it's my car.) if he was talking to you about your car. The context of who is speaking to whom is paramount.
que becomes qu' before a word starting with a vowel or silent h. This applies consistently and affects pronunciation (qu'il /kil/ vs. que il which would be grammatically incorrect and phonetically awkward).
When To Use It
discours indirect is your tool.Mon collègue a dit qu'il ne pourrait pas assister à la réunion de demain.(My colleague said he wouldn't be able to attend tomorrow's meeting.)La radio a annoncé que les routes étaient glissantes à cause de la neige.(The radio announced that the roads were slippery due to snow.)
La professeure a expliqué qu'il fallait lire le chapitre cinq pour le prochain cours.(The professor explained that it was necessary to read chapter five for the next class.)Ma mère m'a rappelé que je devais faire les courses après le travail.(My mother reminded me that I had to do the groceries after work.)
Elle m'a envoyé un message disant qu'elle arriverait un peu plus tard.(She texted me saying she would arrive a little later.)J'ai vu sur Instagram qu'il avait visité la Tour Eiffel.(I saw on Instagram that he had visited the Eiffel Tower.)
- Instead of:
Mon ami m'a dit : « Je suis ravi de mon nouveau travail. », you would typically say:Mon ami m'a dit qu'il était ravi de son nouveau travail.(My friend told me that he was delighted with his new job.)
discours indirect is a linguistic bridge, allowing you to incorporate external voices into your own narrative, making your French communication both more sophisticated and more efficient. Its frequent use by native speakers across all registers underscores its importance for B1 learners aiming for genuine communicative proficiency.Common Mistakes
discours indirect can be challenging, and certain patterns of error are prevalent among B1 French learners. Understanding these common pitfalls and their underlying causes is key to achieving accuracy.« Je suis heureux. » (I am happy), a common mistake is Il dit que je suis heureux. This literally translates toPronoun Shift Matrix
| Direct Pronoun | Indirect Shift | Example Direct | Example Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Je
|
Il/Elle
|
Je suis prêt
|
Il dit qu'il est prêt
|
|
Tu
|
Je/Il/Elle
|
Tu es prêt
|
Il m'a demandé si j'étais prêt
|
|
Nous
|
Ils/Elles
|
Nous partons
|
Ils ont dit qu'ils partaient
|
|
Mon/Ma
|
Son/Sa
|
Mon livre
|
Il a dit que c'était son livre
|
|
Votre
|
Mon/Son
|
Votre voiture
|
Il a demandé si c'était ma voiture
|
Meanings
Indirect speech reports what someone said without using their exact words, requiring a shift in pronouns to maintain logical consistency.
Reporting statements
Shifting pronouns when repeating a simple declarative sentence.
“Elle dit qu'elle travaille.”
“Il a dit qu'il m'aimait.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Statement
|
Subject + Verb + que + Subject + Verb
|
Il dit qu'il est fatigué
|
|
Question
|
Subject + Verb + si + Subject + Verb
|
Il demande si je suis fatigué
|
|
Possession
|
Adjective shift
|
Il dit que c'est son sac
|
|
Negative
|
Subject + Verb + que + ne + verb + pas
|
Il dit qu'il ne veut pas manger
|
|
Future
|
Subject + Verb + que + conditional
|
Il a dit qu'il viendrait
|
|
Imperative
|
Subject + Verb + de + infinitive
|
Il m'a dit de partir
|
Formality Spectrum
Il a déclaré qu'il était fatigué. (Reporting fatigue)
Il a dit qu'il était fatigué. (Reporting fatigue)
Il a dit qu'il était crevé. (Reporting fatigue)
Il a dit qu'il était naze. (Reporting fatigue)
Pronoun Transformation Map
Reported by Him
- Il He
Reported by Her
- Elle She
Reported by Them
- Ils They
Examples by Level
Il dit : « Je mange. »
He says: 'I am eating.'
Elle dit : « C'est mon chat. »
She says: 'It is my cat.'
Il dit : « Je suis là. »
He says: 'I am here.'
Elle dit : « J'aime ça. »
She says: 'I like this.'
Il dit qu'il mange.
He says that he is eating.
Elle dit que c'est son chat.
She says that it is her cat.
Il m'a dit qu'il était là.
He told me that he was there.
Elle a dit qu'elle aimait ça.
She said that she liked that.
Il m'a demandé si j'étais prêt.
He asked me if I was ready.
Elle a dit qu'elle avait oublié son sac.
She said she had forgotten her bag.
Ils ont dit qu'ils viendraient avec nous.
They said they would come with us.
Il a dit que sa mère était malade.
He said his mother was sick.
Il a affirmé qu'il ne connaissait pas cette personne.
He claimed he didn't know that person.
Elle a demandé si nous pouvions l'aider.
She asked if we could help her.
Ils ont déclaré que leurs efforts avaient porté leurs fruits.
They declared their efforts had paid off.
Il a précisé qu'il n'avait pas vu son frère.
He specified he hadn't seen his brother.
Il a soutenu qu'il n'était pas responsable de ses actes.
He maintained he wasn't responsible for his actions.
Elle a insisté pour que nous lui donnions notre avis.
She insisted that we give her our opinion.
Il a prétendu qu'il avait été témoin de l'incident.
He claimed he had witnessed the incident.
Ils ont fait savoir qu'ils ne modifieraient pas leur position.
They made it known they wouldn't change their position.
Il a laissé entendre qu'il pourrait reconsidérer sa décision.
He hinted he might reconsider his decision.
Elle a déploré que ses collègues n'aient pas suivi ses conseils.
She lamented that her colleagues hadn't followed her advice.
Il a souligné que son équipe avait surmonté ses difficultés.
He emphasized that his team had overcome its difficulties.
Ils ont affirmé que leurs intérêts étaient en jeu.
They asserted that their interests were at stake.
Easily Confused
Learners mix the two, using quotation marks with indirect pronouns.
Using 'que' for questions.
Confusing 'il' (he) with 'son' (his).
Common Mistakes
Il dit que je suis fatigué.
Il dit qu'il est fatigué.
Elle dit : « Je suis fatigué. »
Elle dit qu'elle est fatiguée.
Il dit que mon sac est ici.
Il dit que son sac est là.
Ils dit qu'ils sont là.
Ils disent qu'ils sont là.
Il a dit que je vais au cinéma.
Il a dit qu'il allait au cinéma.
Elle demande si tu es prêt.
Elle demande si je suis prêt.
Il dit que nous sommes fatigués.
Il dit qu'ils sont fatigués.
Il a dit que ma mère est malade.
Il a dit que sa mère était malade.
Elle a dit de je partir.
Elle a dit de partir.
Il a demandé si il peut venir.
Il a demandé s'il pouvait venir.
Il a insisté que je fasse ça.
Il a insisté pour que je fasse ça.
Il a dit qu'il aurait aimé qu'il vienne.
Il a dit qu'il aurait aimé qu'il vînt.
Elle a prétendu qu'elle n'a pas vu.
Elle a prétendu ne pas avoir vu.
Il a dit que c'est moi qui a fait.
Il a dit que c'était moi qui avais fait.
Sentence Patterns
Il a dit que ___ était ___.
Elle m'a demandé si ___ ___ prêt.
Ils ont affirmé que ___ ___ leur sac.
Il a précisé que ___ ___ ___ son travail.
Real World Usage
Elle a posté qu'elle était en vacances.
Mon ancien patron a dit que j'étais efficace.
Il a dit qu'il arrivait.
Le guide a dit que le musée fermait à 18h.
Le livreur a dit qu'il était devant la porte.
L'auteur soutient que ses théories sont valides.
The 'Mirror' Rule
Don't forget the 'que'
Possessives matter
Formal vs Informal
Smart Tips
Always check if it's a yes/no question (use 'si') or a 'wh-' question (keep the question word).
Use 'de + infinitive' instead of a full clause.
Use the conditional tense.
Ensure the possessive adjective matches the new subject.
Pronunciation
Elision
When 'si' is followed by 'il', it becomes 's'il'.
Reporting clause
Il a dit que... ↗
Rising intonation to indicate more information is coming.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of it as a mirror: the person changes, so the reflection (pronoun) must change too.
Visual Association
Imagine a person holding a sign that says 'I'. When they hand that sign to someone else, the sign magically flips to say 'He'.
Rhyme
When you report what others say, change the pronoun right away.
Story
Pierre says 'I have my keys.' He tells Marie. Marie tells you: 'Pierre said he had his keys.' Notice the shift from I to he, and my to his.
Word Web
Challenge
Find a news article, pick one quote, and rewrite it as an indirect speech sentence.
Cultural Notes
In formal French, the 'que' is never omitted, unlike in English.
Informal speech often uses 'que' as a filler.
Reporting speech often uses 'dire que' repeatedly for emphasis.
Derived from Latin 'oratio obliqua', used in classical rhetoric.
Conversation Starters
Qu'est-ce qu'il a dit ?
Que t'a demandé ton professeur ?
Qu'est-ce que tes amis ont dit à propos du film ?
Comment as-tu rapporté les nouvelles à ta famille ?
Journal Prompts
Common Mistakes
Test Yourself
Il dit : « Je suis fatigué. » ➔ Il dit qu'___ est fatigué.
Elle dit : « C'est mon sac. » ➔ Elle dit que c'est ___ sac.
Find and fix the mistake:
Il a dit que je suis fatigué.
Il dit : « Je pars. »
A: Tu es prêt ? B: Il m'a demandé si ___ prêt.
qu'il / a dit / Il / fatigué / était
Je -> Il, Mon -> Son, Nous -> Ils
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Score: /8
Practice Exercises
8 exercisesIl dit : « Je suis fatigué. » ➔ Il dit qu'___ est fatigué.
Elle dit : « C'est mon sac. » ➔ Elle dit que c'est ___ sac.
Find and fix the mistake:
Il a dit que je suis fatigué.
Il dit : « Je pars. »
A: Tu es prêt ? B: Il m'a demandé si ___ prêt.
qu'il / a dit / Il / fatigué / était
Je -> Il, Mon -> Son, Nous -> Ils
Je -> ?, Tu -> ?, Nous -> ?
Score: /8
Practice Bank
10 exercisesdit / qu' / il / Il / étudie
She says she is tired.
Paul dit : « Je vais au café. » -> Paul dit ___ au café.
Reporting: « Nous mangeons »
Match these pairs:
Elle dit qu'elle suis malade.
Ils disent : « Nous partons. » -> Ils disent ___.
He says he loves this video:
qu' / disent / Elles / elles / écoutent
You (singular) say that you are busy.
Score: /10
FAQ (8)
No, in French 'que' is mandatory in indirect speech.
Then 'je' becomes 'elle' and 'mon' becomes 'sa'.
If the reporting verb is in the past, you usually shift the tense too.
It depends on who is being addressed. It can become 'je', 'nous', or 'ils'.
Yes, very common in professional correspondence.
Because you have to track multiple people and their perspectives simultaneously.
Yes, if the statement is still true, you might keep the original tense.
Try summarizing your day to a friend using 'il a dit que'.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Estilo indirecto
Spanish uses the subjunctive more frequently in reported commands.
Konjunktiv I
German changes the verb mood, not just the pronoun.
To-iu
Japanese does not change pronouns as strictly as French.
Naql al-kalam
Arabic lacks the complex pronoun shift system of French.
Jianjie yinyong
Chinese has no verb conjugation or pronoun case system.
Reported speech
English often omits 'that', while French never omits 'que'.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Learn These First
Past of the Past: Plus-que-parfait vs Passé composé
Overview The French **plus-que-parfait** is a past tense used to describe an action that occurred and was completed *bef...
French Reported Speech: Past Tense Shift (Present to Imperfect)
Overview French reported speech, known as le discours indirect, allows you to relay what someone said or thought without...
Related Videos
04:06 Cette pub thaï va vous faire "exploser" de rire (Snack Jack)
03:37 Elle a les yeux revolvers
03:06 PERSEPOLIS - "Oui, je suis iranienne et oui, je suis fière de l'être"
Indirect Speech in French (le Discours Indirect)
Clearly French
Reported Speech | French Class 10 CBSE 2025 | Direct and Indirect Speech
Nidhi Malhotra French
Direct and Indirect Speeches in French
Learn French with Pascal
Related Grammar Rules
French Future in the Past: Reporting what people 'would' do
Overview The **French Conditional Present** (`Conditionnel Présent`), specifically in the context of reported speech, fu...
French Advanced Indirect Questions: Noun Inversion
Ever heard a French person drop a secret? They probably didn't use a direct question. They likely used reported speech...
Future in the Past: Reported Speech (Conditionnel)
Overview In French grammar, the "future in the past" describes an action that was in the future at a specific moment in...
French Tense Agreement: Master Reported Speech (Concordance des temps)
Ever scrolled through a group chat and tried to explain to your roommate what that one dramatic text actually meant? You...
French Reported Speech: Will becomes Would (Future to Conditional)
Overview When you recount what someone said, you often shift the original statement's tenses to reflect that you are now...
