B1 Reported Speech 16 min read Medium

Reported Speech: Changing Time Words (hier → la veille)

Shift time markers in indirect speech to keep your story's timeline logical and clear for your listener.
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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

When reporting what someone said in the past, you must shift time words to reflect the new perspective.

  • Change 'hier' (yesterday) to 'la veille' (the day before).
  • Change 'aujourd'hui' (today) to 'ce jour-là' (that day).
  • Change 'demain' (tomorrow) to 'le lendemain' (the next day).
Direct Speech Time Word ➔ Indirect Speech Time Word (e.g., hier ➔ la veille)

Overview

When you recount what someone said at a different point in time, you’re engaging in reported speech (le discours indirect). A fundamental challenge in French, as in many languages, is maintaining temporal coherence. If you report a statement made in the past, time expressions tied to the original speaker's "now" must logically shift to reflect your current narrative perspective.

This phenomenon, often referred to as concordance des temps (sequence of tenses), extends beyond verbs to include adverbs and adverbial phrases of time.

The core principle is a change in deictic reference. Deixis refers to words and phrases that cannot be fully understood without additional contextual information, such as the identity of the speaker, the time or place of utterance, and the topic of discussion. Time adverbs like aujourd'hui (today) or hier (yesterday) are deictic; their meaning depends on the moment they are spoken.

When you report someone’s words later, aujourd'hui from their past utterance is no longer your aujourd'hui. It becomes "that day" from your current standpoint. Failing to adjust these time markers creates ambiguity, leading listeners to misinterpret the actual timing of events.

This grammatical rule ensures that your narrative remains clear, precise, and logically anchored in time, reflecting the inherent need for speakers to clarify their temporal frame of reference.

For example, if a friend told you on Monday, « Je viendrai demain » ("I will come tomorrow"), and you report this on Wednesday, simply saying "Il a dit qu'il viendrait demain" could imply he is coming on Thursday. However, by transforming demain into le lendemain ("the next day"), you accurately convey that he was referring to Tuesday relative to his Monday statement, resolving any potential confusion. This adjustment is not merely a formality; it is essential for accurate communication and understanding in French.

How This Grammar Works

The transformation of time words in reported speech is contingent upon the tense of the reporting verb (e.g., dire, raconter, expliquer). If the reporting verb is in a present tense (il dit, elle explique), the original time expressions generally remain unchanged. The speaker's "now" aligns with the reporter's "now," or the reported event is still relevant to the present:
  • Direct speech: Il dit : « J'arrive aujourd'hui. » (He says: "I'm arriving today.")
  • Reported speech: Il dit qu'il arrive aujourd'hui. (He says that he's arriving today.)
However, the rule for shifting time words activates when the reporting verb is in a past tense, such as the passé composé (il a dit), the imparfait (il disait), or the plus-que-parfait (il avait dit). In these instances, the reporting act itself occurred in the past, creating a temporal distance from the original utterance. This distance necessitates a recalibration of deictic time adverbs.
The underlying principle is that the time reference is shifted from the moment of the original utterance to the moment the original utterance was reported. The "today" of the direct speech becomes "that day" when viewed from a later point. Similarly, "yesterday" becomes "the day before," and "tomorrow" becomes "the day after." This is a logical consequence of narrating a past event; you must contextualize the original speaker's timeline within your own retrospective narrative.
Consider the temporal journey:
  1. 1Original Event: Speaker A says « Je pars demain. » on Monday.
  2. 2Reporting Event: Speaker B reports this on Wednesday.
If Speaker B just said "A a dit qu'il partait demain", an ambiguity arises: does demain refer to Tuesday (relative to A's statement) or Thursday (relative to B's report)? By changing demain to le lendemain, Speaker B clarifies that A was referring to Tuesday. This avoids temporal paradoxes and ensures the listener understands the correct timeline without needing to perform complex mental calculations.
This mechanism helps to maintain a consistent temporal thread throughout your narration. Without it, reported speech would be riddled with potential misunderstandings about when actions actually took place, particularly when discussing plans, past events, or commitments.
  • Direct speech: Elle a dit : « Je t'appellerai demain. » (She said: "I will call you tomorrow.")
  • Reported speech: Elle a dit qu'elle m'appellerait le lendemain. (She said that she would call me the next day.)
  • Direct speech: Il a déclaré : « Nous avons fini le projet la semaine dernière. » (He declared: "We finished the project last week.")
  • Reported speech: Il a déclaré qu'ils avaient fini le projet la semaine précédente. (He declared that they had finished the project the previous week.)

Formation Pattern

1
Mastering the transformation of time expressions in French reported speech involves memorizing specific pairs. These shifts are systematic, transforming an adverb that points to the present or future from the original speaker's perspective into an expression that points to the past or future relative to the reporting moment. This table provides a comprehensive overview of the most common transformations:
2
| Direct Speech (Original) | Indirect Speech (Reported) | Example (Direct → Indirect) |
3
| :-------------------------- | :--------------------------------------------- | :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
4
| aujourd'hui (today) | ce jour-là / le jour même (that day / the very day) | Elle a dit : « Je suis fatiguée aujourd'hui. » → Elle a dit qu'elle était fatiguée ce jour-là. |
5
| hier (yesterday) | la veille (the day before) | Il a affirmé : « J'ai vu Pierre hier. » → Il a affirmé qu'il avait vu Pierre la veille. |
6
| avant-hier (the day before yesterday) | l'avant-veille (two days before) | J'ai appris : « Il est arrivé avant-hier. » → J'ai appris qu'il était arrivé l'avant-veille. |
7
| demain (tomorrow) | le lendemain (the next day) | Elle a promis : « Je paierai demain. » → Elle a promis qu'elle paierait le lendemain. |
8
| après-demain (the day after tomorrow) | le surlendemain (two days after) | Il a prévu : « On partira après-demain. » → Il a prévu qu'on partirait le surlendemain. |
9
| maintenant (now) | à ce moment-là (at that moment) | Elle a crié : « J'ai faim maintenant ! » → Elle a crié qu'elle avait faim à ce moment-là. |
10
| ce matin (this morning) | ce matin-là (that morning) | Il a dit : « Je me suis levé tôt ce matin. » → Il a dit qu'il s'était levé tôt ce matin-là. |
11
| ce soir (tonight) | ce soir-là (that night) | Elle a annoncé : « Je serai libre ce soir. » → Elle a annoncé qu'elle serait libre ce soir-là. |
12
| cette semaine (this week) | cette semaine-là (that week) | Il a rappelé : « J'ai une réunion cette semaine. » → Il a rappelé qu'il avait une réunion cette semaine-là. |
13
| le mois prochain (next month) | le mois suivant (the following month) | Elle a prévu : « Je voyagerai le mois prochain. » → Elle a prévu qu'elle voyagerait le mois suivant. |
14
| l'année prochaine (next year) | l'année suivante (the following year) | Il a espéré : « J'aurai une promotion l'année prochaine. » → Il a espéré qu'il aurait une promotion l'année suivante. |
15
| la semaine dernière (last week) | la semaine précédente (the previous week) | Elle a rapporté : « J'ai déménagé la semaine dernière. » → Elle a rapporté qu'elle avait déménagé la semaine précédente. |
16
| le mois dernier (last month) | le mois précédent (the previous month) | Il a regretté : « J'ai oublié le rendez-vous le mois dernier. » → Il a regretté qu'il avait oublié le rendez-vous le mois précédent. |
17
| l'année dernière (last year) | l'année précédente (the previous year) | Elle a constaté : « Le prix a augmenté l'année dernière. » → Elle a constaté que le prix avait augmenté l'année précédente. |
18
| il y a [temps] ([time] ago) | [temps] plus tôt / auparavant ([time] earlier / previously) | Il a dit : « J'ai vu ce film il y a trois jours. » → Il a dit qu'il avait vu ce film trois jours plus tôt. |
19
| dans [temps] (in [time]) | [temps] plus tard ([time] later) | Elle a promis : « Je serai prête dans une heure. » → Elle a promis qu'elle serait prête une heure plus tard. |
20
It is crucial to note the gender agreement for expressions like la veille (feminine) and le lendemain (masculine), and l'avant-veille (feminine, with elision). These are fixed expressions, and their gender does not change based on context. Additionally, terms like ce matin-là, ce soir-là, cette semaine-là are formed by adding the suffix -là to the original deictic, which helps fix the time to a specific, past reference point rather than the current moment. This suffix reinforces the idea of "that particular" time.

When To Use It

The application of time word shifts in reported speech is fundamental for clarity and accuracy in any narrative where you are relaying information originally stated by someone else in the past. This rule is not limited to formal contexts; it permeates casual conversations, professional communications, and journalistic reports alike. Whenever you act as a narrator, recounting events or conversations, these shifts become indispensable to avoid confusion about the chronology of actions.
Consider a scenario where you are explaining a past event to a friend:
  • Imagine your professor told the class on Tuesday, « Le devoir est à rendre demain. » (The assignment is due tomorrow.)
  • If you then tell a classmate on Thursday, « Le professeur a dit que le devoir était à rendre le lendemain. », you correctly indicate the assignment was due on Wednesday relative to the professor's statement. Without this shift, saying « ...que le devoir était à rendre demain » would imply the assignment is due on Friday, leading to a missed deadline.
In professional settings, such as summarizing a client meeting or reporting on project progress, precise temporal referencing is paramount. An email might state: « J'ai informé le client que la livraison aurait lieu la semaine suivante. » (I informed the client that delivery would take place the following week.) This clarifies that "the following week" refers to the week after the conversation with the client, not necessarily the week after you sent the email.
This level of precision is critical for managing expectations and avoiding logistical errors.
Even in informal contexts, like text messages or social media posts, these grammatical adjustments are naturally made by native speakers. If you're recounting a funny story from a party:
  • « Mon ami m'a raconté la veille qu'il avait oublié ses clés. » (My friend told me the day before that he had forgotten his keys.)
This indicates the telling occurred on the day before your current narrative moment. Using hier here would create ambiguity regarding which "yesterday" is being referenced. The rule allows for a seamless, unambiguous flow of information, making your French sound both natural and sophisticated.

Common Mistakes

Learners frequently encounter several pitfalls when navigating the reported speech time word shifts. Awareness of these common errors can significantly accelerate mastery.
Incorrect
✗1. Forgetting the Shift Entirely: This is arguably the most common mistake. Learners often correctly change the verb tense (e.g., venir
✓viendrait) but overlook the accompanying time adverb. For instance, reporting « Je pars demain. » as "Il a dit qu'il partirait demain" when the reporting occurs days later. The demain here is still relative to the speaker's current "tomorrow," not the original speaker's "tomorrow," creating chronological confusion. Always remember to scrutinize time adverbs whenever the reporting verb is in the past.
  1. 1Over-Shifting aujourd'hui: The rule for time word shifts only applies when there is a temporal disconnect between the original statement and the report. If someone says something aujourd'hui (e.g., this morning), and you report it aujourd'hui (e.g., this afternoon), aujourd'hui generally remains unchanged because the "today" is still the same. You would only change it to ce jour-là if you were reporting it on a subsequent day.
  • Direct: Ce matin, il a dit : « Je ne peux pas travailler aujourd'hui. »
  • Reported (same day): Il a dit ce matin qu'il ne pouvait pas travailler aujourd'hui. (Not ce jour-là)
  • Reported (next day): Il a dit la veille qu'il ne pouvait pas travailler ce jour-là.
  1. 1Confusing prochain/dernier with suivant/précédent: This is a subtle but critical distinction. Prochain (next) and dernier (last) are inherently relative to the current moment of speaking. Suivant (following) and précédent (previous) are relative to a past point in time established by the original utterance.
  • La semaine prochaine means "next week from now."
  • La semaine suivante means "the week following that past event."
Using prochain or dernier in reported speech when the reporting verb is in the past typically introduces an anachronism.
  1. 1Incorrect Formation of l'avant-veille or le surlendemain: These specific terms, while logical extensions of la veille and le lendemain, are less frequently used in everyday direct speech and can be challenging to recall. L'avant-veille requires elision before avant, and le surlendemain is a compound word. Practice with these less common forms ensures accuracy in complex narrative situations.
✗5. Ignoring the Broader Concordance des Temps: While this rule specifically addresses time words, it operates within the larger system of verb tense shifts in reported speech (e.g., présent
✓imparfait, futur simple → conditionnel présent). Learners sometimes focus on one aspect while neglecting the other, leading to grammatically inconsistent sentences. Always check both verb tense and time adverbs when converting to reported speech.
  • Correct: Il a dit qu'il arriverait le lendemain. (arriverait is conditionnel présent, le lendemain is correct time shift)
  • Incorrect (verb only): Il a dit qu'il arrive le lendemain. (Verb not shifted)
  • Incorrect (adverb only): Il a dit qu'il arriverait demain. (Adverb not shifted)
Addressing these specific error patterns through diligent practice and self-correction will significantly improve your fluency and precision in French reported speech.

Real Conversations

Understanding how these time word transformations manifest in authentic French communication provides invaluable insight beyond textbook exercises. Native speakers apply these shifts instinctively across various registers, from casual chat to formal discourse, ensuring clarity and logical flow.

In everyday conversations, whether spoken or via text message, the nuance of la veille or le lendemain is commonplace. Imagine catching up with a friend about a missed appointment:

- Text (Friend): « Désolé(e), j'ai eu un imprévu la veille et je n'ai pas pu venir. » (Sorry, I had an unforeseen event the day before and couldn't come.) Here, la veille instantly situates the "unforeseen event" as happening the day before their apology, not simply "yesterday" relative to your reading the text.

In professional emails or meetings, precision is paramount. A project manager might write:

- « Jean a confirmé qu'il enverrait les documents le surlendemain de notre réunion. » (Jean confirmed that he would send the documents two days after our meeting.) This clearly indicates the deadline relative to the past meeting, preventing any ambiguity about the exact date.

Journalism and formal reports rely heavily on accurate reported speech to maintain credibility. A news article might quote a source:

- « Le ministre a déclaré la semaine précédente que de nouvelles mesures seraient annoncées. » (The minister stated the previous week that new measures would be announced.) The use of la semaine précédente precisely links the announcement to the week prior to the minister's statement, not just "last week" from the reader's perspective.

Even in informal storytelling, these shifts are vital for narrative coherence. When recounting a past conversation about a future plan:

- « J'ai dit à ma sœur qu'on irait au cinéma deux jours plus tard. » (I told my sister that we would go to the cinema two days later.) This clarifies that "two days later" is counted from the moment you spoke to your sister, not from the moment you are currently telling the story.

These examples underscore that the transformation of time adverbs in reported speech is not a rigid academic rule, but a deeply ingrained linguistic mechanism for effective communication. It reflects the French language's emphasis on clarity and chronological accuracy, ensuring that listeners or readers can effortlessly reconstruct the original temporal context of any reported statement. Using these forms correctly allows you to articulate complex temporal relationships with natural ease, mirroring how native speakers communicate.

Quick FAQ

Here are concise answers to common questions regarding reported speech and time word changes, addressing frequent points of confusion for learners.
  • Q: Do I always have to change aujourd'hui to ce jour-là?
  • A: No. You only change aujourd'hui to ce jour-là if the reporting verb is in a past tense, and the act of reporting occurs on a different day than the original statement. If someone said « Je viens aujourd'hui » this morning, and you report it this afternoon (Il a dit qu'il vient aujourd'hui.), you typically keep aujourd'hui as the "today" is still the same for both the original statement and the report.
  • Q: Is le lendemain always masculine and la veille always feminine?
  • A: Yes, these are fixed grammatical genders. Le lendemain is always masculine, and la veille is always feminine. This does not change based on the gender of the speaker or the context. Just as you learn le soleil and la lune, learn these as fixed gender pairs.
  • Q: What about time expressions that don't involve demain, hier, or aujourd'hui, like pendant trois jours (for three days)?
  • A: Expressions indicating duration, like pendant trois jours, generally do not change in reported speech because they describe a length of time rather than a deictic point in time. The trois jours remains trois jours regardless of when it's reported. However, if the duration is part of a larger time frame that shifts (e.g., pendant les trois jours suivants), then the larger frame would shift.
  • Q: Are these changes optional in informal French?
  • A: No, these changes are fundamental for logical clarity and are an integral part of both formal and informal French. While some minor grammatical 'sloppiness' might occur in very casual spoken language, deliberately omitting these time word shifts can lead to serious misunderstandings regarding the timeline of events. Native speakers apply them naturally.
  • Q: Does this rule apply to every reporting verb, or just dire (to say)?
  • A: This rule applies to any reporting verb (e.g., dire, raconter, expliquer, affirmer, demander, promettre, ordonner) when it is used in a past tense. The verb itself is irrelevant; the critical factor is its tense, which establishes the temporal distance requiring the shift.
  • Q: How do I handle expressions like la semaine d'avant or la semaine d'après?
  • A: While la semaine précédente and la semaine suivante are the standard forms for reported speech, you might occasionally encounter la semaine d'avant (the week before) or la semaine d'après (the week after) in more informal contexts. These are generally acceptable as alternatives, particularly in spoken French, as their meaning is unambiguous. However, for written or more formal French, précédente and suivante are preferred.

Temporal Shift Reference Table

Direct Speech Indirect Speech (Shifted)
aujourd'hui
ce jour-là
hier
la veille
demain
le lendemain
ce matin
ce matin-là
la semaine prochaine
la semaine suivante
le mois dernier
le mois précédent

Meanings

This rule governs how temporal markers change when moving from direct speech to reported (indirect) speech to maintain logical consistency.

1

Past-to-Past Shift

Shifting time markers when the reporting verb is in the past tense.

“Elle a dit qu'elle viendrait le lendemain.”

“Il a affirmé qu'il avait fini la veille.”

Reference Table

Reference table for Reported Speech: Changing Time Words (hier → la veille)
Form Structure Example
Affirmative
Subject + verb + que + clause
Il a dit qu'il partait le lendemain.
Negative
Subject + verb + que + ne + verb + pas
Il a dit qu'il ne partait pas le lendemain.
Question
Subject + verb + si + clause
Il a demandé si je partais le lendemain.
Past Event
Time + la veille
Elle a dit qu'elle était venue la veille.
Future Event
Time + le lendemain
Elle a dit qu'elle viendrait le lendemain.

Formality Spectrum

Formal
Il a déclaré qu'il viendrait le lendemain.

Il a déclaré qu'il viendrait le lendemain. (Reporting a meeting)

Neutral
Il a dit qu'il viendrait le lendemain.

Il a dit qu'il viendrait le lendemain. (Reporting a meeting)

Informal
Il a dit qu'il viendrait demain.

Il a dit qu'il viendrait demain. (Reporting a meeting)

Slang
Il a dit qu'il passerait demain.

Il a dit qu'il passerait demain. (Reporting a meeting)

Temporal Shift Logic

Reporting Time

Past

  • hier yesterday
  • la veille the day before

Present

  • aujourd'hui today
  • ce jour-là that day

Future

  • demain tomorrow
  • le lendemain the next day
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Examples by Level

1

Il a dit : 'Je pars aujourd'hui.'

He said: 'I am leaving today.'

2

Elle a dit : 'Je travaille demain.'

She said: 'I am working tomorrow.'

3

Il a dit : 'J'ai fini hier.'

He said: 'I finished yesterday.'

4

Elle a dit : 'Je suis ici.'

She said: 'I am here.'

1

Il a dit qu'il partait ce jour-là.

He said he was leaving that day.

2

Elle a dit qu'elle travaillerait le lendemain.

She said she would work the next day.

3

Il a dit qu'il avait fini la veille.

He said he had finished the day before.

4

Elle a dit qu'elle était là-bas.

She said she was over there.

1

Il m'a annoncé qu'il partirait deux jours plus tard.

He announced to me that he would leave two days later.

2

Elle a précisé qu'elle avait terminé la semaine précédente.

She specified that she had finished the previous week.

3

Ils ont dit qu'ils viendraient le mois suivant.

They said they would come the following month.

4

Il a affirmé qu'il était arrivé ce matin-là.

He claimed he had arrived that morning.

1

Elle a déclaré qu'elle ne pourrait pas assister à la réunion le lendemain.

She declared she would not be able to attend the meeting the next day.

2

Il a noté que la situation avait changé depuis l'année précédente.

He noted that the situation had changed since the previous year.

3

Ils ont confirmé que le projet serait finalisé la semaine suivante.

They confirmed the project would be finalized the following week.

4

Elle a rappelé qu'elle avait déjà discuté de ce point la veille.

She reminded that she had already discussed this point the day before.

1

Il a soutenu que les décisions prises la veille étaient irrévocables.

He maintained that the decisions taken the day before were irrevocable.

2

Elle a souligné que le délai initial, fixé au mois précédent, n'était plus tenable.

She emphasized that the initial deadline, set the previous month, was no longer tenable.

3

Ils ont insisté sur le fait que les événements survenus ce jour-là avaient tout changé.

They insisted that the events that occurred that day had changed everything.

4

Il a admis que, contrairement à ce qu'il avait dit le lendemain de l'incident, il était présent.

He admitted that, contrary to what he had said the day after the incident, he was present.

1

Il a rétrospectivement affirmé que le climat social de cette année-là était précurseur de la crise.

He retrospectively affirmed that the social climate of that year was a precursor to the crisis.

2

Elle a argué que les promesses faites la veille de l'élection n'avaient jamais été tenues.

She argued that the promises made the day before the election had never been kept.

3

Il a conclu que le revirement opéré le mois suivant était inévitable.

He concluded that the reversal operated the following month was inevitable.

4

Elle a rappelé que, ce jour-là, personne n'aurait pu prévoir une telle issue.

She recalled that, on that day, no one could have foreseen such an outcome.

Easily Confused

Reported Speech: Changing Time Words (hier → la veille) vs Direct vs Indirect Speech

Learners often mix direct quotes with indirect time markers.

Reported Speech: Changing Time Words (hier → la veille) vs Tense vs Time Shift

Learners think changing the tense is enough.

Reported Speech: Changing Time Words (hier → la veille) vs Le lendemain vs La veille

Mixing up future and past markers.

Common Mistakes

✗

Il a dit qu'il part demain.

✓

Il a dit qu'il partait le lendemain.

Failed to shift time and tense.
✗

Elle a dit hier.

✓

Elle a dit la veille.

Used direct speech word in indirect context.
✗

Il dit qu'il est venu hier.

✓

Il a dit qu'il était venu la veille.

Wrong reporting verb tense.
✗

Elle dit demain.

✓

Elle a dit le lendemain.

Missing 'que' and correct shift.
✗

Il a dit qu'il est venu la veille.

✓

Il a dit qu'il était venu la veille.

Tense mismatch.
✗

Elle a dit qu'elle part demain.

✓

Elle a dit qu'elle partait le lendemain.

Future tense in reported speech.
✗

Il a dit qu'il a fait ça aujourd'hui.

✓

Il a dit qu'il avait fait ça ce jour-là.

Incorrect time shift.
✗

Il a dit qu'il viendra le lendemain.

✓

Il a dit qu'il viendrait le lendemain.

Conditional is required for future-in-the-past.
✗

Elle a dit qu'elle a fini la semaine dernière.

✓

Elle a dit qu'elle avait fini la semaine précédente.

Incorrect time shift for 'last week'.
✗

Il a dit qu'il était là hier.

✓

Il a dit qu'il était là la veille.

Still using 'hier'.
✗

Il a affirmé que, le lendemain, il serait là.

✓

Il a affirmé qu'il serait là le lendemain.

Clunky word order.
✗

Elle a dit que le jour-là était spécial.

✓

Elle a dit que ce jour-là était spécial.

Incorrect demonstrative.
✗

Il a dit qu'il viendrait le jour suivant.

✓

Il a dit qu'il viendrait le lendemain.

Less natural than 'le lendemain'.

Sentence Patterns

Il a dit qu'il ___ le lendemain.

Elle a affirmé qu'elle ___ la veille.

Ils ont dit que ___ ce jour-là.

___ a dit qu'il ___ le lendemain.

Real World Usage

Job Interview very common

Il a dit que j'étais prêt le lendemain.

Texting constant

Il a dit qu'il viendrait demain.

Social Media common

Ils ont annoncé que c'était ce jour-là.

Travel common

L'agent a dit que le train partirait le lendemain.

Food Delivery occasional

Le livreur a dit qu'il arriverait le lendemain.

Meeting very common

Elle a confirmé que la réunion était la veille.

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💡

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'.
⚠️

Don't Forget Tenses

Time shifts are useless if your verb tense is wrong. Always backshift the verb first.
🎯

Use 'Le lendemain'

It's the most common way to say 'the next day' in reported speech. Avoid 'le jour après'.
💬

Formal vs Informal

In very informal speech, French speakers sometimes skip the shift, but avoid this in exams.

Smart Tips

Always use the conditional + le lendemain.

Il a dit qu'il viendra demain. → Il a dit qu'il viendrait le lendemain.

Use pluperfect + la veille.

Il a dit qu'il est venu hier. → Il a dit qu'il était venu la veille.

Use ce jour-là.

Il a dit qu'il travaille aujourd'hui. → Il a dit qu'il travaillait ce jour-là.

Use la semaine précédente.

Il a dit qu'il a fini la semaine dernière. → Il a dit qu'il avait fini la semaine précédente.

Pronunciation

k-il

Liaison

Ensure liaison between 'qu'il' (k-il).

Declarative

Il a dit qu'il viendrait le lendemain ↘

Falling intonation for statements.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of it as a 'Time Mirror': the past reflects to the day before, the future reflects to the day after.

Visual Association

Imagine a calendar where you are standing in the middle. When you look back, you see 'la veille'; when you look forward, you see 'le lendemain'.

Rhyme

Hier becomes la veille, to keep the story well.

Story

Marc said he would arrive tomorrow. I told my boss that Marc said he would arrive the next day. The boss asked if he arrived the day before. I said no, he arrives the next day.

Word Web

hierla veilledemainle lendemainaujourd'huice jour-là

Challenge

Write three sentences about what you did yesterday, then report them as if you are telling a friend today.

Cultural Notes

French speakers are very precise with these shifts in formal writing.

Colloquial speech often retains 'hier' even in reported speech.

Formal French is strictly observed in administrative contexts.

Derived from Latin 'dicere' (to say) and the need for narrative clarity in Romance languages.

Conversation Starters

“

Qu'est-ce qu'il a dit hier ?

“

Que t'a dit ton patron ?

“

Comment as-tu rapporté les nouvelles ?

“

Que pensais-tu de cette réunion ?

Journal Prompts

Write about a conversation you had yesterday.
Report a meeting you attended last week.
Summarize a news story you heard.
Analyze a historical event using reported speech.

Common Mistakes

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Sign up free to see all tips

Test Yourself

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.
Choose the correct sentence. Multiple Choice

Which sentence is correct?

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

Find and fix the mistake:

Elle a dit qu'elle partait demain.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: demain
Should be 'le lendemain'.
Transform to reported speech. Sentence Transformation

Il a dit : 'Je travaille aujourd'hui.'

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Il a dit qu'il travaillait ce jour-là.
Aujourd'hui becomes ce jour-là.
Match the direct to indirect. Match Pairs

Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: la veille
Hier = la veille.
Build the sentence. Sentence Building

Il / dire / que / il / venir / le lendemain.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Il a dit qu'il viendrait le lendemain.
Conditional is needed.
Select the correct time marker. Multiple Choice

Elle a dit qu'elle avait fini ___.

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

Ils ont dit qu'ils partiraient ___.

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

Score: /8

Practice Exercises

8 exercises
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.
Choose the correct sentence. Multiple Choice

Which sentence is correct?

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

Find and fix the mistake:

Elle a dit qu'elle partait demain.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: demain
Should be 'le lendemain'.
Transform to reported speech. Sentence Transformation

Il a dit : 'Je travaille aujourd'hui.'

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Il a dit qu'il travaillait ce jour-là.
Aujourd'hui becomes ce jour-là.
Match the direct to indirect. Match Pairs

Match 'hier' to its indirect form.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: la veille
Hier = la veille.
Build the sentence. Sentence Building

Il / dire / que / il / venir / le lendemain.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Il a dit qu'il viendrait le lendemain.
Conditional is needed.
Select the correct time marker. Multiple Choice

Elle a dit qu'elle avait fini ___.

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

Ils ont dit qu'ils partiraient ___.

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

Score: /8

Practice Bank

10 exercises
Fill in the blank for 'hier'. Fill in the Blank

Il a raconté qu'il avait mangé au resto ________.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: la veille
Translate 'She said she was leaving that night'. Translation

Translate to French:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Elle a dit qu'elle partait ce soir-là.
Report: 'On se voit la semaine prochaine'. Multiple Choice

Il a dit qu'on se voyait...

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: la semaine suivante.
Fix the time marker: 'Il a promis qu'il appellerait demain.' Error Correction

Il a promis qu'il appellerait...

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: le lendemain.
Match the direct time with its indirect counterpart. Match Pairs

Match the following:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: maintenant : à ce moment-là
Reorder to say: 'He said he worked that day'. Sentence Reorder

Reorder: qu'il / ce jour-là / Il a dit / travaillait

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Il a dit qu'il travaillait ce jour-là.
Report 'dans deux jours'. Fill in the Blank

Il a dit que le projet serait fini deux jours ________.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: plus tard
Report 'il y a une heure'. Multiple Choice

Elle a dit qu'elle était arrivée une heure ________.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: plus tôt
Translate 'the previous week'. Translation

Comment dit-on 'the previous week' in reported speech?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: la semaine précédente
Complete: 'Il a dit qu'il était occupé...' Fill in the Blank

Il a dit qu'il était occupé à ________.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ce moment-là

Score: /10

FAQ (8)

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.

You don't need to shift the time word because the perspective hasn't changed.

Yes, it refers to the day after the event mentioned in the past.

It becomes 'la semaine suivante'.

No, it's specific to languages with tense-based reported speech like French, English, and Spanish.

Forgetting to shift the time word entirely.

Yes, it is standard in both formal and neutral French.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

Sign up free to practice

In Other Languages

Spanish high

Estilo indirecto

Spanish uses the imperfect subjunctive more frequently in reported speech.

German moderate

Konjunktiv I

German focuses on mood rather than just time shifts.

English high

Reported speech

English uses 'would' for future-in-the-past, French uses conditional.

Japanese low

引用 (Inyou)

Japanese does not shift time words in the same way.

Arabic low

الكلام المنقول

Arabic relies on context rather than grammatical shifts.

Chinese low

间接引语

Chinese lacks grammatical tense and time shift markers.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Previous
Reporting Negative Commands (Discours indirect : impératif négatif)
Next
French Inner Monologue Style (Discours indirect libre)

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