B1 · Intermediate Chapter 34

Reported Speech

4 Total Rules
1 min
Rules in This Chapter Quick Practice

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the art of relaying stories and conversations by transforming direct quotes into natural Kazakh indirect speech.

  • Use reporting verbs like 'деді' and 'айтты' correctly.
  • Transform direct statements into complex indirect sentences using participles.
  • Convert commands and requests into polite reported instructions.
Don't just repeat—report with confidence and grammatical precision.

What You'll Learn

How to relay what others have said. Understanding the shifts in pronouns and tenses.

Learning Objectives

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

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to relay a direct quote using the verb 'деу' (to say) in simple past contexts.
  2. 2
    By the end you will be able to construct complex indirect sentences using the '-тынын/тінін' participle structure.
  3. 3
    By the end you will be able to adjust personal pronouns and possessive endings to maintain logical consistency in reported speech.
  4. 4
    By the end you will be able to report orders and requests using the infinitive '-у' followed by 'сұрады' or 'бұйырды'.

Tips & Tricks (4)

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Pronoun Check

Always check if you need to change 'I' to 'he/she'.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Reported Speech Basics
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Pronoun shift

Always check if the pronoun needs to change from 'I' to 'He/She'.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Indirect Speech
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Focus on Suffixes

Don't worry about the pronoun as much as the suffix. The suffix tells you who did it.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Shifting Pronouns
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Check the case

Always ensure the recipient is in the dative case (-ға/-ге).
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Reported Commands

Key Vocabulary (6)

айту to tell / to say деу to say (used for direct quotes) сұрау to ask бұйыру to order / to command хабарлау to announce / to inform өтіну to request / to plead

Real-World Preview

briefcase

Relaying a Message from a Colleague

Review Summary

  • [Quote] + деді
  • Verb Stem + -(а)тынын/-(е)тінін + айтты
  • Verb Stem + -уды/уді + сұрады/бұйырды

Common Mistakes

You cannot just put a direct sentence before 'айтты'. You must use the participle form (-тынын).

Wrong: Ол мен келемін айтты.
Correct: Ол келетінін айтты.

When the speaker refers to their own item, use 'өз' (own) or the correct possessive shift to avoid confusion.

Wrong: Марат оның кітабын беремін деді.
Correct: Марат өз кітабын беретінін айтты.

To report a command indirectly, use the infinitive (-у) plus the accusative case (-ды/ді).

Wrong: Ол маған кел деді.
Correct: Ол маған келуді сұрады.

Next Steps

You've just unlocked a major level of Kazakh fluency. Reporting speech allows you to connect different perspectives and tell much richer stories. Керемет! (Wonderful!)

Watch a Kazakh news clip and write down three things the reporter says using indirect speech.

Record yourself retelling a story a friend told you.

Continue to: Advanced Conditionals

Quick Practice (9)

Fill in the blank.

Ol baratyndy ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: aytty
Aytty is the standard reporting verb.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Shifting Pronouns

Fill in the blank.

Ол маған келуді ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: айтты
Aйтты is the correct reporting verb.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Reported Commands

Fill in the blank.

Ол ___ айтты.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Needs participle.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Indirect Speech

Fix the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

Ol men baram dedi.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Ol baratyndy aytty
Must shift pronoun and use correct verb.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Shifting Pronouns

Choose the correct form.

Ol: 'Men keldim' -> Ol ___ aytty.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: kelgenin
Needs participle + possessive + object case.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Shifting Pronouns

Fill in the blank.

Ол келемін ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: деді
Standard reporting.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Reported Speech Basics

Choose the correct participle.

Ol: 'Men baram' -> Ol ___ aytty.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: baratyndy
Future/habitual uses -tyn.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Shifting Pronouns

Choose the correct form.

Ол маған ___ айтты.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: келуді
Infinitive is required.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Reported Commands

Correct the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

Ол маған кел айтты.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Ол маған келуді айтты.
Must use infinitive.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Reported Commands

Score: /9

Common Questions (6)

Yes, it is the standard particle for reported speech.
Only for direct speech.
To maintain the perspective of the reporter, not the original speaker.
Yes, but 'aytty' is more common for reported speech.
Yes, but 'айтты' is more common for commands.
Use the plural dative: 'Оларға келуді айтты'.
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Gerunds and Infinitives
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Advanced Conditionals
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