B1 · Intermediate Chapter 35

Reported Speech

4 Total Rules
24 examples
1 min
Rules in This Chapter Quick Practice

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Learn how to relay information accurately by mastering the subtle art of indirect speech.

  • Convert direct statements into indirect reports.
  • Adjust verb tenses and pronouns for logical flow.
  • Transform direct questions into indirect inquiries.
Master the art of telling others what was said.

What You'll Learn

Shifting tenses and pronouns in reported statements. Mastering the art of indirect communication.

  • Reported Speech Basics
    Reported speech turns direct quotes into smooth sentences by shifting pronouns, tenses, and using connectors like că.
  • Tense Shifts
    Master the reflexive se and tense shifts to report information objectively and professionally in Romanian.
  • Indirect Questions
    Wrap questions in polite phrases using dacă or question words to sound like a sophisticated Romanian speaker.

Learning Objectives

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

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: accurately report a past conversation in writing.

Key Examples (6)

1

Ion spune că îi place cafeaua.

Ion says that he likes coffee.

Reported Speech Basics
2

Maria a zis că era obosită.

Maria said she was tired.

Reported Speech Basics
3

Se spune că vremea va fi frumoasă mâine.

It is said that the weather will be beautiful tomorrow.

Tense Shifts
4

S-a crezut că el a plecat deja.

It was believed that he had already left.

Tense Shifts
5

Vă rog să-mi spuneți unde este stația de metrou.

Please tell me where the subway station is.

Indirect Questions
6

Mă întreb dacă va ploua astăzi.

I wonder if it will rain today.

Indirect Questions

Tips & Tricks (4)

💡

The 'Că' Rule

Think of că as a bridge. It connects the person speaking to the message they sent. Without the bridge, the sentence falls apart!
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Reported Speech Basics
🎯

The 'Se' Trick

If you can replace 'People say' with 'It is said', always use 'Se'. It's the fastest way to sound like a native.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Tense Shifts
💡

The Mirror Rule

Imagine you are holding a mirror. If you report what someone said, you are turning the mirror to face them, not you.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Pronoun Shifts
💡

The 'Dacă' Rule

Always use dacă when you could translate it as 'if' or 'whether'. It's the most common connector in Romanian.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Indirect Questions

Key Vocabulary (5)

a relata to report/recount a întreba to ask declarație statement că that dacă if/whether

Real-World Preview

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Review Summary

  • Subject + verb (a spune) + că + clause
  • Past tense -> Pluperfect/Past
  • I/We -> He/She/They
  • Subject + a întreba + dacă + clause

Common Mistakes

You must shift the pronoun from 'I' (eu) to 'he' (el) to match the person who actually spoke.

Wrong: El a spus că eu sunt obosit.
Correct: El a spus că el este obosit.

Do not use 'că' before 'dacă' in indirect questions; 'dacă' acts as the bridge itself.

Wrong: Ea a întrebat că dacă vin.
Correct: Ea a întrebat dacă vin.

Time markers must also shift to maintain logical consistency in the past.

Wrong: El a spus că el va merge ieri.
Correct: El a spus că el va merge a doua zi.

Next Steps

You have done an amazing job navigating these complex grammar structures. Keep practicing, and your communication will feel effortless!

Listen to a news podcast and summarize a quote in writing.

Continue to: Gerunds and Infinitives

Quick Practice (10)

Pick the most natural word order.

Vreau să știu ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Romanian keeps the standard 'Word + Verb + Subject' or 'Word + Verb' order in indirect questions.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Indirect Questions

Complete the sentence: El a spus că ___ vine.

El a spus că ___ vine.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: el
The subject is 'he', so we use 'el'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Pronoun Shifts

Select the correct reported version.

Direct: 'Eu sunt obosit.' Reported: ___

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: El a spus că el este obosit.
Shift 'eu' to 'el'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Pronoun Shifts

Choose the correct past tense shift: 'S-a crezut că ea (a fi) la birou.'

S-a crezut că ea ___ la birou.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: era
When the reporting verb is in the past (S-a crezut), the state in the clause shifts to the imperfect (era).

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Tense Shifts

Report the question: 'Vii la petrecere?'

M-a întrebat ___ vin la petrecere.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: c
For yes/no questions, 'dacă' (if/whether) is the correct connector.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Reported Speech Basics

Change the active sentence to a passive reported one: 'Oamenii spun că el este un geniu.'

___ că el este un geniu.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Se spune
We use 'se spune' to translate 'it is said' in the present tense.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Tense Shifts

Choose the correct connector for the indirect question.

Nu știu ___ vine la petrecere.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: b
We use 'dacă' because it is a Yes/No question (Is he coming or not?). 'Că' is for statements.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Indirect Questions

Choose the correct connector for this statement.

Ea mi-a spus ___ nu are bani.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: b
We use 'că' for reporting facts or statements.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Reported Speech Basics

Report the command: 'Taci!' (Be quiet!)

Profesorul ne-a spus ___ tăcem.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Commands and requests are reported using the 'să' connector.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Reported Speech Basics

Identify the correct reporting for a rumor in the past.

___ că examenul a fost anulat.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: S-a zvonit
'S-a zvonit' correctly uses the reflexive passive in the past tense.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Tense Shifts

Score: /10

Common Questions (6)

It is retelling what someone said without quoting them word-for-word. You use it to share information or stories, like saying A zis că vine.
Not really! It just requires shifting pronouns and choosing the right connector like că or să. Once you get the pattern, it's very repetitive.
It is a way to share information without identifying the source. In Romanian, we use se + a reporting verb like se spune (it is said).
The most common way is Se spune că.... It is perfect for both formal and informal contexts.
Pentru că perspectiva se schimbă. Când raportezi, nu mai ești persoana care a vorbit inițial.
Da, în vorbirea informală poți omite 'că'.
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Passive Voice
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Gerunds and Infinitives
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