B1 Spanish grammar

Direct and Indirect Speech in Spanish: Report What Someone Said

Direct speech reproduces words; indirect speech reports their content. Use a reporting verb plus que and adjust references to the new speaker viewpoint.

direct and indirect speech Spanish: Report statements with decir que

Replace quotation format with a conjugated reporting verb and que before the reported statement.

Ana dijo: «Estoy cansada». → Ana dijo que estaba cansada.
Ana said, 'I am tired.' → Ana said she was tired.Que introduces the reported content.

Quick check

He says he is busy.

Adjust person references

Change subject, object, and possessive references so they make sense from the reporter's viewpoint.

Luis: «Mi hermana me llama». → Luis dijo que su hermana lo llamaba.
Luis: 'My sister calls me.' → Luis said his sister called him.Mi becomes su and me becomes lo.

Distinguish punctuation and structure

Direct speech uses quotation punctuation; indirect speech integrates the message as a clause without quotation marks.

Dijo: «Volveré». / Dijo que volvería.
He said, 'I will return.' / He said he would return.The structures present the same message differently.

Common mistakes

Ana dijo estaba cansada.

Ana dijo que estaba cansada.

Reported statements require que.

Luis dijo que mi hermana me llamaba.

Luis dijo que su hermana lo llamaba.

The original speaker's references must shift.

Dijo que: «volvería».

Dijo que volvería.

Do not mix the indirect connector with direct quotation punctuation.

Ready to practise direct and indirect speech Spanish?

Complete an eight-question round and save skill-level progress for future review.

Practice direct and indirect speech Spanish

Direct and reported speech FAQ

What does direct and reported speech cover?

Direct speech reproduces words; indirect speech reports their content. Use a reporting verb plus que and adjust references to the new speaker viewpoint.

What is the first rule to remember?

Replace quotation format with a conjugated reporting verb and que before the reported statement.

What is another important B1 pattern?

Change subject, object, and possessive references so they make sense from the reporter's viewpoint.

How can I practise direct and indirect speech Spanish?

Complete the focused round, review each correction, and repeat the lesson when its skills become due again.

Continue learning

Reported questionsReport yes-or-no and information questions without retaining direct-question word order or punctuation.Reported commandsReport instructions with decir, pedir, or recomendar plus que and a subjunctive clause.Reported-speech tense changesAfter a past reporting verb, shift present ideas toward the imperfect and future ideas toward the conditional when the viewpoint requires it.Complete B1 Spanish grammar courseSee every B1 unit and continue through the course in order.Spanish tense guidesCompare the major tense systems used throughout this course.