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Reporting What Someone Said – Indirect Speech in German

Hi there! My name is Alex, and I’m here to help you understand a really important part of German grammar: reporting what someone else said. It’s called indirekte Rede – indirect speech. Don’t worry, it’s not as complicated as it looks!

Basically, you’re telling someone what someone else told you, not using their exact words. It’s like telling a story about a story.

The Basics

The first thing you need to change is the verb. When you report something, the verb usually changes. Instead of using the present tense, you’ll use the past tense.

Here’s a simple example:

• John says: “I am happy.”
• We report it: John sagt: “Er ist glücklich.” (He is happy – past tense of sein)

Notice how “I am” becomes “Er ist”? “Er” means “he”.

Changing Pronouns

Pronouns also change! This is because you are reporting what he or she said, not what you said.

• Mary says: “I like this book.”
• We report it: Mary sagt: “Sie mag dieses Buch.” (She likes this book – “I” becomes “Sie” – she)

Adding “dass”

Often, you’ll use the word “dass” (that) to introduce the reported sentence.

• Peter says: “I want a coffee.”
• We report it: Peter sagt: “Dass er einen Kaffee möchte.” (That he wants a coffee).

More Examples

Let’s try a few more.

• Susan says: “We are going to the cinema.”

We report it: Susan sagt: “Dass sie ins Kino gehen werden.” (That they are going to the cinema.)

• David says: “My friend is coming to my party.”

We report it: David sagt: “Dass sein Freund zu meiner Party kommt.” (That his friend is coming to my party.)

Using it in Daily Life

You’ll use this all the time! Imagine you’re talking to a colleague, Markus. He tells you: “I need help with this report.”

You could respond: “Markus sagt, dass er Hilfe mit dem Bericht braucht.” (Markus says that he needs help with the report.)

Or, if you were telling someone what Markus said, you’d say: “Markus sagte, dass er Hilfe mit dem Bericht benötigt.” (Markus said that he needed help with the report.)

• Important Note: This is just the very basic introduction. There are more rules and exceptions, but understanding these changes – the verb change and the pronoun change – is a great start! Keep practicing, and you’ll master indirect speech in no time.

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