Reporting What Someone Else Said in German: It’s Easier Than You Think!

Hello! My name is Klaus Schmidt, and I teach German to English speakers. Today, we’re going to look at a really important part of German grammar: reporting what someone else said – what we call “indirekte Rede.” It can seem tricky at first, but with a few simple rules, it’s actually quite straightforward.

Basically, we use indirect speech to tell someone *about* what someone else said, rather than repeating their words exactly. Think of it like summarizing a conversation.

The Basic Changes

The biggest changes you’ll need to make are with the verb and pronouns. Let’s look at some key points:

• The Verb:** The verb changes. If the original sentence uses “sagen” (to say), it changes to “denken” (to think), “meinen” (to believe), “erzählen” (to tell), or “finden” (to find).

• Pronouns:** Pronouns shift to reflect the speaker’s perspective.

Let’s look at some examples.

Example 1:

• Original (Direct Speech): John says, “I like ice cream.”
• Reported (Indirect Speech): Klaus sagt, dass John Eis schät.

(Klaus says that John likes ice cream.)

Example 2:

• Original: Mary says, “She is happy.”
• Reported: Klaus sagt, dass Mary glücklich ist.

(Klaus says that Mary is happy.)

Example 3:

• Original: Peter says, “We are going to the cinema.”
• Reported: Klaus sagt, dass Peter sagen, wir ins Kino gehen.

(Klaus says that Peter said we are going to the cinema.)

Using it in Daily Life

You’ll use indirect speech *all the time* when talking about conversations. Imagine you’re talking to a colleague, Alice.

• You hear John talking to Sarah: John says, “I think the project is finished.”
• You could say to Alice: Klaus sagt, dass John denkt, das Projekt ist fertig.

(Klaus says that John thinks the project is finished.)

• Important Note:** We also often add “dass” (that) after the verb when we are reporting. It’s a crucial part of making the sentence grammatically correct.

Practice Time

Try translating these sentences into German using indirect speech:

1. Susan says, “He is tired.”

2. David says, “This book is interesting.”

3. Lisa says, “They are studying German.”

Keep practicing, and you’ll quickly get the hang of it. It’s a really useful tool for your German!