what is it?
Reported speech (also called indirect speech) is the way Spanish relays what someone said, thought, or ordered without quoting them word for word. When the reporting verb — decir, pensar, creer, etc. — is in a past tense, the verb in the reported clause must shift back one tense: present becomes imperfect. When the reporting verb introduces a command, the reported clause uses que + present subjunctive, regardless of whether the reporting verb is in the present or the past.
when to use it
Past reporting verb + statement. When the main verb is in a past tense (preterite or imperfect), a present-tense verb in the original speech shifts to the imperfect in the reported clause. «Tengo sueño» → Dijo que tenía sueño.
Present reporting verb + statement. When the reporting verb is in the present tense and the speaker is relaying a still-relevant fact, no tense shift is required. «Estoy cansado» → Dice que está cansado.
Reported commands. When the original utterance was an order or instruction, the reported clause always uses que + present subjunctive, not an infinitive and not the indicative. «¡Siéntate!» → Dice que te sientes.
formation
The table below shows the key tense and mood shifts. The left column gives the tense or mood used in the original direct speech; the right column gives what appears in the reported clause.
| direct speech | reported clause | example |
|---|---|---|
| present indicative (past reporting verb) | imperfect indicative | «Tengo hambre» → dijo que tenía hambre |
| present indicative (present reporting verb) | present indicative | «Tengo hambre» → dice que tiene hambre |
| imperative / command (any reporting verb) | que + present subjunctive | «¡Ven!» → dice/dijo que vengas |
The structure for a reported statement is: reporting verb + que + reported clause. For a reported command it is: reporting verb + que + subject (if expressed) + present subjunctive.
The conjunction que is obligatory in Spanish reported speech. It cannot be dropped the way «that» can be omitted in English.
examples in context
common pitfalls
Keeping the present tense after a past reporting verb. A very common error is writing «*dijo que tiene sueño» instead of «dijo que tenía sueño». Once the reporting verb is in the past, the reported clause must shift to the imperfect.
Using an infinitive to report a command. English allows «he says to do the homework», but Spanish does not transfer this pattern. «*Dice hacer los deberes» is not standard. The correct form is «dice que hagamos los deberes» — always que + present subjunctive.
Using the indicative instead of the subjunctive for a reported command. «*Dice que vienes» sounds like a statement of fact («she says you are coming»), not a relayed order. To report a command, use the subjunctive: «dice que vengas». The mood choice signals the difference between reporting a fact and reporting an instruction.
Three sentences, graded here. Nothing is saved and no account is needed.
El conductor dice que todos los pasajeros ___ el cinturón de seguridad. (ponerse)
Fill in the blank with the correct form of the verb in parentheses.