Indirect speech (indirecte rede) is used to report what someone said or thought without using their exact words (direct quotes).

Basic Structure: Typically, indirect speech involves:

1. A reporting verb in the main clause (e.g., zeggen - to say, vragen - to ask, denken - to think, weten - to know).
2. A subordinating conjunction (dat - that, or of - if/whether).
3. A subordinate clause containing the reported statement or question, with the verb at the end.

Reporting Statements:

• Use the reporting verb + dat + subordinate clause.
• Direct: Jan zegt: "Ik ben moe." (Jan says: "I am tired.")
• Indirect: Jan zegt dat hij moe is. (Jan says that he is tired.)
• Reporting verb: zegt
• Conjunction: dat
• Subordinate clause: hij moe is (pronoun changes from ik to hij, verb is goes to the end)

• Direct: Zij dacht: "Het regent." (She thought: "It is raining.")
• Indirect: Zij dacht dat het regende. (She thought that it was raining.)
• Note: Tense often shifts (present -> past) if the reporting verb is in the past tense (dacht). This is more complex, but the basic A2 structure involves dat + verb-end.

Reporting Questions:

• Yes/No Questions: Use the reporting verb (often vragen) + of + subordinate clause.
• Direct: Hij vraagt: "Kom je morgen?" (He asks: "Are you coming tomorrow?")
• Indirect: Hij vraagt of je morgen komt. (He asks if/whether you are coming tomorrow.)
• Reporting verb: vraagt
• Conjunction: of
• Subordinate clause: je morgen komt (verb komt goes to the end)
• Wh- Questions (wie, wat, waar, wanneer, waarom, hoe): Use the reporting verb + question word + subordinate clause.
• Direct: Zij vraagt: "Waar woon je?" (She asks: "Where do you live?")
• Indirect: Zij vraagt waar je woont. (She asks where you live.)
• Reporting verb: vraagt
• Question word acts as conjunction: waar
• Subordinate clause: je woont (verb woont goes to the end)

Key Changes from Direct to Indirect Speech (Basic Level):

1. Conjunction: Add dat (for statements) or of (for yes/no questions) or use the question word.
2. Word Order: The reported clause becomes a subordinate clause, so the finite verb moves to the end.
3. Pronouns: Pronouns might need to change depending on who is reporting and who is being reported (e.g., ik -> hij/zij, jij -> ik/hij/zij).
4. (Sometimes) Tense: If the reporting verb is in the past, the verb tense in the reported clause often shifts back (e.g., present -> simple past). At A2, focus is mainly on structure with present tense reporting verbs.

This allows you to integrate what others say into your own sentences naturally.