Introduction: Reporting What Others Said

Indirect speech (Indirecte Rede) is used to report what someone else said, asked, or commanded, without quoting them directly. At A2, you likely learned to report basic statements using dat-clauses (e.g., Hij zegt dat hij moe is). At B1, we focus on reporting questions and commands.

When changing from direct speech (the exact words spoken) to indirect speech, several changes often occur:

1. Introduction: Use a reporting verb (like zeggen, vragen, vertellen, bevelen).
2. Conjunction: Use a conjunction (of, a question word, or dat) to introduce the reported clause.
3. Word Order: The reported clause becomes a subordinate clause (bijzin), so the verb(s) move to the end.
4. Pronoun Changes: Pronouns might need to change to reflect the new perspective (e.g., ik -> hij/zij, jullie -> zij).
5. Tense Changes (Backshift): Sometimes, the tense in the reported clause shifts back (e.g., present -> past), especially if the reporting verb is in the past tense (zei, vroeg). This is more complex and often depends on context (is the reported statement still true?). We'll focus mainly on structure here, but be aware of potential tense shifts.

1. Reporting Yes/No Questions

To report a question that can be answered with yes or no, use the conjunction of (if/whether).

• Direct Question: "Kom je morgen?" (Are you coming tomorrow?)
• Reporting Verb: Hij vraagt... (He asks...) / Hij vroeg... (He asked...)
• Indirect Question: Hij vraagt of je morgen komt. (He asks if you are coming tomorrow.)
• (Verb komt moves to the end)
• Indirect Question (Past Reporting Verb): Hij vroeg of je de volgende dag kwam / zou komen. (He asked if you were coming the next day.)
• (Pronoun je might stay or change depending on who je refers to).
• (Tense might shift: komt -> kwam or zou komen)
• (Time reference might shift: morgen -> de volgende dag)

More Examples:

• Direct: "Heb je het boek gelezen?" (Did you read the book?)
• Indirect: Zij vraagt of ik het boek heb gelezen / had gelezen. (She asks if I have read / had read the book.)

• Direct: "Is het weer mooi?" (Is the weather nice?)
• Indirect: Hij wilde weten of het weer mooi was. (He wanted to know if the weather was nice.)

2. Reporting Wh-Questions (Open Questions)

To report a question that starts with a question word (wie, wat, waar, wanneer, waarom, hoe, welke, etc.), use the same question word as the conjunction.

• Direct Question: "Waar woon je?" (Where do you live?)
• Reporting Verb: Zij vraagt... (She asks...) / Zij vroeg... (She asked...)
• Indirect Question: Zij vraagt waar je woont. (She asks where you live.)
• (Question word waar acts as conjunction; verb woont moves to the end)
• Indirect Question (Past Reporting Verb): Zij vroeg waar je woonde. (She asked where you lived.)
• (Tense shift: woont -> woonde)

More Examples:

• Direct: "Wie heeft dat gezegd?" (Who said that?)
• Indirect: Hij vraagt wie dat heeft gezegd / had gezegd. (He asks who said / had said that.)

• Direct: "Wat wil je eten?" (What do you want to eat?)
• Indirect: Ze vroeg wat ik wilde eten. (She asked what I wanted to eat.)

• Direct: "Hoe laat begint de film?" (What time does the film start?)
• Indirect: Ik vraag me af hoe laat de film begint. (I wonder what time the film starts.)

3. Reporting Commands and Requests

To report a command (imperative) or a request, you typically use a reporting verb like zeggen, vragen, verzoeken (to request), bevelen (to command) followed by:

• om + te + infinitive OR
• dat + subordinate clause (often with a modal verb like moeten or mogen).

The om...te structure is very common for requests and commands.

• Direct Command: "Doe de deur dicht!" (Close the door!)
• Reporting Verb: Hij zegt... / Hij zei...
• Indirect Command (om...te): Hij zegt om de deur dicht te doen. (He says to close the door.)
• Indirect Command (dat): Hij zegt dat ik/je/we de deur dicht moet(en) doen. (He says that I/you/we must close the door.)

• Direct Request: "Kun je me alsjeblieft helpen?" (Can you please help me?)
• Reporting Verb: Zij vraagt... / Zij vroeg...
• Indirect Request (om...te): Zij vraagt om haar te helpen. (She asks [someone] to help her.)
• Indirect Request (of): Zij vraagt of ik haar kan helpen / kon helpen. (She asks if I can / could help her.) - Reporting the question form

More Examples:

• Direct: "Wacht hier!" (Wait here!)
• Indirect: Hij beval ons om daar te wachten. (He ordered us to wait there.) (hier -> daar)

• Direct: "Ga zitten." (Sit down.)
• Indirect: De leraar zei dat we moesten gaan zitten. (The teacher said that we had to sit down.)

Key Takeaways

• Yes/No Questions: Report using of + subordinate clause word order.
• Wh-Questions: Report using the question word + subordinate clause word order.
• Commands/Requests: Report using om...te + infinitive or dat + (modal verb) + infinitive in a subordinate clause.
• Remember potential changes in pronouns, tense (backshift), and time/place references, especially when the reporting verb is in the past.
• Always use subordinate clause word order (verbs at the end) in the reported part.