Reported Speech (le discours indirect)

Reported speech — also called indirect speech or le discours indirect — is used when you want to relay what someone else said without quoting them directly. It is an essential skill for narrating events, writing essays, and everyday conversation. In French, reported speech involves specific changes to verb tenses, pronouns, and time expressions.

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Direct Speech vs Reported Speech

Type	French Name	Structure	Example
Direct speech	le discours direct	Exact words in quotation marks	Marie dit : « Je suis fatiguée. » (Marie says: "I am tired.")
Reported speech	le discours indirect	Paraphrased after que	Marie dit qu'elle est fatiguée. (Marie says she is tired.)

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Basic Transformation Rules

When converting direct speech to reported speech, several changes occur:

1. Remove quotation marks and add "que"

• Direct: Il dit : « Je suis content. »
• Reported: *Il dit **qu'*il est content.

2. Change pronouns

Pronouns must be adjusted to reflect the perspective of the person reporting: