Indirect speech, also known as reported speech, is a construction used to report or convey someone else’s words or thoughts. In German, indirect speech is called “indirekte Rede” or “berichtete Rede.” It is an essential aspect of the language and allows speakers to recount conversations or relay information from a different perspective. This form of speech requires a shift in verb tenses, pronouns, and word order. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the rules and usage of German indirect speech, providing example sentences to illustrate each concept.
Basic Structure of Indirect Speech:
In German, the basic structure of indirect speech involves introducing the reported speech or thought as a subordinate clause, usually introduced by a conjunction such as “dass” (that). The verb tense in the reported clause is shifted according to certain rules. Let’s look at an example:
Direct Speech: “Ich bin müde.” (I am tired.)
Indirect Speech: Er sagte, dass er müde sei. (He said that he was tired.)
In the example above, the direct speech “Ich bin müde” is reported indirectly as “Er sagte, dass er müde sei.” Note that the verb “sein” (to be) changes from “bin” to “sei” because it is in the present tense in the direct speech but shifts to the subjunctive mood (Konjunktiv I) in indirect speech.
Shifting Verb Tenses:
The verb tense shift in indirect speech depends on various factors, including the time frame of the reported speech and the verb tense used in the direct speech. Here are some key rules to keep in mind:
a) Present Tense:
If the verb in direct speech is in the present tense, it generally remains unchanged in indirect speech.
Example: “Ich esse eine Pizza.” (I am eating a pizza.)
Indirect Speech: Er sagt, dass er eine Pizza isst. (He says that he is eating a pizza.)
b) Past Tense:
If the verb in direct speech is in the past tense, it usually shifts to the past tense in indirect speech.
Example: “Ich habe eine Pizza gegessen.” (I ate a pizza.)
Indirect Speech: Er sagte, dass er eine Pizza gegessen habe. (He said that he had eaten a pizza.)
c) Future Tense:
If the verb in direct speech is in the future tense, it changes to the conditional tense in indirect speech.
Example: “Ich werde eine Pizza essen.” (I will eat a pizza.)
Indirect Speech: Er sagte, dass er eine Pizza essen würde. (He said that he would eat a pizza.)
Changing Pronouns:
In indirect speech, the pronouns also undergo a shift depending on the perspective of the reported speech. Here are the pronoun changes in German indirect speech:
Direct Speech: “Ich gehe ins Kino.” (I am going to the cinema.)
Indirect Speech: Er sagt, dass er ins Kino gehe. (He says that he is going to the cinema.)
In the example above, the first-person pronoun “ich” (I) changes to the third-person pronoun “er” (he) in indirect speech. This shift is necessary to accurately represent the speaker’s perspective.
Modifying Time and Place Expressions:
When reporting indirect speech, time and place expressions may also require modification to match the context of the reported speech. Here’s an example:
Direct Speech: “Ich war gestern im Park.” (I was in the park yesterday.)
Indirect Speech: Er erzählte, dass er gestern im Park gewesen sei. (He told that he had been in the park yesterday.)
In this case, the time expression “gestern” (yesterday) is modified to “gestern gewesen sei” to match the shift in verb tense. Similarly, the place expression “im Park” (in the park) remains unchanged.
Word Order in Indirect Speech:
The word order in indirect speech differs from that of direct speech. In indirect speech, the word order is typically the same as in a normal declarative sentence. Here’s an example:
Direct Speech: “Kommst du mit?” (Are you coming along?)
Indirect Speech: Er fragte, ob du mitkommst. (He asked if you are coming along.)
Notice how the word order in the indirect speech follows the standard subject-verb-object pattern, unlike the direct speech.
Conclusion:
German indirect speech, or “indirekte Rede,” is an essential aspect of the language that allows speakers to report or convey someone else’s words or thoughts. It involves shifting verb tenses, modifying pronouns, adjusting time and place expressions, and adopting a different word order. By understanding the rules and examples provided in this guide, beginners can begin to master the art of German indirect speech. Practice with various examples, and gradually you’ll gain confidence in using indirect speech accurately and effectively in German conversation and writing.
Quick quiz
Exercise 1:
Choose the correct indirect speech construction for the given direct speech:
Direct Speech: “Ich habe Hunger.” (I am hungry.)
a) Er sagt, dass er Hunger hatte. (He says that he was hungry.)
b) Er sagte, dass er Hunger hat. (He said that he is hungry.)
c) Er sagte, dass er Hunger hat. (He said that he was hungry.)
Answer: b) Er sagte, dass er Hunger hat. (He said that he is hungry.)
Explanation: The correct indirect speech construction in this case uses the past tense “sagte” (said) and maintains the present tense “hat” (has) to accurately convey the original speaker’s words.
Exercise 2:
Choose the appropriate verb tense for the indirect speech construction:
Direct Speech: “Ich werde später kommen.” (I will come later.)
a) Er sagt, dass er später gekommen ist. (He says that he came later.)
b) Er sagt, dass er später kommen wird. (He says that he will come later.)
c) Er sagt, dass er später gekommen war. (He says that he had come later.)
Answer: b) Er sagt, dass er später kommen wird. (He says that he will come later.)
Explanation: The correct verb tense in the indirect speech construction is the future tense “kommen wird” (will come) to match the original speaker’s intention of coming later.
Exercise 3:
Select the appropriate pronoun for the indirect speech construction:
Direct Speech: “Wir haben das Buch gelesen.” (We have read the book.)
a) Sie sagte, dass sie das Buch gelesen haben. (She said that they have read the book.)
b) Sie sagte, dass wir das Buch gelesen haben. (She said that we have read the book.)
c) Er sagte, dass wir das Buch gelesen haben. (He said that we have read the book.)
Answer: c) Er sagte, dass wir das Buch gelesen haben. (He said that we have read the book.)
Explanation: The pronoun “wir” (we) is maintained in the indirect speech construction to accurately represent the perspective of the original speaker.
Exercise 4:
Choose the appropriate modification for the time expression in indirect speech:
Direct Speech: “Ich bin gestern angekommen.” (I arrived yesterday.)
a) Er sagte, dass er gestern angekommen ist. (He said that he arrived yesterday.)
b) Er sagte, dass er gestern angekommen war. (He said that he had arrived yesterday.)
c) Er sagte, dass er gestern angekommen sei. (He said that he had arrived yesterday.)
Answer: b) Er sagte, dass er gestern angekommen war. (He said that he had arrived yesterday.)
Explanation: The time expression “gestern” (yesterday) is modified to “gestern angekommen war” (had arrived yesterday) in the indirect speech construction to reflect the past tense of the original speaker’s action.
Exercise 5:
Select the correct word order for the indirect speech construction:
Direct Speech: “Kannst du mir helfen?” (Can you help me?)
a) Er fragte, ob du ihm helfen könntest. (He asked if you could help him.)
b) Er fragte, ob du ihm könntest helfen. (He asked if you could him help.)
c) Er fragte, ob du helfen ihm könntest. (He asked if you help him could.)
Answer: a) Er fragte, ob du ihm helfen könntest. (He asked if you could help him.)
Explanation: The correct word order in the indirect speech construction follows the standard subject-verb-object pattern, where “du” (you) is the subject, “helfen” (help) is the verb, and “ihm” (him) is the object.
Exercise 6:
Choose the correct indirect speech construction for the given direct speech:
Direct Speech: “Ich bin krank.” (I am sick.)
a) Er hat gesagt, dass er krank war. (He said that he was sick.)
b) Er hat gesagt, dass er krank ist. (He said that he is sick.)
c) Er hat gesagt, dass er krank sei. (He said that he was sick.)
Answer: a) Er hat gesagt, dass er krank war. (He said that he was sick.)
Explanation: The correct indirect speech construction in this case uses the past tense “war” (was) to match the original speaker’s statement of being sick.
Exercise 7:
Select the appropriate verb tense for the indirect speech construction:
Direct Speech: “Ich habe die Hausaufgaben gemacht.” (I have done the homework.)
a) Sie sagt, dass sie die Hausaufgaben gemacht hat. (She says that she has done the homework.)
b) Sie sagt, dass sie die Hausaufgaben gemacht hatte. (She says that she had done the homework.)
c) Sie sagt, dass sie die Hausaufgaben gemacht haben. (She says that they have done the homework.)
Answer: a) Sie sagt, dass sie die Hausaufgaben gemacht hat. (She says that she has done the homework.)
Explanation: The verb tense “gemacht hat” (has done) in the indirect speech construction matches the present perfect tense used in the original speaker’s statement.
Exercise 8:
Choose the appropriate pronoun for the indirect speech construction:
Direct Speech: “Sie haben den Film gesehen.” (They have seen the movie.)
a) Er sagte, dass sie den Film gesehen haben. (He said that they have seen the movie.)
b) Er sagte, dass er den Film gesehen hat. (He said that he has seen the movie.)
c) Sie sagte, dass sie den Film gesehen hat. (She said that she has seen the movie.)
Answer: a) Er sagte, dass sie den Film gesehen haben. (He said that they have seen the movie.)
Explanation: The pronoun “sie” (they) is maintained in the indirect speech construction to accurately represent the perspective of the original speaker.
Exercise 9:
Select the appropriate modification for the time expression in indirect speech:
Direct Speech: “Ich werde morgen kommen.” (I will come tomorrow.)
a) Sie sagte, dass sie morgen kommen werde. (She said that she will come tomorrow.)
b) Er sagte, dass er morgen gekommen ist. (He said that he came tomorrow.)
c) Sie sagte, dass sie morgen kommen wird. (She said that she will come tomorrow.)
Answer: c) Sie sagte, dass sie morgen kommen wird. (She said that she will come tomorrow.)
Explanation: The time expression “morgen” (tomorrow) remains unchanged in the indirect speech construction to convey the original speaker’s intention to come on the following day.
Exercise 10:
Choose the correct word order for the indirect speech construction:
Direct Speech: “Hast du das Buch gelesen?” (Have you read the book?)
a) Sie fragte, ob du das Buch gelesen hast. (She asked if you have read the book.)
b) Sie fragte, ob du das Buch hast gelesen. (She asked if you have the book read.)
c) Sie fragte, ob du das Buch gelesen du hast. (She asked if you read the book you have.)
Answer: a) Sie fragte, ob du das Buch gelesen hast. (She asked if you have read the book.)
Explanation: The correct word order in the indirect speech construction maintains the standard subject-verb-object pattern, where “du” (you) is the subject, “gelesen” (read) is the verb, and “das Buch” (the book) is the object.
These exercises provide practice in applying the rules and concepts of German indirect speech. By selecting the correct answers, learners can reinforce their understanding of verb tense shifts, pronoun modifications, time and place expressions, and word order in indirect speech.
Originally posted 2023-07-19 04:53:10.