Indirect Discourse
Reach for indirect discourse (le discours indirect) when you're reporting what someone said without quoting them word for word — 'he said that...', 'she told me to...', 'they suggested that...'. In French, you introduce the reported content with a reporting verb (dire, demander, conseiller, suggérer) followed by 'que' for statements or 'de + infinitive' for orders and advice. The tenses and pronouns shift to match the new perspective.
Structure
[REPORTING VERB] + que + [SUBORDINATE CLAUSE] / [REPORTING VERB] + de + [INFINITIVE]
dire que..., demander si..., conseiller de + infinitive
How to Think About It
Indirect discourse has two pivot points, both easy to miss. First, the conjunction depends on what kind of speech you're reporting: 'que' for declarations, 'si' for yes/no questions, 'ce que / ce qui' for what-questions, 'de + infinitif' for orders and advice. Second, when the reporting verb is in the past, tenses inside the reported clause shift backwards (present → imparfait, futur → conditionnel, passé composé → plus-que-parfait) — French is strict about this 'concordance des temps' where English is loose.
Examples
Marie dit qu'elle est fatiguée.
mah-ree dee kel ay fah-tee-gay
Marie says (that) she is tired.
Il m'a demandé si je voulais venir.
eel mah duh-mahn-day see zhuh voo-lay vuh-neer
He asked me if I wanted to come.
Le médecin lui a conseillé de se reposer.
luh may-duh-sahn lwee ah kohn-say-yay duh suh ruh-poh-zay
The doctor advised him to rest.
Common Mistake
Learners keep the present tense inside the reported clause when the reporting verb is in the past — 'Il a dit qu'il est fatigué.' But in French, with a past reporting verb, the embedded verb must shift to the imparfait. English speakers miss this because spoken English often skips the shift.
Il a dit qu'il est fatigué.
Il a dit qu'il était fatigué.
Don't Confuse With
Discours direct (direct quotation)
Direct discourse keeps the speaker's exact words inside quotation marks: 'Il a dit : « Je suis fatigué. »' Indirect drops the quotes, adds 'que,' and shifts tenses and pronouns. Same content, different framing.
Demander si vs. demander de
'Demander si' reports a yes/no question ('he asked if I was coming'). 'Demander de + infinitif' reports a request or order ('he asked me to come'). Same verb, different conjunction = different speech act.
Penser que + indicative vs. Vouloir que + subjunctive
Indirect discourse with verbs of saying or thinking (dire, penser, croire) takes the indicative. Verbs of will or emotion (vouloir, souhaiter) take the subjunctive. Don't pick the conjunction without checking what kind of verb introduces it.
Practice
Elle dit ___ elle vient demain.
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qu'
Il m'a demandé ___ je parle français. (yes/no question)
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si
Put in order: [a / Paul / dit / était / qu'il / malade]
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Paul a dit qu'il était malade.
Translate to French: 'She told me that she would arrive late.'
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Elle m'a dit qu'elle arriverait en retard.
Write one sentence in indirect discourse reporting something a friend said yesterday.
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Example answer: Mon ami m'a dit hier qu'il cherchait un nouveau travail. (My friend told me yesterday that he was looking for a new job.)
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode: