When we talk about giving commands and requests in Russian, it’s important to know how to change direct commands into reported speech.

This just means taking what someone says directly and changing it a bit so you can tell someone else about it. In Russian, this usually means changing the verbs and pronouns based on who is speaking.

Key Rules

1. Direct Command:

   • In Russian, direct commands are often stated in a strong way. We call this the imperative form.
   • For example: Он сказал: "Иди домой!" (He said: "Go home!")

2. Changing to Reported Speech:

   • To change this command into reported speech, we can use words like "сказать" (to say) or "попросить" (to ask).

   • We change the verb to the past tense and make the command softer. This turns it into more of a statement.

   • An example would be: Он сказал, чтобы я пошёл домой. (He said for me to go home.)

Adjusting Pronouns

• We also need to change pronouns based on who is talking.

  • "ты" (you) might change to "я" (I) or "он/она" (he/she).

  • Here’s an example:

    • Direct: Она сказала: "Пожалуйста, помоги мне." (She said: "Please help me.")
    • Reported: Она попросила, чтобы я помог ей. (She asked for me to help her.)

Important Verbs to Know

• сказать (to say)
• попросить (to ask)
• приказать (to order)

Examples of Transformations

• Direct Speech:

  • Он сказал: "Принеси мне воду." (He said: "Bring me water.")

• Reported Speech:

  • Он сказал, чтобы я принёс ему воду. (He said for me to bring him water.)

• Direct Speech:

  • Ты сказал: "Не опаздывай!" (You said: "Don’t be late!")

• Reported Speech:

  • Ты сказал, чтобы я не опаздывал. (You said for me not to be late.)

By understanding these rules, you can better share commands and requests in reported speech when speaking Russian.

Try practicing changing direct commands into reported speech to get more comfortable with these ideas!