Understanding Reported Speech in Russian

Learning how to turn complicated sentences into reported speech, or "косвенная речь," is really important for talking and writing in Russian. If you get good at this, it will help your conversations and give you a better grasp of Russian grammar.

What is Reported Speech?

In Russian, reported speech lets you share what someone else said without saying it word-for-word. This can involve changing verb forms, pronouns, and possibly time words. Let's break this down with some examples.

Changing Statements to Reported Speech

When you change a statement into reported speech, you usually need to change the verb's tense and adjust the subject and pronouns. A present tense verb often turns into past tense, and the pronouns change based on who is speaking.

1. Changing Present to Past Tense:

   • Direct Speech: "Я учу русский язык." (I am learning Russian.)
   • Reported Speech: Он сказал, что я учу русский язык. (He said that I am learning Russian.)

   Here, when you share what someone said, the verb changes to the past (сказал), but the original statement stays in the present. If you want to show that it was in the past:

   • Reported Speech: Он сказал, что я учил русский язык. (He said that I learned Russian.)

2. Changing Pronouns:

   • Direct Speech: "Ты хочешь пойти в кино?" (Do you want to go to the movies?)
   • Reported Speech: Она спросила, хочу ли я пойти в кино. (She asked if I wanted to go to the movies.)

   Notice how "ты" (you) changes to "я" (I) to make it clear from the reporter's point of view.

3. Changing Time Expressions:

   • Direct Speech: "Я сделаю это завтра." (I will do this tomorrow.)
   • Reported Speech: Он сказал, что он сделает это на следующий день. (He said that he would do it the next day.)

   Here, "завтра" (tomorrow) becomes "на следующий день" (the next day) to match the timing in reported speech.

Changing Questions to Reported Speech

When you change questions, the way the sentence looks and the punctuation changes a lot. Unlike direct questions, reported speech turns them into statements.

1. Yes/No Questions:

   • Direct Speech: "Ты придёшь на вечеринку?" (Will you come to the party?)
   • Reported Speech: Она спросила, придёшь ли ты на вечеринку. (She asked if you would come to the party.)

   The question mark goes away, and the sentence becomes a statement.

2. Embedded Questions:

   • Direct Speech: "Где ты был?" (Where have you been?)
   • Reported Speech: Он хотел знать, где ты был. (He wanted to know where you had been.)

   Here, the question smoothly blends into the reported speech as a statement.

3. Wh- Questions:

   • Direct Speech: "Когда начнётся фильм?" (When does the movie start?)
   • Reported Speech: Она спросила, когда начнётся фильм. (She asked when the movie started.)

   Once again, the question is changed into a statement in the reported speech.

Extra Things to Remember

1. Negative Sentences: Changing negative sentences follows similar rules.

   • Direct Speech: "Я не хочу это делать." (I don’t want to do this.)
   • Reported Speech: Он сказал, что он не хочет это делать. (He said that he didn’t want to do this.)

   The negative part stays, but the person and verb might change.

2. Direct vs. Indirect Commands: When you use commands in reported speech, they change too.

   • Direct Speech: "Закрой дверь!" (Close the door!)
   • Reported Speech: Он сказал, чтобы я закрыл дверь. (He said to close the door.)

   Notice how the command changes to an infinitive form in the indirect speech.

3. Using "что": It's common to use "что" (that) to introduce reported speech, especially for statements.

   • Direct Speech: "Я куплю новую машину." (I will buy a new car.)
   • Reported Speech: Она сказала, что она купит новую машину. (She said that she would buy a new car.)

   Using "что" helps show you're moving into reported speech.

Practice Examples

Now that we’ve learned about these changes, let’s practice a few examples:

1. Direct Speech: "Я устал." (I am tired.)
   Reported Speech: Он сказал, что он устал. (He said that he was tired.)

2. Direct Speech: "Ты видел её?" (Did you see her?)
   Reported Speech: Она спросила, видел ли ты её. (She asked if you had seen her.)

3. Direct Speech: "Я не знаю, как это сделать." (I don’t know how to do this.)
   Reported Speech: Он сказал, что он не знает, как это сделать. (He said that he doesn’t know how to do this.)

4. Direct Speech: "Мы поедем в Москву на следующей неделе." (We will go to Moscow next week.)
   Reported Speech: Они сказали, что они поедут в Москву на следующей неделе. (They said that they would go to Moscow next week.)

Changing direct speech to reported speech needs careful attention to verb tenses, pronouns, and the structure of questions and commands. By practicing these changes, you will improve your Russian skills and make it easier to discuss what others have said.

Keep in mind that the exact form of what you change will depend on the context and the speaker's intent. Happy studying!