Reported Speech + -(e)la
Reporting What Someone Said
To tell what someone said, add -(e)la to the verb of their words: Nekatuta nago (I am tired) becomes Esan du nekatuta dagoela (She has said she is tired).
How It Works
Adding -(e)la. It goes on the auxiliary or synthetic verb, as in any that clause:
- da → dela, du → duela, dago → dagoela
- naiz → naizela, dut → dudala, dira → direla
- zen → zela, zuen → zuela, zegoen → zegoela
Person. Ane's words Berandu etorriko naiz (I will come late) become Anek esan du berandu etorriko dela (Ane has said she will come late). Her naiz turns into da, because the reporter talks about her, not as her.
Tense. After a present or perfect reporting verb (dio, esan du), keep the original tense. After a past reporting verb (esan zuen), the reported verb usually moves into the past: Esan zuen nekatuta zegoela (She said she was tired). A future becomes the future in the past: Esan zuen etorriko zela (He said he would come).
Word order. The reported clause may come before or after the reporting verb: Berandu etorriko dela esan du and Esan du berandu etorriko dela are both normal.
Questions, orders and short answers. Questions use -(e)n: Galdetu du non dagoen. Orders use -tzeko: Etortzeko esan dit. A bare yes or no becomes baietz or ezetz: Ezetz esan du (He has said no). After a negated verb of thinking, see -(e)nik.
Examples (6)
- Anek esan du berandu etorriko dela.
Ane has said she will come late.
Ane said "etorriko naiz"; reported, naiz becomes da + -la.
- Esan zuen nekatuta zegoela.
She said she was tired.
After esan zuen, nago moves into the past: zegoela.
- Mikelek esan dit bihar ez dagoela lanik.
Mikel has told me there is no work tomorrow.
- Irakasleak dio azterketa erraza izango dela.
The teacher says the exam will be easy.
dio is the present of esan: says.
- Esan zidaten etxea salduta zegoela.
They told me the house was sold.
- Esan zuen etorriko zela, baina ez zen etorri.
He said he would come, but he did not come.
etorriko naiz becomes the future in the past: etorriko zela.
Common Mistakes
Leaving out -(e)la.
Esan du nekatuta dago.Esan du nekatuta dagoela.A reported statement is a subordinate clause, so its verb needs -(e)la: dago becomes dagoela.
Keeping the speaker's own I.
Anek esan du berandu etorriko naizela.Anek esan du berandu etorriko dela.The first sentence means Ane said that I will come late. To report that Ane herself will be late, change naiz to da, just as English changes I to she.
Using -(e)la for a reported question.
Galdetu dit non dagoela.Galdetu dit non dagoen.Questions inside a sentence take -(e)n, not -(e)la. -(e)la is for statements.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Reported speech combines a that-clause with the tense forms needed when reporting an earlier statement.
- -(e)laThat: -(e)la
The reported statement is introduced through the finite -(e)la clause.
Level 2 - etorri nintzen / ikusi nuenThe Simple Past
Past auxiliary forms prepare the tense changes in reported speech.
Level 2 - nengoen / zeunden / zegoenPast of Egon
Reporting nago from a past viewpoint requires forms such as zegoela.
Level 2 - -ko / -goThe Future
A reported future retains -ko/-go while its auxiliary can shift to the past, as in etorriko zela.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- etorriko zenWould: The Future in the Past
The form a reported future takes after a past reporting verb.
Level 4 - Indirect Question + -(e)nIndirect Questions
How reported questions are built, with -(e)n instead of -(e)la.
Level 3 - Reported Command + -tzekoTelling Someone to Do
How reported orders are built, with -tzeko.
Level 3 - baietz / ezetzSaying So or Not
Short reported answers: baietz esan du, ezetz esan du.
Level 3 - Reporting Verbs in the News
The more formal reporting verbs of news writing, such as adierazi and azaldu.
Level 5
Practice Reported Speech + -(e)la in Bubblegum
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