Reported Speech in the Subjunctive

Level 3

To report what someone says or thinks, use the subjunctive after að: Hún segir að hún sé þreytt (She says she is tired).

How It Works

Which verbs? Verbs of saying, thinking, believing and hoping: segja (say), halda (think), telja (believe), vona (hope), óska (wish). Verbs that present a known fact, such as vita (know) and sjá (see), take the indicative:

  • Ég held að hún sé heima. (I think she is home.) Subjunctive.
  • Ég veit að hún er heima. (I know she is home.) Indicative.

Tense follows the main verb.

  • Present: Hún segir að hún sé þreytt. (She says she is tired.)
  • Past: Hún sagði að hún væri þreytt. (She said she was tired.)
  • An earlier past after a present verb: Hann segir að hann hafi verið veikur. (He says he was sick.)
  • An earlier past after a past verb: Hún sagði að hún hefði séð myndina. (She said she had seen the film.)
  • A future after a past verb: Hann sagði að hann kæmi á morgun or ... að hann myndi koma á morgun. (He said he would come tomorrow.)

Useful forms. Present subjunctive: sé, hafi, komi, geti, eigi, viti. Past subjunctive: væri, hefði, kæmi, gæti, ætti, vissi.

Pronouns and time words change as in English. „Ég er þreytt,“ sagði hún becomes Hún sagði að hún væri þreytt.

Standard use. Some younger speakers use the indicative here (Hann sagði að hann var veikur), but standard Icelandic uses the subjunctive.

Reported questions. A yes/no question is reported with hvort, and a question-word question with the question word: Hún spurði hvort ég væri svangur. Hún spurði hvað klukkan væri. See indirect questions.

Examples (6)

  1. Hún segir að hún sé þreytt.

    She says she is tired.

    Word by Word: She says that she be tired.

  2. Ég held að það sé rétt.

    I think that's right.

    Word by Word: I hold that it be right.

  3. Hann sagði að hann væri veikur.

    He said he was sick.

    Word by Word: He said that he were sick.

    sagði is past, so the að-clause uses the past subjunctive væri.

  4. Hún sagði að hún hefði séð myndina.

    She said she had seen the film.

    Word by Word: She said that she had (subj.) seen the film.

  5. Þau segja að það eigi að snjóa á morgun.

    They say it's supposed to snow tomorrow.

    Word by Word: They say that it own (subj.) to snow tomorrow.

    eigi is the present subjunctive of eiga, from það á að snjóa (it is supposed to snow).

  6. Ég vona að þú komir.

    I hope you'll come.

    Word by Word: I hope that you come (subj.).

Common Mistakes

  • Using the indicative to report what someone said.

    Hann sagði að hann var veikur.
    Hann sagði að hann væri veikur.

    When you report someone's words after segja, use the subjunctive. The main verb sagði is past, so use the past subjunctive væri. Some younger speakers use the indicative here, but it is not standard.

  • Using the indicative after vona.

    Ég vona að þú kemur.
    Ég vona að þú komir.

    A hope is not a known fact, so vona takes the subjunctive. The present subjunctive of koma for þú is komir.

  • Mixing up the tenses.

    Hún segir að hún væri þreytt.
    Hún segir að hún sé þreytt.

    With a present main verb (segir), use the present subjunctive sé. Hún segir að hún væri þreytt means she says she would be tired.

How It Connects

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Reported Speech in the SubjunctiveLevel 3

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Reported speech builds on the present subjunctive.

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