Reported Speech

Level 5

To report what someone said, use datt with the verb at the end: Hie seet, datt hie krank ass. For distance, use the conditional: Hie sot, hie wier krank.

How It Works

1. Everyday speech: datt + indicative
Change the pronouns to fit the new speaker and put the verb at the end, as after any datt:

  • Paul: Ech si krank. → Hie seet, datt hie krank ass.
  • Anna: Ech komme muer. → Si seet, datt si muer kënnt.

The tense usually stays as the speaker said it. English moves it back, but Luxembourgish does not need to: Hie sot, datt hie krank ass. (He said that he was ill.)

2. Keeping a distance: the conditional
News, reports and careful speech often use the conditional. It shows that the words come from someone else and that you do not vouch for them:

  • Hie sot, hie wier krank. (He said he was ill.)
  • De Minister sot, hien hätt keng Zäit. (The minister said he had no time.)
  • Am Radio hu se gesot, et géif muer schneien. (On the radio they said it would snow tomorrow.)

Use wier and hätt for sinn and hunn, and géif + infinitive for most other verbs. Without datt, the verb stays in second place. With datt, it goes to the end: Hie sot, datt hie krank wier. For something said about the past, use wier or hätt with a participle.

3. Questions and requests

  • Yes or no questions take ob: Hie freet, ob mer Zäit hunn.
  • Other questions keep their question word: Si freet, wou s de wunns.
  • Commands and requests take sollen: D'Mamm seet, ech soll heemkommen. (Mum says I should come home.)

4. Which one to choose
In conversation, datt with the indicative is the normal choice. The conditional sounds more neutral and distant, which is why news reports use it so often.

Examples (6)

  1. Hie seet, datt hie krank ass.

    He says that he is ill.

    Datt sends the verb ass to the end.

  2. Hie sot, hie wier krank.

    He said he was ill.

    Without datt, the conditional wier stays in second place and keeps a distance.

  3. Si seet, datt si muer kënnt.

    She says that she is coming tomorrow.

  4. Am Radio hu se gesot, et géif muer schneien.

    On the radio they said it would snow tomorrow.

    Géif with an infinitive reports what someone predicted.

  5. D'Mamm seet, ech soll heemkommen.

    Mum says I should come home.

    A reported command uses sollen.

  6. Hie freet, ob mer Zäit hunn.

    He is asking whether we have time.

    A reported yes or no question uses ob.

Common Mistakes

  • Keeping the verb in second place after datt.

    Hie seet, datt hien ass krank.
    Hie seet, datt hie krank ass.

    Datt is a subordinating conjunction, so the verb goes to the end of its clause.

  • Sending the verb to the end without datt.

    Hie sot, hie krank wier.
    Hie sot, hie wier krank.

    Without datt, the reported words form a main clause and the verb stays second. Only datt sends it to the end: Hie sot, datt hie krank wier.

  • Keeping the original speaker's ech.

    De Paul seet, datt ech krank sinn.
    De Paul seet, datt hie krank ass.

    To pass on Paul's words Ech si krank, change ech to hien and the verb to ass. Datt ech krank sinn would mean that you are the one who is ill.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Reported SpeechLevel 5

Learn This First

Before Reported Speech, learn One-Word Conditionals: Kéim, Géing, Wéisst and That: Datt.

Words in This Pattern