dedi

Quoting with Demek

Level 3

The verb dedi (the past tense of demek) is the standard way to report direct speech in Turkish. It follows the exact words spoken, acting like a verbal quotation mark.

How It Works

In Turkish, reporting what someone said is most commonly done through direct quotation using the verb demek (to say). The form dedi is the 3rd person singular simple past tense.

1. The Structure
The standard word order is [Subject] + [Quote] + dedi. However, in literature and daily speech, the inverted order [Quote] + dedi + [Subject] is very common to emphasize the words spoken.
Example: Ali, "Geleceğim," dedi. (Ali said, "I will come.")

2. Dedi After a Quote
Dedi is the usual verb after a direct quote. With other reporting verbs like sormak (to ask) or bağırmak (to shout), the usual pattern is to use the particle diye between the quote and the verb.

3. Witnessed vs. Reported Speech
A crucial distinction in Turkish is whether you personally heard the statement. Use dedi when you were present and heard the person speak. If you are reporting what someone else told you that a third person said (hearsay), you can use the evidential past form demiş.

  • Annem "Gel," dedi. (My mother said "Come" — I heard her.)
  • Annem "Gel," demiş. (My mother [apparently] said "Come" — Someone else told me she said this.)

4. No Backshifting
Unlike English, you do not change the tense or the person inside the quote. If the speaker said "I am tired," you report it exactly as "I am tired" regardless of when they said it.

  • English: He said he was tired.
  • Turkish: "Yorgunum" dedi. (Literally: "I am tired," he said.)

5. Conjugation
The verb conjugates for all people using past tense person endings:

  • Dedim: I said
  • Dedin: You said
  • Dedik: We said

Examples (5)

  1. "Nasılsın?" dedi.

    "How are you?" he said.

    Word by Word: "How are you?" he said.

    A simple direct quote. The question remains in its original form.

  2. Annem bana, "Ödevini yap," dedi.

    My mother said to me, "Do your homework."

    Word by Word: My mother to me, "Your homework do," said.

    Here, an imperative (command) is quoted directly. The person receiving the speech (bana) takes the dative case.

  3. Ali, "Yarın çok işim var," dedi.

    Ali said, "I have a lot of work tomorrow."

    Word by Word: Ali, "Tomorrow much my work there is," said.

    Notice that 'işim var' (I have work) stays in the first person, even though we are reporting what Ali said.

  4. İçinden, "Acaba nerede?" dedi.

    He thought to himself, "I wonder where he is?"

    Word by Word: From his inside, "I wonder where?" he said.

    While 'dedi' usually means spoken words, adding 'içinden' (from inside) clarifies that this was an internal thought.

  5. Bize "Günaydın" dediler.

    They said "Good morning" to us.

    Word by Word: To us "Good morning" they said.

    The verb is conjugated to the 3rd person plural to match 'they'.

Common Mistakes

  • Trying to use 'dedi' for indirect speech (paraphrasing).

    Geleceğini dedi.
    Geleceğini söyledi.

    If you are not using a direct quote (e.g., using a 'that' clause like 'he said that he would come'), the verb 'söylemek' is the usual choice instead of 'demek'.

  • Changing the tense inside the quote to match the past tense (backshifting).

    "Yorgun olduğunu" dedi.
    "Yorgunum" dedi.

    In direct speech with 'dedi', you must keep the exact words the speaker used. 'Yorgunum' (I am tired) should not be changed to a participle form.

How It Connects

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

dediLevel 3Quoting with Demek

Learn This First

To understand 'dedi', you need to know the verb 'demek' (to say) and how to conjugate it in the simple past tense (-di). Additionally, you should be familiar with basic Turkish word order, as the quoted speech acts as the direct object of the sentence.

Words in This Pattern