pé
Reporting a Statement
Subject + suitable reporting or mental predicate + pé + content clause.
How It Works
Use pé after a predicate that takes propositional content, such as saying, knowing or believing. What follows is a clause with its own subject and predicate: pé Bísí ti dé, “that Bísí has arrived.” The clause can contain aspect markers, negation or a focus construction. Pé has no person or number variants, and verbs do not acquire English-style agreement or past endings.
Compare Mo rí ìwé náà, “I saw the book,” with Mo mọ̀ pé ìwé náà wà ní ilé, “I know that the book is at home.” The second introduces an entire proposition as content. A reported belief need not be true, and reporting does not require reproducing exact words. Embedded pronouns must identify the intended participants; pé alone does not determine their reference or perspective.
Examples (3)
- Mo mọ̀ pé Bísí ti dé.
I know that Bísí has arrived.
Ti marks the embedded arrival event.
- A gbàgbọ́ pé iṣẹ́ náà dára.
We believe that the work is good.
The following clause supplies the belief's content.
- Tósìn sọ pé ọkọ̀ náà kò sí níbí.
Tósìn said that the vehicle was not here.
The content clause contains negative existence.
How It Connects
Related Patterns
- wí péReporting What Was Said
Combines a saying verb with pé.
Level 2 - Reported Reference With òunFollowing a Reported Speaker
Develops participant reference within reports.
Level 3 - Report With pé + Focus With niHighlighting an Embedded Choice
Develops focus inside an embedded content clause.
Level 6 - Clause With kíA Desired or Intended Event
Contrasts intended or desired events with propositional content.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
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