Text and style

die indirekte Rede

In English: indirect speech (reported speech)

Reporting what someone said without quoting the exact words. In formal and journalistic German the verb goes into the Konjunktiv I (or the Konjunktiv II when the two forms look the same). In everyday speech the indicative with dass is common. Unlike English, German does not shift the tense back.

Example: Der Arzt sagt, Paul müsse mehr schlafen.

Related lessons

• Indirect speech and Konjunktiv I (B2)
• Konjunktiv I in the press and unreal comparisons with als ob (C1)

See also

der Konjunktiv I die indirekte Frage das Register (formal / informal)