B1Lesson 7: Reported Speech & Register
Portuguese indirect speech transforms direct quotes into reported statements using "disse que" for declarations and "perguntou se" for questions, with specific rules for pronoun shifts, tense changes, and register adaptations that often differ from English patterns.
disse que = said that (statements)
perguntou se = asked if/whether (yes/no questions)
perguntou + question word = asked when/what/where
Pronoun shifts: eu→ele/ela, você→eu/ele
Tense shifts less rigid than English
Time expressions must shift
Register affects reporting verb choice
Colloquial often keeps original tenses
Reported speech is essential for Brazilian storytelling and gossip culture! From retelling conversations ("Ela disse que não pode vir") to office communication ("O chefe perguntou se você terminou"), indirect speech appears constantly. Brazilian Portuguese handles it differently than English – tenses don't always shift, and colloquial speech has its own rules. Master this to participate in the national pastime of recounting conversations, understand news reports, and navigate professional communication where precise reporting matters.
reporting verb + que + shifted statement OR reporting verb + se + shifted question
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Direct: "Eu estou cansado"
Indirect: Ele disse que estava cansado
Direct: "Vou viajar amanhã"
Indirect: Ela disse que ia/vai viajar amanhã
Yes/No: "Você vem?" → Perguntou se eu vinha/venho
What: "O que você quer?" → Perguntou o que eu queria/quero
When: "Quando chegam?" → Perguntou quando chegavam/chegam
"Ela disse que não pode vir hoje"
"Meu filho falou que precisa de dinheiro"
"O médico disse que está tudo bem"
"Perguntou se eu quero carona"
Direct: "Estou cansado" → Indirect: "Disse que estava cansado"
Direct: "Vou sair" → Indirect: "Falou que ia sair"
Direct: "Já terminei" → Indirect: "Avisou que já tinha terminado"
Direct: "Chegarei tarde" → Indirect: "Informou que chegaria tarde"
Very common in speech:
"Disse que está doente" (not estava)
When situation still current
More natural in Brazilian Portuguese
Colloquial often drops:
"Falou vai chegar tarde"
"Disse não pode"
Never in formal writing
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