Spanish speech: direct and indirect speech

By Marta Díaz on Thursday, October 10, 2024

When learning a language like Spanish, one of the fundamental aspects of communication is understanding how to quote or reproduce what others have said. This is when direct or indirect speech comes into play. Both styles are essential in discourse and allow you to transmit information clearly and precisely.

At Enforex Spanish school we explain the differences between the direct and indirect speech in Spanish, their characteristics and how they are used, with practical examples that will help you become familiar with them.

What is direct speech in Spanish?

Direct speech in Spanish is when you reproduce literally what someone else has said. In this speech, the exact words of the source are used without changes. In Spanish, as in English, quotation marks are used to enclose the direct quote and it is generally introduced with verbs such as: decir (say), preguntar (ask) or afirmar (affirm).

Characteristics of direct speech in Spanish:

• Exact words of the other person are quoted.
• Quotation marks are used to enclose the quotation.
• Verb tenses and pronouns are not altered.

Examples:

Ana dijo: “Voy a estudiar español esta tarde” (Ana said: “I am going to study Spanish this afternoon”).

Luis afirmó: “Esta tarde empiezo a ir al gimnasio” (Luis said: “I'm going to start going to the gym this afternoon”).

What is indirect speech in Spanish?

Indirect speech in Spanish is when you paraphrase or recount what someone else said without repeating the original words exactly. Here, verb tenses, pronouns and other expressions may change to adapt to the new sentence construction.

Characteristics of the indirect speech in Spanish:

• Quotation marks are not used because exact words are not quoted.
• Verb tenses go back to the past in some cases.
• Pronouns and expressions of place or time are adapted.

Examples:

Ana dijo que iba a estudiar español esa tarde (Ana said she was going to study Spanish that afternoon).

Luis afirmó que esa tarde iba a empezar a ir al gimnasio (Luis said that he was going to start going to the gym that afternoon).

Rules of change in the indirect speech in Spanish

One of the most important aspects of the indirect speech in Spanish is the backward shift of verb tenses, which occurs when the main verb is in the past tense. This phenomenon also exists in English, although it is applied with slightly different rules.

Here are examples of how verb tenses change in Spanish when you switch from direct to indirect speech:

Presente → Pretérito imperfecto

• Direct: “Voy al cine” (I'm going to the movies)
• Indirect: Dijo que iba al cine (He said that he is going to the cinema)

Pretérito Perfecto → Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto

• Direct: “He terminado el trabajo” (“I have finished my work”)
• Indirect: Dijo que había terminado el trabajo (He said that he had finished the job)

Futuro → Condicional

• Direct: “Iré a la fiesta” (“I will go to the party”)
• Indirect: Afirmó que iría a la fiesta (He stated that he would go to the party)

In addition to the backward movement of verb tenses, there are changes in pronouns and adverbs of place and time. For example:

• Aquí (here) → Allí (there)
• Ahora (now) → Entonces (then)
• Mañana (tomorrow) → Al día siguiente (the next day)

Differences between the speech in the language

Although the rules for switching from direct to indirect speech are similar in Spanish and English, there are some differences that are important to keep in mind.

The first is the backward movement of verb tenses in Spanish, which is stricter. If the introductory verb is in the past tense (such as “dijo”), there is always a backtracking of verb tenses. In English, this may not be necessary if the introductory verb is in the present tense in Spanish.

In Spanish, the backtracking of tenses is obligatory:

• Direct: “Voy a la tienda” (“I'm going to the store”).
• Indirect: Dijo que iba a la tienda (He said he was going to the store).

You simply connect the indirect quotation without the need for a specific connector, for example:

• Direct: “Viajaré la próxima semana” (“I will travel next week”)
• Indirect: Dijo que viajaría la semana siguiente (He said he would travel next week)

Therefore, in Spanish and English the structure is similar in the direct speech. What the person says directly is placed between quotation marks and the verb tenses and other elements are not modified.

On the other hand, in indirect speech in Spanish, in both languages, changes do occur. In Spanish, the verb ir (go) changes from voy (present tense) to iba (past tense). Like esta tarde, which changes to esa tarde to adapt to the indirect discourse. And in English something similar happens in indirect discourse, the tenses change so that the sentence makes sense within the new context.

The use of these two speeches is essential for clear communication in Spanish. Understanding how they work will allow you to tell stories or share information more accurately and professionally. In addition, direct and indirect speech will help you improve your fluency and understanding of the language.