Reported speech is quite simple in Slovene. A good example as to how it is used, would be: the teacher says something and afterward, a fellow student asks you what did the teacher and you would tell him by using reported speech.
Different punctuation will have different reported speech.
Declarative Sentence – Trdilna Poved
Sentence that ends with a period ( . ) is a declarative sentence. It is used to formulate a fact, an opinion, an feeling and much more. To report a declarative sentence, the word “da” is used.
For example,
Domen : “Vesel sem.” (Domen : “I am happy.”)
Domen pravi, da je vesel. (Domen said that he is happy.)
The verb praviti (to say, to tell) can be replaced by similar verbs, such as
- reči (to say)
- povedati (to tell)
- dejati (to say, to tell)
- odgovoriti (to answer)
For example,
Peter : “Pes je lačen.” (Peter : “The dog is hungry.”)
Peter je rekel, da je pes lačen. (Peter said that the dog is hungry.)
Interrogative Sentence – Vprašalna Poved
Sentence that ends with a question mark ( ? ) is an interrogative sentence. Obviously, it is used to ask questions. To report an interrogative sentence, a question word is used.
For example,
Mina : “Ali ste lačni?” (Mina : “Are you hungry?”)
Mina vpraša, ali/če smo lačni. (Mina asks if we are hungry.)
Depending on the context, different question words can be used, such as
- kdo (who)
- kdaj (when)
- kje (where)
For example,
Teresa : “Kdaj pridete?” (Teresa : “When are you coming?”)
Teresa vpraša, kdaj pridemo. (Teresa asks when are we coming.)
Requesting, Commanding Sentence – Velelna Poved
Sentence that expresses a request or a command can end with an exclamation mark ( ! ) or a period ( . ), it all depends on the tone. To report requesting or commanding sentence, the word “naj” is used.
For example,
Mami : “Pospravi igrače!” (Mommy : “Clean your toys!”)
Mami mi je rekla, naj pospravim igrače . (Mommy told me to clean your toys.)
Depending on the tone, the verb reči (to say) can be replaced by other verbs, such as
- svetovati (to advise)
- prositi (to ask)
For example,
Učitelj : “Prosim, pospravi igrače.” (Teacher : “Please, clean your toys.”)
Učitelj me je prosil, naj pospravim igrače. (The teacher asked me to clean my toys.)
Reported speech can be really fun to use and they are also very easy to practice. Once you mastered it, you will be able to express yourself more freely! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate and let me know!
Discover more Slovene “lessons” that might interest you: Slovene Numbers & Numerals, Slovene Nouns & Pronouns, Slovene Verbs, Slovene Adjectives, Slovene Syntax, Slovenian Idioms, Slovene Adverbs.
Let’s learn Slovene,
Anna.
Anna in Slovenia 