How to Use Reported Speech and Indirect Statements in Bulgarian

Understanding Reported Speech in Bulgarian

Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is used to convey what someone else has said without quoting their exact words. In Bulgarian, reported speech often involves changes in verb tenses, pronouns, and sometimes word order, similar to English but with its own unique rules.

Direct vs Indirect Speech Examples

Direct speech: Иван каза: „Аз обичам музиката."
Indirect speech: Иван каза, че обича музиката.
In English, this translates to:
Direct: Ivan said, "I love music."
Indirect: Ivan said that he loves music.

Forming Indirect Statements in Bulgarian

To form indirect statements in Bulgarian, the conjunction че (that) is commonly used to introduce the reported clause. The verb in the reported clause usually changes to the present tense if the original statement is a general truth or still valid.

For example:
Тя каза, че идва утре. (She said that she is coming tomorrow.)
Note that the verb идва is in the present tense, even though the original statement might have been in the future tense.

Verb Tense Changes in Reported Speech

Unlike English, Bulgarian does not always shift verb tenses back in reported speech. The tense depends on the context and whether the statement is still true or relevant.

Examples:

• Direct: Той каза: „Аз работя тук." (He said: "I work here.")
  Indirect: Той каза, че работи тук. (He said that he works here.)
• Direct: Тя каза: „Ще отида на пазара." (She said: "I will go to the market.")
  Indirect: Тя каза, че ще отиде на пазара. (She said that she will go to the market.)

Pronoun Changes in Reported Speech

Pronouns in the reported clause usually change to match the perspective of the reporter.

Example:
Direct: Мария каза: „Аз съм щастлива." (Maria said: "I am happy.")
Indirect: Мария каза, че е щастлива. (Maria said that she is happy.)
Here, аз (I) changes to the third person implied by the verb form е (is).

Common Conjunctions Used in Reported Speech

Besides че (that), other conjunctions can be used depending on the verb and sentence structure, such as:

• дали (whether/if) for yes/no questions
• когато (when) for time clauses

Practice Examples of Reported Speech in Bulgarian