How to Use Reported Speech and Indirect Discourse in Greek

Understanding Reported Speech in Greek

Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is used to convey what someone else has said without quoting their exact words. In Greek, this involves changes in verb tenses, pronouns, and sometimes word order to reflect the shift from direct to indirect discourse.

Direct vs Indirect Speech Examples

Direct speech quotes the exact words spoken, usually enclosed in quotation marks. For example:
Ο Γιάννης είπε, «Έρχομαι αύριο.» (John said, "I am coming tomorrow.")
Indirect speech reports the content without quoting directly:
Ο Γιάννης είπε ότι θα έρθει αύριο. (John said that he will come tomorrow.)

Forming Indirect Discourse in Greek

To form indirect discourse in Greek, the conjunction ότι (that) is commonly used to introduce the reported clause. The verb in the reported clause often changes tense to reflect the shift in time and perspective.

Verb Tense Changes in Reported Speech

When converting direct speech to indirect speech, Greek verbs typically shift according to the sequence of tenses. For example:

• Present tense in direct speech often becomes imperfect or future in indirect speech.
• Future tense in direct speech usually becomes conditional or future in indirect speech.
• Past tenses may remain the same or shift depending on context.

Example:
Direct: Η Μαρία λέει, «Διαβάζω το βιβλίο.» (Maria says, "I am reading the book.")
Indirect: Η Μαρία λέει ότι διαβάζει το βιβλίο. (Maria says that she is reading the book.)

Direct: Η Μαρία είπε, «Διαβάζω το βιβλίο.» (Maria said, "I am reading the book.")
Indirect: Η Μαρία είπε ότι διάβαζε το βιβλίο. (Maria said that she was reading the book.)

Pronoun and Time Expression Changes

In indirect discourse, pronouns and time expressions often change to fit the new perspective. For example, first-person pronouns in direct speech usually become third-person in indirect speech.

Time expressions also adjust:
Direct: «Αύριο» (tomorrow)
Indirect: «Την επόμενη μέρα» (the next day)

Common Conjunctions Used in Greek Reported Speech

Besides ότι, other conjunctions can introduce indirect speech depending on the verb and context, such as πως (that), which is often interchangeable with ότι in spoken Greek.

Example:
Ο Γιάννης είπε πως θα έρθει αργότερα.
(John said that he will come later.)

Practice Examples of Greek Reported Speech

• Direct: «Θα πάω στο σχολείο.» – Indirect: Είπε ότι θα πάει στο σχολείο.
• Direct: «Δεν καταλαβαίνω.» – Indirect: Είπε ότι δεν καταλαβαίνει.
• Direct: «Μου αρέσει η μουσική.» – Indirect: Είπε ότι του αρέσει η μουσική.