How to Use Reported Speech and Indirect Discourse in Croatian

Understanding Reported Speech in Croatian

Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is used to convey what someone else has said without quoting their exact words. In Croatian, reported speech often involves changes in verb tenses, pronouns, and time expressions, similar to English but with some unique features.

Direct vs Indirect Speech

Direct speech quotes the exact words spoken, usually enclosed in quotation marks. For example:
"On kaže: 'Dolazim sutra.'" (He says: 'I am coming tomorrow.')

Indirect speech reports what was said without quoting exactly:
"On kaže da dolazi sutra." (He says that he is coming tomorrow.)

Common Reporting Verbs in Croatian

The most common verbs used to introduce reported speech are reći (to say) and kazati (to tell). Other verbs include pitat (to ask), objasniti (to explain), and navesti (to state). These verbs are often followed by the conjunction da (that) when introducing indirect speech.

Forming Indirect Speech in Croatian

In Croatian, indirect speech is typically formed by using the conjunction da followed by a verb in the indicative mood. Unlike English, Croatian does not always require a change in verb tense when shifting from direct to indirect speech, but context and time references may affect verb forms.

Example of Indirect Speech Formation

Direct speech:
"Ana kaže: 'Volim čokoladu.'" (Ana says: 'I love chocolate.')

Indirect speech:
"Ana kaže da voli čokoladu." (Ana says that she loves chocolate.)

Changes in Pronouns and Time Expressions

When converting direct speech to indirect speech, pronouns and time expressions often change to fit the perspective of the reporter.

Example:
Direct: "Rekao je: 'Doći ću sutra.'" (He said: 'I will come tomorrow.')
Indirect: "Rekao je da će doći sutra." (He said that he will come tomorrow.)

Note that sutra (tomorrow) remains the same if the reporting is done on the same day. If the reporting is done later, time expressions may change accordingly.

Verb Tense in Reported Speech

Croatian often retains the original verb tense in indirect speech, especially when the reporting verb is in the present tense. However, when the reporting verb is in the past tense, the verb in the subordinate clause may shift to a past tense form to reflect the time frame.

Examples of Verb Tense Shifts

Present reporting verb:
"On kaže da ide kući." (He says that he is going home.)

Past reporting verb:
"On je rekao da ide kući." (He said that he was going home.)

In the past reporting, the verb ide (goes) can remain present if the action is still relevant, but often shifts to past tense forms like je išao (was going) depending on context.

Questions and Commands in Indirect Speech

Questions and commands are also reported indirectly in Croatian, often using specific conjunctions and verb forms.

Reporting Questions

Yes/no questions are introduced with da li or just da, and the verb is in the indicative mood.

Direct: "Pitaš li me?" (Are you asking me?)
Indirect: "Pita me da li idem." (He asks me if I am going.)

Reporting Commands and Requests

Commands and requests are often introduced with the conjunction da followed by the verb in the imperative or subjunctive mood.

Direct: "Dođi ovamo!" (Come here!)
Indirect: "Rekao je da dođem ovamo." (He said that I should come here.)