How to Use Reported Speech and Indirect Questions in Ukrainian

Understanding Reported Speech in Ukrainian

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

Basic Structure of Reported Speech

In Ukrainian, reported speech typically uses a reporting verb such as сказати (to say) or питати (to ask) followed by a subordinate clause introduced by the conjunction що (that) for statements, or як, коли, де for questions.

For example, the direct speech sentence:
Він сказав: «Я йду додому». (He said, "I am going home.")
becomes reported speech:
Він сказав, що він іде додому. (He said that he is going home.)

Changes in Verb Tense and Pronouns

When converting direct speech to reported speech in Ukrainian, verb tenses often shift to reflect the time of reporting, and pronouns change to match the perspective of the reporter.

For example:
Direct: Вона сказала: «Я люблю читати книги». (She said, "I love reading books.")
Reported: Вона сказала, що вона любить читати книги. (She said that she loves reading books.)

Forming Indirect Questions in Ukrainian

Indirect questions are questions embedded within statements or other questions. In Ukrainian, indirect questions are introduced by question words such as хто (who), що (what), де (where), коли (when), чому (why), and як (how). Unlike direct questions, indirect questions do not use question intonation or inversion.

Examples of Indirect Questions

Direct question:
Де ти живеш? (Where do you live?)
Indirect question:
Я не знаю, де ти живеш. (I don't know where you live.)

Notice that in the indirect question, the word order is that of a statement, not a question.

Using Reporting Verbs with Indirect Questions

Common verbs used with indirect questions include знати (to know), питати (to ask), цікавитися (to be interested), and запитувати (to inquire). These verbs are followed by the subordinate clause containing the indirect question.

Tips for Mastering Reported Speech and Indirect Questions in Ukrainian

1. Pay attention to the conjunctions introducing reported speech and indirect questions, such as що, як, де, and коли.
2. Practice changing verb tenses and pronouns appropriately when converting direct speech to reported speech.
3. Remember that indirect questions use statement word order, not question word order.
4. Listen to native speakers and practice forming sentences aloud to get comfortable with the structures.