How to Use Reported Speech and Indirect Statements in Vietnamese

Understanding Reported Speech in Vietnamese

Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is used to convey what someone else has said without quoting their exact words. In Vietnamese, reported speech is commonly used in daily conversations and formal contexts, and it has specific structures that differ from English.

Direct vs Indirect Speech

Direct speech quotes the exact words spoken, usually enclosed in quotation marks. For example: Anh ấy nói, "Tôi thích cà phê." (He said, "I like coffee.") Indirect speech, on the other hand, reports the meaning without quoting exactly: Anh ấy nói rằng anh ấy thích cà phê. (He said that he likes coffee.)

Key Structures for Reported Speech in Vietnamese

The most common way to form reported speech in Vietnamese is by using the verb nói (to say) or bảo (to tell) followed by the conjunction rằng (that). This conjunction introduces the indirect statement.

Example:
Direct: Cô ấy nói, "Tôi sẽ đến muộn."
Indirect: Cô ấy nói rằng cô ấy sẽ đến muộn. (She said that she would be late.)

Using 'rằng' and Omitting It

While rằng is commonly used, it can sometimes be omitted in casual speech without changing the meaning. For example: Anh ấy nói anh ấy bận. (He said he is busy.) However, including rằng often makes the sentence clearer, especially in formal writing.

Changing Pronouns and Tenses in Reported Speech

When converting direct speech to indirect speech, pronouns and time expressions often need to be adjusted to fit the context.

Example:
Direct: Tôi thích phim này. (I like this movie.)
Indirect: Anh ấy nói rằng anh ấy thích phim đó. (He said that he likes that movie.)

Notice how tôi (I) changes to anh ấy (he), and này (this) changes to đó (that) to reflect the speaker's perspective.

Common Verbs Used in Reported Speech

Besides nói (to say), other verbs can introduce reported speech, such as bảo (to tell), hỏi (to ask), and nói với (to tell to). These verbs help specify the nature of the reported statement.

Example:
Anh ấy bảo tôi rằng anh ấy bận. (He told me that he is busy.)

Reported Questions and Commands

Reported questions use verbs like hỏi (to ask) and often include question words like ai (who), gì (what), ở đâu (where). The sentence structure changes to a statement form.

Example:
Direct question: Cô ấy hỏi, "Bạn có khỏe không?" (She asked, "Are you well?")
Indirect question: Cô ấy hỏi tôi có khỏe không. (She asked me if I am well.)

Reported commands use verbs like bảo (to tell) or yêu cầu (to request) followed by the command in indirect form.

Example:
Direct command: Thầy giáo nói, "Học bài đi!" (The teacher said, "Study!")
Indirect command: Thầy giáo bảo học bài. (The teacher told [us] to study.)

Practice Examples of Reported Speech in Vietnamese