Example
Dijo que estaba cansado.
He said that he was tired.
Note
Present → Imperfect in reported speech: "Estoy cansado" → dijo que estaba cansado.
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Report what others said or asked. Includes key verbs of saying, tense backshifting, and word order changes. Use this page to study the core Spanish words, English meanings, part-of-speech labels, and example sentences for this topic.
Review each word with examples and usage notes where available.
Dijo que estaba cansado.
He said that he was tired.
Present → Imperfect in reported speech: "Estoy cansado" → dijo que estaba cansado.
Me preguntó si había comido.
She asked me if I had eaten.
Yes/no questions use "si" (no accent). "¿Comiste?" → preguntó si había comido.
Preguntó dónde vivía yo.
He asked where I lived.
Question words keep their accent: dónde, cuándo, cómo, qué, quién, cuánto. Word order becomes normal (subject + verb).
Explicó que el tren había llegado tarde.
She explained that the train had arrived late.
El testigo afirmó que había visto al sospechoso.
The witness stated that he had seen the suspect.
Negó que hubiera dicho eso.
She denied having said that.
"Negar que" triggers subjunctive. Past subjunctive (hubiera/hubiese) when the main verb is past.
Pidió que le ayudaran con el proyecto.
She asked them to help her with the project.
"Pedir que" always takes subjunctive — it expresses a wish/request, not a fact.
Le aconsejaron que descansara más.
They advised him to rest more.
Añadió que el precio incluía el desayuno.
He added that the price included breakfast.
Comentó que el proyecto iba bien.
She mentioned that the project was going well.
Se quejó de que no había suficiente tiempo.
He complained that there wasn't enough time.
Directo: "Tengo hambre." → Indirecto: Dijo que tenía hambre.
Direct: "I'm hungry." → Reported: He said he was hungry.
Key tense shift: Present → Imperfect. Future → Conditional. Preterite → Pluperfect.