B1 Swedish GrammarReported Speech
Learn to report what others said in Swedish using indirect speech. Master the tense shifts, pronoun changes, and reporting verbs like 'säga', 'berätta', and 'fråga' for statements, commands, and questions.
1Basic Reported Statements
To report what someone said, Swedish uses 'att' (that) after the reporting verb. Unlike English, Swedish does NOT require tense shifting when the reporting verb is in the past. Structure: Subject + reporting verb + att + reported clause This makes Swedish reported speech simpler than English in many cases.
Direct vs Indirect Speech
| Direct | Indirect | English |
|---|---|---|
| Jag är trött | Han sa att han var trött | He said he was tired |
| Jag kommer imorgon | Hon sa att hon kommer imorgon | She said she'll come tomorrow |
| Det regnar | De sa att det regnar | They said it's raining |
Note: tense shift is optional in Swedish
Examples
Han sa att han var sjuk.
He said that he was sick.
Reporting with tense shift
Hon berättade att hon hade rest till Paris.
She told (us) that she had traveled to Paris.
berättade for narrative
De sa att de kommer senare.
They said they will come later.
No tense shift (common in Swedish)
Min chef meddelade att mötet är inställt.
My boss announced that the meeting is canceled.
Formal reporting verb
2Reporting Questions
For reported questions, Swedish uses 'om' (if/whether) for yes/no questions and keeps the question word (vad, var, vem, etc.) for wh-questions. Important: In reported questions, use statement word order (subject before verb), not question word order.
Reported Questions
| Question Type | Direct | Reported |
|---|---|---|
| Yes/No | Kommer du? | ...om du kommer |
| What | Vad heter du? | ...vad du heter |
| Where | Var bor hon? | ...var hon bor |
| Why | Varför gråter han? | ...varför han gråter |
Examples
Han frågade om jag ville ha kaffe.
He asked if I wanted coffee.
om for yes/no questions
Hon undrade vad jag heter.
She wondered what my name was.
Keep question word, statement order
De frågade var vi bodde.
They asked where we lived.
var + statement word order
Jag undrade varför hon var ledsen.
I wondered why she was sad.
varför in reported question
3Reporting Commands and Requests
Commands and requests are reported using 'att' + infinitive or 'att' + 'skulle' + infinitive. The verb 'be' (ask/request) is commonly used. Structure: Subject + bad + object + att + infinitive
Reported Commands
| Direct | Reported | English |
|---|---|---|
| Stäng dörren! | Hon bad mig stänga dörren | She asked me to close the door |
| Var tyst! | Läraren sa åt oss att vara tysta | The teacher told us to be quiet |
| Kom hit! | Han ropade att jag skulle komma | He shouted for me to come |
Examples
Hon bad mig vänta.
She asked me to wait.
be + object + infinitive
Läkaren sa åt mig att vila.
The doctor told me to rest.
säga åt + object + att
Chefen beordrade oss att stanna.
The boss ordered us to stay.
beordra for formal commands
Mamma sa att jag inte skulle äta godis.
Mom said I shouldn't eat candy.
skulle for reported prohibition
4Common Reporting Verbs
Swedish has many reporting verbs with different nuances. Choose the verb that best describes how something was said. Each verb gives different information about the manner or purpose of the speech.
Reporting Verbs
| Swedish | English | Use |
|---|---|---|
| säga | say | neutral, direct |
| berätta | tell, narrate | longer stories |
| fråga | ask | questions |
| undra | wonder | internal questions |
| svara | answer, reply | responses |
| förklara | explain | explanations |
| påstå | claim | disputed claims |
| erkänna | admit | admissions |
Examples
Han påstod att han hade rätt.
He claimed that he was right.
påstå = claim (may not be true)
Hon erkände att hon hade ljugit.
She admitted that she had lied.
erkänna = admit (confess)
Läraren förklarade att vatten kokar vid 100 grader.
The teacher explained that water boils at 100 degrees.
förklara = explain
De lovade att de skulle hjälpa.
They promised they would help.
lova = promise