Reported Speech in Spanish — How to Talk About What Others Said (Without Getting Lost in Verb Tenses)

Have you ever tried to explain what someone told you and realized your Spanish suddenly got messy? You’re not alone. Reported speech, or “el estilo indirecto,” is one

of those grammar topics that seems simple until you actually try to use it. Let’s make it clear and natural.

When you tell someone exactly what another person said, you’re using direct speech. For example:

María dijo: “Estoy cansada.” (María said, “I’m tired.”)

But when you report what she said without quoting her words directly, you use reported speech:

María dijo que estaba cansada. (María said that she was tired.)

That small change — estoy becomes estaba — is the essence of reported speech. When we report what someone said, verbs usually move one tense into the past. “Estoy cansado” becomes “dijo que estaba cansado.” “Voy al cine” becomes “dijo que iba al cine.” “He comido” becomes “dijo que había comido.” “Comeré mañana” becomes “dijo que comería mañana.”

Why do we do that? Because when someone speaks, their words belong to a specific moment in time. When we later talk about what they said, that moment has already passed — so the verb moves to reflect that shift.

However, if what they said is still true, you can keep the same tense. For example, “María dijo que está cansada” means she said she’s tired — and she still is. Spanish gives you flexibility depending on what you want to express.

When you report speech, you also need to adjust pronouns and time expressions so they make sense from your perspective. For example, “Yo tengo hambre” becomes “dijo que tenía hambre.” “Nos vemos mañana” becomes “dijo que nos veríamos al día siguiente.” “Aquí hace frío” becomes “dijo que allí hacía frío.” “Mi coche está sucio” becomes “dijo que su coche estaba sucio.” These changes keep your sentence logical and natural.

Let’s see it in context. Imagine this little story:

Yesterday I met Ana at a café. She said, “Estoy esperando a mi hermano.” Later, when I talked to Carlos, I told him: “Ana dijo que estaba esperando a su hermano.” Then Ana added, “Voy a viajar mañana a Sevilla.” When I got home, I told my roommate: “Ana dijo que iba a viajar a Sevilla al día siguiente.” She also told me, “He terminado el proyecto del trabajo.” So I said later, “Ana dijo que había terminado su proyecto.” Each sentence moves just one step into the past, and suddenly the whole story sounds clear and natural.

In spoken Spanish, people often simplify and skip some of the tense changes when the meaning is obvious. For instance, instead of saying “Dijo que vendría mañana,” it’s very common to hear “Dijo que viene mañana.” That’s perfectly fine in everyday conversation. So, for formal writing or exams, follow the tense-change rule carefully. But in natural conversation, focus on clarity, not perfection.

In short, here’s what you need to remember: when reporting, move the verb one tense back, adjust pronouns and time expressions, and keep the tense if the statement is still true. Practice by taking short dialogues and rewriting them in reported form. For example:

“Te llamaré más tarde” becomes “Dijo que me llamaría más tarde.”

“No puedo ayudarte” becomes “Ella dijo que no podía ayudarme.”

Once you get used to this structure, reported speech stops being a headache and starts becoming one of the most expressive tools in your Spanish. You’ll be able to retell stories, conversations, and gossip like a native.

Final Thought

Reported speech isn’t just grammar — it’s storytelling. It lets you carry someone’s words and emotions from one moment to another. Once you master it, you’ll sound not only more fluent… but more Spanish.

Want to master grammar through real conversation?

Book a class at Spanish Millennium today and learn with native teachers who make Spanish structure easy, natural, and fun.