Quoted / Reported Speech
Direct speech
Indirect speech
Reported speech
Who said or thought it?
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advanced
Information structure
含义
A structure that reports speech, thought, belief, command, or question directly or indirectly.
如何识别
Ask whose words or thoughts are being represented.
示例
单词
said|told|asked|thought|quoted
短语
he said that|she asked if|according to him
句子
She said that she was tired.
Visual guide
Basic shape
SPEAKER / THINKER
She said [that she was tired].
[reported thought]
Ask: whose words?
→ She represents them.
Compare shape
Direct quote: She said, "I am tired." Indirect report: She said [that she was tired]. Check shifts: I→she, am→was.
语言视角
在母语中
Mandarin Chinese (Simplified, standard)
显性程度
strong
重要程度
Reported speech commonly uses 说 followed by a clause; Mandarin does not require English-style tense backshifting.
他说他明天来。
tā shuō tā míngtiān lái = he said he tomorrow come
在目标语言中
Japanese
显性程度
strong
学习难度
Reported speech commonly uses the quotative particle と and speech verbs.
彼女は疲れたと言った。
She said that she was tired.
常见易错点
Learners may omit と or mishandle tense and politeness inside quoted content.
Same block, different coding
Both languages use this block strongly, but they signal it differently. Focus on form changes, not only meaning.