Spanish Grammar Bank
SPANISH QUOTES
When quoting someone in Spanish, there are two pre-established methods: direct speech and indirect speech. Each is subject to its specific grammar rules and structures.
In broad terms, direct speech is a verbatim quotation of the words spoken by someone. In contrast, indirect speech conveys the idea of the speaker but not the exact words spoken.
DIRECT SPEECH
Direct speech (discurso directo – DD) quotes word for word what someone said or thought. The quotation does not change what was originally said/thought.
Generally, in Spanish, direct speech requires an introductory verb, such as decir (to say), explicar (to explain), preguntar (to ask), opinar (to give an opinion), repetir (to repeat), responder (to answer), etc. For example:
Direct speech quotations can be placed before or after the introductory verb. They normally follow either of these patterns:
PATTERNS
Subject + Introductory Verb + “Quoted Speech”
“Quoted Speech”+ Introductory Verb + Subject
The punctuation marks used for quoting direct speech are:
➡️ Quotation marks (Comillas), frequently used when quoting direct speech, both in formal and informal texts. For example:
➡️ Dashes (Rayas), commonly used in narrative-type texts, especially to indicate dialogue.
Let’s have a look at some examples:
| Juan dijo: “Nos vamos en cinco minutos.” | Juan said, “We’re leaving in five minutes.” |
| Ella me preguntó: “¿Tienes prisa?” | She asked me, “Are you in a hurry?” |
| El alumno respondió: “La capital de Perú es Lima.” | The student answered, “The capital of Peru is Lima.” |
INDIRECT SPEECH
Indirect speech (discurso indirecto – DI) expresses through the voice of a narrator a reported speech, reproducing what someone has said without quoting them exactly.
Indirect speech then, necessarily involves adapting the words of the speaker to the perspective of the narrator, which might call for a change in pronouns, verb tenses, as well as time and place markers.
For example, the direct speech quote María dijo: “Últimamente no duermo bien” (Maria said, “Lately I do not sleep well”) corresponds to María dijo que últimamente no dormía bien (María said that lately, she has not been sleeping well), as an indirect speech adaptation of the same information.
In indirect speech, a subordinate clause is used to express the reported information.
This clause is introduced by a reporting verb that can be of speech (decir/to say, hablar/to speak), thought (pensar/to think, saber/to know), or of the senses (oir/hear, ver/to see), normally followed by the conjunction que (that).
Generally, the structure of indirect speech is as follows:
PATTERNS
Subject + Introductory/Reporting Verb + que + Reported Speech
In indirect speech, pronouns, verb tenses, and time sequences may change based on the perspective of the narrator. For example:
➡️ Direct speech: Marta dijo: “Estoy cansada.” (Marta said, “I’m tired.”)
➡️Indirect speech: [Marta dijo que estaba cansada.] (Marta said she was tired.)
SEQUENCES OF TENSES
When converting direct speech to indirect speech, the verb tenses will normally change.
As a general rule, if the introductory/reporting verb is in the past (like dijo/said, habló/spoke, pensó/thought), then the tenses in the reported subordinate clause typically shift like so:
| Direct Speech (Original Tense) | Indirect Speech (Shifted Tense) |
|---|---|
| Present | Imperfect |
| Future | Conditional |
| Preterite/Perfect | Pluperfect |
Examples For Introductory/Reporting Verbs
| La profesora dijo que este tema entrará en el examen. | The teacher said that this lesson would be on the exam.” |
| Desde lejos Juan gritó que había peligro | From a far Juan shouted that there was danger. |
| Nosotros pensamos que esto sería lo mejor. | We thought that this would be the best. |
For Sequence of Tenses
Present Tense to Imperfect Tense
| Direct | Emilio dijo: De postre, hay macedonia. | Emilio said, “For dessert, there is fruit salad.” |
| Indirect | Emilio dijo que de postre había macedonia. | Emilio said that for dessert there was fruit salad. |
| Direct | Ana nos recordó: “Mi padre es medico.” | Ana reminded us, “My father is a doctor.” |
Preterite to Pluperfect
| Direct | Sebastián dijo: “Ayer leí el periódico.” | Sebastián said, “I read the newspaper yesterday.” |
| Indirect | Sebastián dijo que había leído el periódico el día anterior. | Sebastián said that he had read the newspaper the day before. |
| Direct | Ellos comentaron: “Jugamos al fútbol el fin de semana.” | They said, “We played soccer on the weekend.” |
Future to Conditional
| Direct | Raul comentó: “Iré a la farmacia mañana.” | Raul said, “I will go to the pharmacy tomorrow.” |
| Indirect | Raul comentó que iría a la farmacia el día siguiente. | Raul said he would go to the pharmacy the next day. |
| Direct | Las hermanas dijeron: “Acabaremos de ordenar la habitación en media hora.” | The sisters said: “We will finish tidying up the room in half an hour. |
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FAQs
How to introduce a direct quote in Spanish?
In Spanish, direct quotes are introduced with a comma or colon, followed by quotation marks, for example: Él dijo: “Voy a la tienda” (“He said, ‘I’m going to the store'”).
What difference between direct and indirect speech?
Direct quoting uses the speaker’s exact words in quotation marks, while indirect quoting paraphrases the speaker’s words, often changing verb forms and removing quotation marks, like Él dijo que iba a la tienda (“He said that he was going to the store”).
Are quotation marks the same in Spanish and English?
Spanish often uses angled quotation marks (« »), though English-style quotation marks (” “) are also common, especially in modern writing.
Can you use que to introduce a quote in Spanish?
Yes, que can introduce indirect quotes and is often used informally, like Él dijo que iba a salir (“He said that he was going out”).
Do you need to change verb tenses when quoting indirectly in Spanish?
Yes, in indirect quotes, the verb tense usually changes to match the main verb’s tense, such as from voy (present) to iba (imperfect) in indirect speech.
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