Free lessonLevel B111 min read12 practice words

Reported Speech

How to pass on what someone said, asked or asked you to do: he said that…, she asked if…, he told me to…

You already know the key word, שֶׁ, from the lesson on connecting words. This lesson is about what happens to the words themselves when you pass them on: the people change, the tense doesn't.

Quoting or reporting: ״…״ and שֶׁtwo ways

Two ways to pass words on

You can repeat someone's exact words: after the verb comes a colon, and the words go in quotation marks, ״אֲנִי עָיֵף״. Or you can report them in a sentence of your own: the verb, then שֶׁ attached to the next word, הוּא אָמַר שֶׁהוּא עָיֵף.

A report tells the words from your side, so the people change: the speaker's “I” becomes הוּא or הִיא, their “we” becomes הֵם (or אֲנַחְנוּ, if it included you), and a “you” that meant you becomes אֲנִי. In the past and the future the verb changes person too: ״אֲנִי אֶתְקַשֵּׁר״ becomes שֶׁהוּא יִתְקַשֵּׁר.

As the lesson on connecting words showed, this שֶׁ is never dropped, even where English drops “that”.

Quote or report

Quote: a colon and quotation marks

דָּנִי אָמַר: ״אֲנִי עָיֵף״.

Dani amar: ani ayef

Dani said: “I'm tired.”

Report: שֶׁ, no quotation marks

דָּנִי אָמַר שֶׁהוּא עָיֵף.

Dani amar she-hu ayef

Dani said he was tired.

The same words, reported

The same words, reported
Their words	Reported	Meaning
״אֲנִי עָיֵף״	הוּא אָמַר שֶׁהוּא עָיֵף	He said he was tired.
״אֲנִי גָּרָה בְּחֵיפָה״	הִיא אָמְרָה שֶׁהִיא גָּרָה בְּחֵיפָה	She said she lived in Haifa.
״אֲנַחְנוּ מְאַחֲרִים״	הֵם אָמְרוּ שֶׁהֵם מְאַחֲרִים	They said they were running late.
״אַתָּה צוֹדֵק״	הוּא אָמַר לִי שֶׁאֲנִי צוֹדֵק	He told me I was right: his “you” is my “I”.
״אֲנִי גֵּאָה בָּכֶם״	אִמָּא אָמְרָה לָנוּ שֶׁהִיא גֵּאָה בָּנוּ	Mom told us she was proud of us: two pronouns change.

Look at the English: “I'm tired” becomes “he was tired”. The Hebrew keeps עָיֵף exactly as it was; the next chapter explains why.

Everyday reports

דָּנִי אוֹמֵר שֶׁהוּא לֹא יָכוֹל לָבוֹא.

Dani omer she-hu lo yakhol lavo

Dani says he can't come.

הִיא סִפְּרָה לִי שֶׁהִיא מְחַפֶּשֶׂת עֲבוֹדָה.

hi sipra li she-hi mekhapeset avoda

She told me she was looking for a job.

הַמּוֹרֶה אָמַר שֶׁהַמִּבְחָן בְּיוֹם רִאשׁוֹן.

ha-more amar she-ha-mivkhan be-yom rishon

The teacher said the test is on Sunday.

אָמַרְתִּי לָהֶם שֶׁאֲנַחְנוּ בַּדֶּרֶךְ.

amarti lahem she-anakhnu ba-derekh

I told them we were on our way.

In books and the news

Written Hebrew often puts the quote first. The verb then comes before the speaker, just like English “said the teacher”:

״בּוֹאוּ נַתְחִיל״, אָמְרָה הַמּוֹרָה.

bo’u natkhil, amra ha-mora

“Let's start,” said the teacher (a woman).

The tense stays as it wasno backshift

Keep the speaker's tense

The lesson on connecting words showed that Hebrew keeps the tense of the original words. Here is the whole rule: take the tense the speaker used, and keep it. Present stays present (שֶׁהוּא עָיֵף), future stays future (שֶׁהִיא תָּבוֹא), past stays past (שֶׁהֵם כְּבָר אָכְלוּ).

After a past verb, English usually moves everything one step back: am becomes was, will becomes would, ate becomes had eaten. Hebrew moves nothing. Only the people change.

The tense of a report counts from the moment the words were said: present means true at that moment, past means before it, future means after it.

She said: … / she said that …

She said: … / she said that …
Tense	She said: “…”	She said that…	Meaning
Present	״אֲנִי בַּבַּיִת״	שֶׁהִיא בַּבַּיִת	She said she was at home.
Past	״כְּבָר אָכַלְתִּי״	שֶׁהִיא כְּבָר אָכְלָה	She said she had already eaten.
Future	״אֲנִי אָבוֹא בָּעֶרֶב״	שֶׁהִיא תָּבוֹא בָּעֶרֶב	She said she would come in the evening.
יֵשׁ (present)	״יֵשׁ לִי שְׁאֵלָה״	שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהּ שְׁאֵלָה	She said she had a question. Only לִי changes, to לָהּ.

Read each row across: the verb keeps its tense, and only the person changes.

Present or past in the report?

Present: true when he said it

הוּא אָמַר שֶׁהוּא עוֹבֵד בְּמִסְעָדָה.

hu amar she-hu oved be-mis’ada

He said he worked in a restaurant. His words: “I work in a restaurant.”

Past: before he said it

הוּא אָמַר שֶׁהוּא עָבַד בְּמִסְעָדָה.

hu amar she-hu avad be-mis’ada

He said he had worked in a restaurant. His words: “I worked in a restaurant.”

Careful with “would”

In “she said she would come”, would is just a reported will, so Hebrew uses the plain future, שֶׁהִיא תָּבוֹא. The form הָיְתָה בָּאָה is something else: the imagined “would” from the lesson on conditionals, or “used to come”.

Quick check

1 of 4

Yossi said: “I'm learning Hebrew.” How do you report it?

יוֹסִי: ״אֲנִי לוֹמֵד עִבְרִית״

Reported questions: אִם and question words

A question inside a sentence

A yes/no question is reported with אִם (if, whether): “Is he home?” becomes שָׁאַלְתִּי אִם הוּא בַּבַּיִת, I asked if he was home. Formal writing may use הַאִם instead, the same word that opens a formal yes/no question in the lesson on question words.

A question with a question word keeps that word, with no שֶׁ in front of it: “Where do you live?” becomes הִיא שָׁאֲלָה אֵיפֹה אֲנִי גָּר. Nothing needs reordering, because Hebrew questions already use statement order; only the person shifts. The same goes after יוֹדֵעַ, מֵבִין, זוֹכֵר and תַּגִּיד לִי, as in אֲנִי לֹא יוֹדֵעַ מָתַי הַשִּׁעוּר (I don't know when the lesson is).

The question mark disappears, because the sentence now states something. It only comes back when the whole sentence asks, as in אַתָּה יוֹדֵעַ אֵיפֹה הַמַּפְתְּחוֹת?‏ (do you know where the keys are?).

From question to report

From question to report
The question	Reported	Meaning
״הוּא בַּבַּיִת?״	שָׁאַלְתִּי אִם הוּא בַּבַּיִת	I asked if he was home.
״אַתְּ רוֹצָה קָפֶה?״	הוּא שָׁאַל אוֹתִי אִם אֲנִי רוֹצָה קָפֶה	He asked me if I wanted coffee (a woman speaking).
״אֵיפֹה אַתָּה גָּר?״	הִיא שָׁאֲלָה אֵיפֹה אֲנִי גָּר	She asked where I lived (a man speaking).
״לָמָּה אַתָּה לוֹמֵד עִבְרִית?״	כֻּלָּם שׁוֹאֲלִים אוֹתִי לָמָּה אֲנִי לוֹמֵד עִבְרִית	Everyone asks me why I'm learning Hebrew.
״מָה קָרָה?״	הוּא שָׁאַל מָה קָרָה	He asked what had happened.

Yes/no: אִם. With a question word: the word itself. English turns “where do you live?” into “where I live”; Hebrew has nothing to turn around.

After know, understand, remember and tell me

אֲנִי לֹא יוֹדֵעַ מָתַי הַשִּׁעוּר.

ani lo yode’a matai ha-shi’ur

I don't know when the lesson is.

אַתָּה יוֹדֵעַ אֵיפֹה הַמַּפְתְּחוֹת?

ata yode’a eifo ha-maftekhot?

Do you know where the keys are?

לֹא הֵבַנְתִּי מָה הוּא רוֹצֶה.

lo hevanti ma hu rotse

I didn't understand what he wanted.

תַּגִּיד לִי מָתַי אַתָּה מַגִּיעַ.

tagid li matai ata magi’a

Tell me when you're arriving.

אַתְּ זוֹכֶרֶת אִם סָגַרְנוּ אֶת הַדֶּלֶת?

at zokheret im sagarnu et ha-delet?

Do you remember if we closed the door? (to a woman)

הַאִם in writing

In the news, in reports and in official letters, a reported yes/no question often opens with הַאִם. In conversation, say אִם.

לֹא בָּרוּר הַאִם הַטִּיסָה תֵּצֵא בַּזְּמַן.

lo barur ha’im ha-tisa tetse ba-zman

It's not clear whether the flight will leave on time.

A question, or “the thing that”?

Passing on a question: the bare word

שָׁאַלְתִּי מָה הוּא אָמַר.

sha’alti ma hu amar

I asked what he had said.

אֲנִי לֹא זוֹכֵר אֵיפֹה הוּא גָּר.

ani lo zokher eifo hu gar

I don't remember where he lives.

The thing itself: מָה שֶׁ

אֲנִי מַסְכִּים עִם מָה שֶׁאָמַרְתָּ.

ani maskim im ma she-amarta

I agree with what you said.

עָשִׂיתִי בְּדִיּוּק מָה שֶׁבִּקַּשְׁתָּ.

asiti bediyuk ma she-bikashta

I did exactly what you asked.

If you could say “the thing that” instead, use מָה שֶׁ, as in the lesson on relative clauses. If the sentence passes on a question (what? where? when?), use the bare word. In casual speech you will also hear אֲנִי לֹא יוֹדֵעַ מָה שֶׁהוּא רוֹצֶה: it is very common, but it is not standard.

Quick check

1 of 3

Report the question “Is the shop open?”

שָׁאַלְתִּי ___ הַחֲנוּת פְּתוּחָה.

Reported requests: told me to, asked me to

An infinitive, or שֶׁ + future

A request or an instruction is reported in one of two ways. Either the person, then an infinitive: אָמַר לִי לְחַכּוֹת, he told me to wait. Or שֶׁ and a future verb: אָמַר לִי שֶׁאֲחַכֶּה, literally “he told me that I will wait”. Both are natural and mean the same.

בִּקֵּשׁ (asked, requested) works the same way, but the person takes מִן, as in בִּקֵּשׁ מִמֶּנִּי לַעֲזֹר. You can also simply say בִּקֵּשׁ שֶׁאֶעֱזֹר, since the future verb already shows who. The אַל of a direct “don't” turns into לֹא: put it before the infinitive, or use שֶׁלֹּא with the future.

Why the future? A request is about something that hasn't happened yet. It is the logic of אֲנִי רוֹצֶה שֶׁתָּבוֹא from the lesson on modal verbs.

Two patterns, one meaning

Two patterns, one meaning
Pattern	Example	Meaning
אָמַר לְ…‏ + infinitive	הוּא אָמַר לִי לְחַכּוֹת	He told me to wait.
אָמַר לְ… שֶׁ + future	הוּא אָמַר לִי שֶׁאֲחַכֶּה	The same, literally “that I'll wait”.
בִּקֵּשׁ מִ…‏ + infinitive	הִיא בִּקְּשָׁה מִמֶּנִּי לַעֲזֹר לָהּ	She asked me to help her.
בִּקֵּשׁ שֶׁ + future	הִיא בִּקְּשָׁה שֶׁאֶעֱזֹר לָהּ	The same: the future verb shows who will help.
לֹא + infinitive	הוּא אָמַר לִי לֹא לִשְׁכֹּחַ	He told me not to forget.
שֶׁלֹּא + future	הוּא אָמַר לִי שֶׁלֹּא אֶשְׁכַּח	The same, with שֶׁלֹּא.

In each pair, the second sentence says exactly what the first one says.

A fact or a request?

A fact: its own tense

תַּגִּיד לוֹ שֶׁאֲנִי מְאַחֵר.

tagid lo she-ani me’akher

Tell him I'm running late.

A request: the future

תַּגִּיד לוֹ שֶׁיִּתְקַשֵּׁר אֵלַי.

tagid lo she-yitkasher elai

Tell him to call me.

After תַּגִּיד לוֹ שֶׁ, the tense tells him what you mean: a present verb passes on news, and a future verb with him as its subject passes on a request (שֶׁיִּתְקַשֵּׁר). A future about yourself is still news: תַּגִּיד לוֹ שֶׁאַגִּיעַ מְאֻחָר (tell him I'll be late).

Requests in everyday life

תַּגִּיד לָהּ שֶׁתָּבוֹא מֻקְדָּם.

tagid la she-tavo mukdam

Tell her to come early (said to a man).

אִמָּא אָמְרָה לָנוּ לִסְגֹּר אֶת הַחַלּוֹן.

ima amra lanu lisgor et ha-khalon

Mom told us to close the window.

הַמּוֹרֶה בִּקֵּשׁ שֶׁנִּכְתֹּב אֶת זֶה בַּבַּיִת.

ha-more bikesh she-nikhtov et ze ba-bayit

The teacher asked us to write it at home.

בִּקַּשְׁתִּי מִמֶּנּוּ שֶׁלֹּא יְסַפֵּר לְאַף אֶחָד.

bikashti mimenu she-lo yesaper le-af ekhad

I asked him not to tell anyone.

הֵם בִּקְּשׁוּ מֵהַמֶּלְצַר לְהָבִיא עוֹד מַיִם.

hem bikshu me-ha-meltsar lehavi od mayim

They asked the waiter to bring more water.

From me, from him: מִמֶּנִּי

With a pronoun, the מִן of בִּקֵּשׁ takes the forms you met in the lesson on comparing, as in גָּבוֹהַּ מִמֶּנִּי. With a noun it is a prefix: בִּקֵּשׁ מִדָּנִי, מֵהַמֶּלְצַר. English “asked me” pulls you towards אוֹתִי, but the person you ask is never the direct object of בִּקֵּשׁ: not בִּקֵּשׁ אוֹתִי לַעֲזֹר. (With אֶת, the person is the one being asked for: בִּקְּשׁוּ אוֹתְךָ בַּטֶּלֶפוֹן, someone asked for you on the phone.)

מִמֶּנִּיfrom meמִמְּךָfrom you (m.)מִמֵּךְfrom you (f.)מִמֶּנּוּfrom himמִמֶּנָּהfrom her

Verbs of saying and their prepositionslearn them in pairs

Each verb brings its own preposition

The person you talk to joins the verb with that verb's own preposition. Most verbs of saying take לְ, like אָמַר לִי, סִפֵּר לִי and הִסְבִּיר לִי. Two everyday verbs don't: שָׁאַל takes a direct object, as in שָׁאַל אוֹתִי, and בִּקֵּשׁ takes מִן, as in בִּקֵּשׁ מִמֶּנִּי.

After the person comes what was said: שֶׁ for a statement, אִם or a question word for a question, an infinitive or שֶׁ + future for a request. Verbs of thinking and claiming, like חָשַׁב and טָעַן, usually take no person at all, just שֶׁ.

English “ask” is two Hebrew verbs: שָׁאַל asks a question, בִּקֵּשׁ asks for something. “He asked me to wait” is always בִּקֵּשׁ.

Three verbs, three ways to say “me”

אָמַר לִילְ־

amar li

he told me

שָׁאַל אוֹתִיאֶת

sha’al oti

he asked me (a question)

בִּקֵּשׁ מִמֶּנִּימִן

bikesh mimeni

he asked me (for something)

Verbs of saying at a glance

Verbs of saying at a glance
Verb	What follows it	Example	Meaning
אָמַר	לְ + person, then שֶׁ	אָמַרְתִּי לָהּ שֶׁאֲנִי מִצְטַעֵר	I told her I was sorry (a man speaking).
סִפֵּר	לְ + person, עַל + topic	הִיא סִפְּרָה לִי עַל הַטִּיּוּל	She told me about the trip.
הִסְבִּיר	לְ + person	הַמּוֹרָה הִסְבִּירָה לָנוּ אֶת הַכְּלָל	The teacher explained the rule to us.
עָנָה	לְ + person, עַל + a question	הוּא עוֹד לֹא עָנָה לִי	He hasn't answered me yet.
הִבְטִיחַ	לְ + person, then שֶׁ or an infinitive	הִבְטַחְתִּי לְאִמָּא שֶׁאֶתְקַשֵּׁר	I promised Mom I'd call.
הוֹדִיעַ	לְ + person, then שֶׁ	הֵם הוֹדִיעוּ לָנוּ שֶׁהַשִּׁעוּר מְבֻטָּל	They let us know the lesson was cancelled.
שָׁאַל	אֶת + person, then אִם or a question word	שָׁאַלְתִּי אֶת הַמּוֹרֶה אִם יֵשׁ מִבְחָן	I asked the teacher if there was a test.
בִּקֵּשׁ	מִן + person, then the thing, an infinitive or שֶׁ	הוּא בִּקֵּשׁ מִמֶּנִּי עֶזְרָה	He asked me for help.
חָשַׁב	שֶׁ, no person	חָשַׁבְתִּי שֶׁאַתָּה בַּבַּיִת	I thought you were home.
טָעַן	שֶׁ, no person	הוּא טוֹעֵן שֶׁהוּא לֹא יָדַע	He claims he didn't know.
הֶחְלִיט	an infinitive, or שֶׁ	הֶחְלַטְנוּ לִנְסֹעַ לְאֵילַת	We decided to go to Eilat.

Learn each verb together with what follows it, the way you learned לְדַבֵּר עִם in the lesson on object pronouns.

Two roots for one verb

In everyday speech “to say” borrows from two roots. The past and the present come from the root א־מ־ר, as in אָמַר and אוֹמֵר. The future and the infinitive usually come from נ־ג־ד, as in יַגִּיד, תַּגִּיד and לְהַגִּיד. The forms יֹאמַר and לוֹמַר are correct too, but they sound formal.

אָמַר

amar

said

אוֹמֵר

omer

says

יַגִּיד

yagid

will say

לְהַגִּיד

lehagid

to say

מָה הוּא אָמַר? — הוּא לֹא רָצָה לְהַגִּיד.

ma hu amar? — hu lo ratsa lehagid

What did he say? — He didn't want to say.

Time and place words, and reporting in real life

Tomorrow isn't always tomorrow

Words like מָחָר, הַיּוֹם and פֹּה point from the moment and the place of speaking. When you report later, or from somewhere else, swap them for words that point from the story: מָחָר becomes לְמָחֳרָת (the next day), אֶתְמוֹל becomes יוֹם קֹדֶם or יוֹם לִפְנֵי כֵן (the day before), הַיּוֹם becomes בְּאוֹתוֹ יוֹם (that day), פֹּה becomes שָׁם, and עַכְשָׁו becomes אָז.

Swap them only when the time or the place has really changed. If a friend said ״אֲנִי אָבוֹא מָחָר״ this morning and you pass it on today, tomorrow is still tomorrow: הוּא אָמַר שֶׁהוּא יָבוֹא מָחָר.

English does the same: tomorrow becomes “the next day”. In בְּאוֹתוֹ יוֹם, the word אוֹתוֹ means “the same”, as in the lesson on object pronouns.

When the report comes later

מָחָרלְמָחֳרָת“tomorrow” becomes “the next day”

אֶתְמוֹליוֹם קֹדֶם“yesterday” becomes “the day before” (also יוֹם לִפְנֵי כֵן)

הַיּוֹםבְּאוֹתוֹ יוֹם“today” becomes “that day”

הַשָּׁבוּעַבְּאוֹתוֹ שָׁבוּעַ“this week” becomes “that week”

פֹּהשָׁם“here” becomes “there”

עַכְשָׁואָז“now” becomes “then”

The same words, a week later

On Sunday he said:

הוּא אָמַר: ״אֲנִי אָבוֹא מָחָר״.

hu amar: ani avo makhar

He said: “I'll come tomorrow.”

A week later, you report it:

הוּא אָמַר שֶׁהוּא יָבוֹא לְמָחֳרָת.

hu amar she-hu yavo lemokhorat

He said he would come the next day.

According to: לְפִי

לְפִי הַתַּחֲזִית, מָחָר יִהְיֶה חַם.

lefi ha-takhazit, makhar yihye kham

According to the forecast, it'll be hot tomorrow.

לְפִי דָּנִי, הַמִּסְעָדָה סְגוּרָה בְּשַׁבָּת.

lefi Dani, ha-mis’ada sgura be-shabat

According to Dani, the restaurant is closed on Shabbat.

לְדִבְרֵי הַמִּשְׁטָרָה, אִישׁ לֹא נִפְגַּע.

le-divrei ha-mishtara, ish lo nifga

According to the police, no one was hurt. (news)

The news also says לְדִבְרֵי (according to) and uses the formal כִּי for “that”, as the lesson on connecting words showed. Recognise them; in conversation, say לְפִי and שֶׁ.

Telling it out loud

When Israelis retell a conversation, they usually quote rather than report, and they often switch to the present, like English “so he says to me…”. In casual speech, כָּזֶה or כָּזֹאת introduces a quote, like English “and she's like…”. The word כְּאִלּוּ means “as if”, and in casual speech it is also a filler, like English “like”.

אָז הוּא אוֹמֵר לִי: ״אַתָּה בָּטוּחַ?״

az hu omer li: ata batu’akh?

So he says to me: “Are you sure?”

וְהִיא כָּזֹאת: ״מָה, בֶּאֱמֶת?״

ve-hi kazot: ma, be’emet?

And she's like: “What, really?” (slang)

הוּא עָשָׂה כְּאִלּוּ הוּא לֹא שָׁמַע.

hu asa ke’ilu hu lo shama

He acted as if he hadn't heard.

Quick check

1 of 3

The doctor told you: “Drink a lot of water.” Report it.

הָרוֹפֵא אָמַר לִי ___ הַרְבֵּה מַיִם.

Common mistakes and summary

Six mistakes worth fixing now

הוּא אָמַר שֶׁהוּא הָיָה עָיֵףהוּא אָמַר שֶׁהוּא עָיֵף
His words were “I'm tired”, in the present, so the report stays in the present. With הָיָה it means he had been tired before he said it.
שָׁאַלְתִּי שֶׁאֵיפֹה הוּא גָּרשָׁאַלְתִּי אֵיפֹה הוּא גָּר
A question word opens a reported question on its own: no שֶׁ in front of it, and no אִם.
הִיא שָׁאֲלָה לִי מָה הַשָּׁעָההִיא שָׁאֲלָה אוֹתִי מָה הַשָּׁעָה
You ask someone, so שָׁאַל takes a direct object: שָׁאֲלָה אוֹתִי. The לִי belongs to אָמַר לִי.
הוּא בִּקֵּשׁ אוֹתִי לַעֲזֹר לוֹהוּא בִּקֵּשׁ מִמֶּנִּי לַעֲזֹר לוֹ
You ask something of someone, so the person takes מִן, as in בִּקֵּשׁ מִמֶּנִּי. The word אֶת goes with the thing you ask for, as in בִּקֵּשׁ אֶת הַחֶשְׁבּוֹן (asked for the bill).
תַּגִּיד לוֹ שֶׁהוּא מִתְקַשֵּׁר אֵלַיתַּגִּיד לוֹ שֶׁיִּתְקַשֵּׁר אֵלַי
A request after שֶׁ takes the future. With the present you would be telling him a fact: that he is calling me.
אֲנִי לֹא יוֹדֵעַ מָה שֶׁהוּא רוֹצֶהאֲנִי לֹא יוֹדֵעַ מָה הוּא רוֹצֶה
Very common in casual speech, but not standard: a reported question takes the bare question word. Keep מָה שֶׁ for “the thing that”, as in עָשִׂיתִי מָה שֶׁבִּקַּשְׁתָּ.

What to take away

A quote repeats the exact words in quotation marks, after a colon. A report uses שֶׁ, attached to the next word, and tells the people from your side: ״אֲנִי עָיֵף״ becomes הוּא אָמַר שֶׁהוּא עָיֵף.
The tense never moves: present stays present, past stays past and future stays future, whatever English does.
Questions: אִם (formally הַאִם) for yes/no. For the rest, the question word itself, with no שֶׁ, as in הִיא שָׁאֲלָה אֵיפֹה אֲנִי גָּר.
Requests: אָמַר לִי לְחַכּוֹת or אָמַר לִי שֶׁאֲחַכֶּה. For “don't”, use לֹא before the infinitive, or שֶׁלֹּא with the future.
Learn each verb with its person: אָמַר לִי, שָׁאַל אוֹתִי, בִּקֵּשׁ מִמֶּנִּי. When the time has changed, מָחָר becomes לְמָחֳרָת.

That was the last lesson of the course: you started with the letters, and now you can pass on a whole conversation in Hebrew.

Practice the words from this lesson

The same words, five ways to play. Your best score is kept on this device; sign in to earn XP and keep your streak.

12 words

Ready to Test Your Knowledge?

Match each Hebrew word to its correct English translation. Build your streak and show off your skills! 🎯

12 questions

Lesson test

Test yourself: Reported Speech

8 questions from the whole lesson, about 3 min. Score 70% or more and the lesson counts as done.

Tip: answer with the number keys 1–4.

Free account

Keep going, it's free

The rest of this lesson and the lesson test
Hemy, the AI tutor who explains the rules and quizzes you
Your progress, synced between the website and the app
A review of the questions you got wrong

Keep practicing anywhere with the Hemy app

How was this lesson?

Thirty seconds of your feedback shapes the next lesson.

Tap a star to start

Practise Reported Speech in the HEMY app

Games on this lesson's words and a voice conversation with AI on the same topic, so the rule turns into speech.

Download onApp Store Download onGoogle Play

Scan with your phone camera

Frequently asked questions

How do you say “he said that…” in Hebrew?: Use אָמַר followed by שֶׁ, written together with the next word: הוּא אָמַר שֶׁהוּא עָיֵף (he said he was tired). Unlike English “that”, שֶׁ is never dropped. The people shift to your point of view, so his “I” becomes הוּא, but the tense stays exactly as he said it. To add who he said it to, use לְ, as in הוּא אָמַר לִי שֶׁהוּא עָיֵף.
Does the tense change in Hebrew reported speech?: No. English moves the verb back (“I'm tired” becomes “he said he was tired”), but Hebrew keeps the speaker's tense: הוּא אָמַר שֶׁהוּא עָיֵף. A future stays future, as in הִיא אָמְרָה שֶׁהִיא תָּבוֹא (she said she would come), and a past stays past. If you say הוּא אָמַר שֶׁהוּא הָיָה עָיֵף, it means he had been tired before.
How do you say “she asked if…” in Hebrew?: Use אִם, as in הִיא שָׁאֲלָה אִם אֲנִי בַּבַּיִת (she asked if I was home). Formal writing also uses הַאִם. For a question with a question word, keep the word and add nothing before it: הִיא שָׁאֲלָה אֵיפֹה אֲנִי גָּר (she asked where I lived). In a reported question, never put שֶׁ before אִם or before the question word.
What is the difference between שָׁאַל and בִּקֵּשׁ?: Both translate as “asked”. שָׁאַל asks a question and takes a direct object, as in שָׁאַל אוֹתִי מָה הַשָּׁעָה (he asked me what time it was). בִּקֵּשׁ asks for something, or asks someone to do something, and the person takes מִן, as in בִּקֵּשׁ מִמֶּנִּי לְחַכּוֹת (he asked me to wait). So “he asked me to wait” is always בִּקֵּשׁ.

Finished this lesson?

Mark it complete to track your path through the grammar course.

Where to go next

All grammar lessons

Your progress0 of 8 done

Quoting or reporting: ״…״ and שֶׁ
The tense stays as it was
Reported questions: אִם and question words (Free account)
Reported requests: told me to, asked me to (Free account)
Verbs of saying and their prepositions (Free account)
Time and place words, and reporting in real life (Free account)
Common mistakes and summary (Free account)
Practice game (Free account)
Lesson test (Free account)
Keep practising
Questions

Reported Speech

How to pass on what someone said, asked or asked you to do: he said that…, she asked if…, he told me to…

You already know the key word, שֶׁ, from the lesson on connecting words. This lesson is about what happens to the words themselves when you pass them on: the people change, the tense doesn't.

Their words

Reported

Meaning

״אֲנִי עָיֵף״

הוּא אָמַר שֶׁהוּא עָיֵף

He said he was tired.

״אֲנִי גָּרָה בְּחֵיפָה״

הִיא אָמְרָה שֶׁהִיא גָּרָה בְּחֵיפָה

She said she lived in Haifa.

״אֲנַחְנוּ מְאַחֲרִים״

הֵם אָמְרוּ שֶׁהֵם מְאַחֲרִים

They said they were running late.

״אַתָּה צוֹדֵק״

הוּא אָמַר לִי שֶׁאֲנִי צוֹדֵק

He told me I was right: his “you” is my “I”.

״אֲנִי גֵּאָה בָּכֶם״

אִמָּא אָמְרָה לָנוּ שֶׁהִיא גֵּאָה בָּנוּ

Mom told us she was proud of us: two pronouns change.

Tense

She said: “…”

She said that…

Meaning

Present

״אֲנִי בַּבַּיִת״

שֶׁהִיא בַּבַּיִת

She said she was at home.

Past

״כְּבָר אָכַלְתִּי״

שֶׁהִיא כְּבָר אָכְלָה

She said she had already eaten.

Future

״אֲנִי אָבוֹא בָּעֶרֶב״

שֶׁהִיא תָּבוֹא בָּעֶרֶב

She said she would come in the evening.

יֵשׁ (present)

״יֵשׁ לִי שְׁאֵלָה״

שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהּ שְׁאֵלָה

She said she had a question. Only לִי changes, to לָהּ.

The question

Reported

Meaning

״הוּא בַּבַּיִת?״

שָׁאַלְתִּי אִם הוּא בַּבַּיִת

I asked if he was home.

״אַתְּ רוֹצָה קָפֶה?״

הוּא שָׁאַל אוֹתִי אִם אֲנִי רוֹצָה קָפֶה

He asked me if I wanted coffee (a woman speaking).

״אֵיפֹה אַתָּה גָּר?״

הִיא שָׁאֲלָה אֵיפֹה אֲנִי גָּר

She asked where I lived (a man speaking).

״לָמָּה אַתָּה לוֹמֵד עִבְרִית?״

כֻּלָּם שׁוֹאֲלִים אוֹתִי לָמָּה אֲנִי לוֹמֵד עִבְרִית

Everyone asks me why I'm learning Hebrew.

״מָה קָרָה?״

הוּא שָׁאַל מָה קָרָה

He asked what had happened.

Pattern

Example

Meaning

אָמַר לְ…‏ + infinitive

הוּא אָמַר לִי לְחַכּוֹת

He told me to wait.

אָמַר לְ… שֶׁ + future

הוּא אָמַר לִי שֶׁאֲחַכֶּה

The same, literally “that I'll wait”.

בִּקֵּשׁ מִ…‏ + infinitive

הִיא בִּקְּשָׁה מִמֶּנִּי לַעֲזֹר לָהּ

She asked me to help her.

בִּקֵּשׁ שֶׁ + future

הִיא בִּקְּשָׁה שֶׁאֶעֱזֹר לָהּ

The same: the future verb shows who will help.

לֹא + infinitive

הוּא אָמַר לִי לֹא לִשְׁכֹּחַ

He told me not to forget.

שֶׁלֹּא + future

הוּא אָמַר לִי שֶׁלֹּא אֶשְׁכַּח

The same, with שֶׁלֹּא.

Verb

What follows it

Example

Meaning

אָמַר

לְ + person, then שֶׁ

אָמַרְתִּי לָהּ שֶׁאֲנִי מִצְטַעֵר

I told her I was sorry (a man speaking).

סִפֵּר

לְ + person, עַל + topic

הִיא סִפְּרָה לִי עַל הַטִּיּוּל

She told me about the trip.

הִסְבִּיר

לְ + person

הַמּוֹרָה הִסְבִּירָה לָנוּ אֶת הַכְּלָל

The teacher explained the rule to us.

עָנָה

לְ + person, עַל + a question

הוּא עוֹד לֹא עָנָה לִי

He hasn't answered me yet.

הִבְטִיחַ

לְ + person, then שֶׁ or an infinitive

הִבְטַחְתִּי לְאִמָּא שֶׁאֶתְקַשֵּׁר

I promised Mom I'd call.

הוֹדִיעַ

לְ + person, then שֶׁ

הֵם הוֹדִיעוּ לָנוּ שֶׁהַשִּׁעוּר מְבֻטָּל

They let us know the lesson was cancelled.

שָׁאַל

אֶת + person, then אִם or a question word

שָׁאַלְתִּי אֶת הַמּוֹרֶה אִם יֵשׁ מִבְחָן

I asked the teacher if there was a test.

בִּקֵּשׁ

מִן + person, then the thing, an infinitive or שֶׁ

הוּא בִּקֵּשׁ מִמֶּנִּי עֶזְרָה

He asked me for help.

חָשַׁב

שֶׁ, no person

חָשַׁבְתִּי שֶׁאַתָּה בַּבַּיִת

I thought you were home.

טָעַן

שֶׁ, no person

הוּא טוֹעֵן שֶׁהוּא לֹא יָדַע

He claims he didn't know.

הֶחְלִיט

an infinitive, or שֶׁ

הֶחְלַטְנוּ לִנְסֹעַ לְאֵילַת

We decided to go to Eilat.

Frequently asked questions

How do you say “he said that…” in Hebrew?

Use אָמַר followed by שֶׁ, written together with the next word: הוּא אָמַר שֶׁהוּא עָיֵף (he said he was tired). Unlike English “that”, שֶׁ is never dropped. The people shift to your point of view, so his “I” becomes הוּא, but the tense stays exactly as he said it. To add who he said it to, use לְ, as in הוּא אָמַר לִי שֶׁהוּא עָיֵף.

Does the tense change in Hebrew reported speech?

No. English moves the verb back (“I'm tired” becomes “he said he was tired”), but Hebrew keeps the speaker's tense: הוּא אָמַר שֶׁהוּא עָיֵף. A future stays future, as in הִיא אָמְרָה שֶׁהִיא תָּבוֹא (she said she would come), and a past stays past. If you say הוּא אָמַר שֶׁהוּא הָיָה עָיֵף, it means he had been tired before.

How do you say “she asked if…” in Hebrew?

Use אִם, as in הִיא שָׁאֲלָה אִם אֲנִי בַּבַּיִת (she asked if I was home). Formal writing also uses הַאִם. For a question with a question word, keep the word and add nothing before it: הִיא שָׁאֲלָה אֵיפֹה אֲנִי גָּר (she asked where I lived). In a reported question, never put שֶׁ before אִם or before the question word.

What is the difference between שָׁאַל and בִּקֵּשׁ?

Both translate as “asked”. שָׁאַל asks a question and takes a direct object, as in שָׁאַל אוֹתִי מָה הַשָּׁעָה (he asked me what time it was). בִּקֵּשׁ asks for something, or asks someone to do something, and the person takes מִן, as in בִּקֵּשׁ מִמֶּנִּי לְחַכּוֹת (he asked me to wait). So “he asked me to wait” is always בִּקֵּשׁ.