Reported speech in the present tense in French

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Reported speech in the present tense

When using reported speech, or restating something said by someone else (style indirect), we use que (that).

Il dit : ÂŤ Il fait beau aujourd'hui. Âť → Il dit qu’il fait beau aujourd'hui. He says: 'The weather is nice today'. → He says that the weather is nice today.
Je te rĂŠpète : ÂŤ Je ne suis pas fâchĂŠ. Âť → Je te rĂŠpète que je ne suis pas fâchĂŠ. I'm telling you again: I'm not angry. → I'm telling you again that I'm not angry.
Je sors et je rentrerai après dîner. → Je dis que je sors et que je rentrerai après dîner. (Notez que l'on répète que devant chaque verbe) I'm going out and I'll be back after dinner. → I'm saying that I'm going out and that I'll be back after dinner. (Note that we must repeat que before each verb.)

When repeating or reporting questions that begin with a personal pronoun or est-ce que, we use si (if, whether). Note that these are generally 'yes/no' questions.

Tu vas venir ? → Je te demande si tu vas venir. Are you going to come? → I'm asking if you're going to come. 
Est-ce que tu seras lĂ  demain ? → Il vous demande si vous serez lĂ  demain. Will you be there tomorrow? → He's asking you if you will be there tomorrow.
Il va dĂŠmĂŠnager ou il va rester ? → Je (me) demande s'il va dĂŠmĂŠnager ou s'il va rester. Is he going to move or stay where he is? → I wonder whether he is going to move or stay where he is.

When repeating or reporting questions that begin with qu'est-ce que or qu'est-ce qui, we use ce que or ce qui (what).

Qu'est-ce que tu dis ? → Je demande ce que tu dis . What are you saying? → I'm asking what you are saying.
Qu'est-ce qui lui prend ? → Je demande ce qui lui prend. What's gotten into him? → I'm asking what's gotten into him.

When repeating or reporting questions that begin with adverbs, we use the same adverb again.

Quel âge a Victor ? → Je te demande quel âge Victor a (ou quel âge a Victor). How old is Victor ? → I'm asking you how old Victor is.
Comment s'appelle-t-il ? → Je me demande comment il s'appelle. What's his name? → I wonder what his name is.
D'oĂš viennent tes amis ? → Je te demande d'oĂš viennent tes amis. Where are your friends from? → 'm asking you where your friends come from.

Important: In the examples above, we don't invert the subject and verb in a reported question when the subject is a pronoun (je, tu, il, etc). We can, however, invert the subject and verb when the subject is a noun (Victor, le chien, le travail, etc.). (Note that this inversion is not possible with pourquoi and ce qui.)

Quel âge as-tu ? → Je te demande quel âge tu as. (et pas : Je te demande quel âge as-tu.) How old are you? → I'm asking you how old you are.  (and not: Je te demande quel âge as-tu.)
Quel âge a Victor? → Je te demande quel âge a Victor. (tournure la plus fréquente) ou Je te demande quel âge Victor a. How old is Victor? → I'm asking you how old Victor is. (more common)

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