Reported Speech in Urdu

Overview

Reported speech (بالواسطہ بیان) in Urdu uses the complementizer کہ ke (that) after verbs of saying, asking, and telling. At the CEFR B2 level, learners need to handle both direct and indirect quotation fluently.

Unlike English, Urdu does not always shift tenses in reported speech. The original tense is frequently preserved, making Urdu indirect speech more straightforward in some respects. Direct quotation is also common and considered natural in Urdu.

The key reporting verbs are کہنا kahnā (to say), پوچھنا pūchnā (to ask), and بتانا batānā (to tell/inform).

How It Works

Indirect Speech Pattern

Reporting verb + کہ + reported clause

Direct	Indirect
اس نے کہا: «میں آؤں گا۔»	اس نے کہا کہ وہ آئے گا۔
(He said: "I will come.")	(He said that he would come.)

Pronoun Changes

Direct Speech	Reported Speech
میں (I)	وہ (he/she)
تم (you)	ہم/وہ (we/they)
یہاں (here)	وہاں (there)
آج (today)	اس دن (that day)

Tense Behavior

Tenses often remain unchanged in Urdu reported speech, unlike English:

• Direct: میں جاؤں گا (I will go)
• Indirect: اس نے کہا کہ وہ جائے گا (He said he will/would go — same tense)

Examples in Context

Urdu	Transliteration	English	Note
اس نے کہا کہ وہ کل آئے گا۔	us ne kahā ke voh kal āe gā	He said that he would come tomorrow.	Indirect
استاد نے پوچھا کہ کیا ہم تیار ہیں۔	ustād ne pūchhā ke kyā ham taiyār haiṅ	The teacher asked if we are ready.	Indirect question
ماں نے بتایا کہ کھانا تیار ہے۔	māṅ ne batāyā ke khānā taiyār hai	Mother told us food is ready.	بتانا for informing
وہ بولا: «میں نہیں جاؤں گا۔»	voh bolā: maiṅ nahīṅ jāūṅ gā	He said: "I will not go."	Direct quotation
اس نے کہا کہ وہ بیمار ہے۔	us ne kahā ke voh bīmār hai	He said he is sick.	Tense preserved
پولیس نے بتایا کہ حادثہ ہوا ہے۔	pulīs ne batāyā ke hādisā huā hai	Police reported that an accident occurred.	News register
اس نے مجھ سے کہا کہ بیٹھو۔	us ne mujh se kahā ke baiṭho	He told me to sit.	Reported command
ڈاکٹر نے کہا کہ دوائی لو۔	ḍākṭar ne kahā ke davāī lo	The doctor said to take medicine.	Reported instruction

Common Mistakes

Forgetting کہ

• Wrong: اس نے کہا وہ آئے گا۔
• Right: اس نے کہا کہ وہ آئے گا۔
• Why: The complementizer کہ is required to introduce the reported clause.

Unnecessary Tense Shifting

• Wrong: Shifting all tenses back as in English
• Right: Tenses can remain as originally spoken in Urdu
• Why: Urdu does not require backshifting; the original tense is often preserved.

Confusing Direct and Indirect Pronoun Reference

• Wrong: اس نے کہا کہ میں آؤں گا۔ (keeping "I" in indirect speech)
• Right: اس نے کہا کہ وہ آئے گا۔
• Why: In indirect speech, pronouns shift to third person (میں → وہ).

Usage Notes

Direct quotation is very common in Urdu, especially in spoken language and literature. Urdu uses guillemets (« ») or quotation marks for direct speech. In everyday conversation, people often quote others directly rather than using indirect speech.

In news Urdu, reported speech is ubiquitous: وزیراعظم نے کہا کہ... (The PM said that...).

Practice Tips

• Practice converting direct quotes to indirect speech, focusing on pronoun changes.
• Read Urdu news and identify reported speech patterns with کہنا, بتانا, and پوچھنا.
• Role-play conversations where you report what someone else said.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Simple Past Tense — Reporting verbs use past tense with نے